"Fall Fishing Frenzy on Lake of the Woods: Your Guide to Successful Angling"

As of November 9, 2024, the fishing scene at Lake of the Woods in Minnesota is thriving, especially with the fall season in full swing. Here’s what you need to know for a successful day on the water.

### Weather and Conditions
The weather is crisp with temperatures in the mid-40s to low 50s, making it ideal for fall fishing. The water temperature has cooled down to the low to mid-50s, which has made the fish more active.

### Sunrise and Sunset
Sunrise is at around 7:15 AM, and sunset is at approximately 4:45 PM, giving you a good window to catch both morning and evening bites.

### Fish Activity
Walleye and sauger fishing remains excellent, with anglers reporting steady action. These fish are being found at various depths, but the sweet spot is consistently around 20 to 27 feet of water. The cooling waters have intensified the jigging action, and schools of walleyes and saugers are active over deep muddy and sand to mud transition areas.

### Types and Amounts of Fish
Yesterday saw good numbers of walleyes and saugers being caught. Anglers reported catching a mix of sizes, including smaller fish, eaters, and some bigger walleyes. Sturgeon anglers also had a good day, particularly when using crawlers or frozen emerald shiners.

### Best Lures and Bait
For walleyes, live or frozen emerald shiners are your best bet while jigging. Popular jig colors include gold, glow white, glow red, chartreuse, and pink. A gold jig paired with any of these colors is usually a winning combination. Trolling spinners with crawlers, especially those with gold, gold/pink, pink, orange, glow red, or glow white spinner blades, is also highly effective. Crankbaits are another good option, especially when covering a lot of water over the deep mud areas.

### Hot Spots
On the south end of Lake of the Woods, focus on the deep mud areas in Big Traverse Bay, where big numbers of walleyes and saugers are staged. The NW Angle is also a hotspot, with fish found on structure such as points, sunken islands, saddles, and neck down areas with current.

### Additional Tips
Utilizing sonar technology can be particularly effective in finding fish in these conditions. If you find a school of walleyes, anchoring or spot locking with a jig and minnow can be very effective. For smallmouth bass, target the rocky areas, current breaks, and bridges with associated rip rap.

With the right gear and knowledge of the hot spots, you’re set for a great day of fishing on Lake of the Woods.