Lake of the Woods cheat sheet
Every fish, the Minnesota licence and the border-water limits, the rigs and the one box of tackle. One page to take to the water.
Lake of the Woods
The lake opener is mid-May, the Rainy River runs spring, autumn is the best all-round window, and winter is a destination ice fishery.
Licence
You need a Minnesota fishing licence (non-resident $14 for 24 hours, $36 for 72 hours, $43 for 7 days, $51 annual, 2026). Buy online at dnr.state.mn.us, in the app, or at a resort. The Ontario side needs an Ontario licence.
The border-water limits
Walleye and sauger combined 6, no more than 4 walleye; every walleye 19.5 to 28 inches (about 50 to 71 cm) released, one over 28 allowed. Perch 20 a day. Pike 3 a day, 30 to 40 inches released. Sturgeon one a year with a tag, in the slot.
The rules that matter
It is a border water, so these special limits and the walleye protected slot apply. The Rainy River is catch and release for walleye until 14 April. Follow the consumption advice and clean your kit between waters.
Bank vs boat · season · time → rig
| Fish | How you fish it | Best time / season | Rig |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye and sauger | Boat over the south basin and reefs (open water); the Rainy River in spring; ice house in winter | Mid-May opener through autumn; the Rainy River spring run; winter ice | Walleye jig rig, live-bait (Lindy) rig, trolling; ice fishing rig in winter |
| Yellow perch | Boat over the same ground; ice house in winter | Late summer and autumn; strong winter fish | Walleye jig rig scaled down; ice fishing rig |
| Northern pike | Weedy bays and edges, bank where reachable, boat on the open lake; tip-up through the ice | Spring and autumn; reliable on the ice | Pike rig; ice fishing rig tip-up |
| Smallmouth bass | Boat on the rocky reefs and shorelines, more in the northern water | Summer into autumn | Walleye jig rig over rock; light soft-plastic jig |
| Lake sturgeon | Boat anchored over the Rainy River holes | River spring window and July onward (keep-season) | Sturgeon rig |
Open water wants a boat, and a resort is the easy route. Winter is the ice house.
The rigs
Braid → fluoro leader → 1/8–3/8 oz jig + minnow or 3–4 in soft plastic; or a bottom-bouncer + spinner-and-crawler harness
Palomar (jig, swivel) · non-slip loop at the jig (optional)Braid → fluoro leader → crankbait, or a bottom-bouncer + spinner harness, run behind the boat
Palomar · non-slip loop at the lureShort ice rod → jigging spoon or tear-drop jig + minnow head (worked); tip-up + wire leader + dead-bait for pike
Palomar · improved clinchBraid → swivel → pike trace (wire or 0.50–0.90 mm fluoro) → big shad/spoon/spinnerbait, or a dead-bait
Palomar (trace, swivel) · non-slip loop for the lure (optional)Heavy braid → no-roll sliding sinker → strong leader → circle hook + crawlers or shiner, anchored
Palomar · improved clinchWhat you need
A medium spin outfit and one small jig box build the walleye and perch work, and carry into winter on a short ice rod. The pike trace and the sturgeon outfit are the only big add-ons.
The knots
| Knot | Ties | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| Palomar | The workhorse, every rig: jig, hook, swivel, bottom-bouncer. | Every rig |
| Improved clinch | The mono and fluoro joins: live-bait hook, ice rig, sturgeon hook. | Mono / fluoro joins |
| Non-slip loop | A free-moving loop at a jig or lure. | Walleye jig, trolling, pike lures |
Learn the Palomar first; it ties most of this. Wet every knot before you pull it tight.
This one page is the printable I take to the water.
Give me an email and I will show it to you, ready to print. A one-page reference: what's on by month, the licence and rules, a rig for every fish, the shared tackle box and the knots.
I'll send you the cheat sheet, and email you when I add a new place to fish. Nothing else.