For more information, contact Lake of the Woods Chamber of Commerce at (800) 382-FISH or online at www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com.

Upper Red Lake
Known for many years as a crappie fishing mecca, Upper Red Lake anglers have been dealing with walleyes more in recent years. Last year was the first ice-fishing season that walleyes could be taken from Upper Red. This promises to be another great year of walleye fishing -- if you can find them.

“They are scattered all around the lake and they like to roam,” said Bryan “Beef” Sathre of Fathead Guide Service. An avid Upper Red ice-angler, Sathre said he runs and guns on other lakes but not on Upper Red.

“The lake is a big bowl and doesn’t get very deep nor does it have much structure, so I always check with the local bait shops to find out where they are congregated,” he said.

Sathre looks for the virtual cities of ice houses and drives near them but not too close.

“I’ll usually stay away from the main group -- never more than half a mile -- then find some secondary points to fish. Upper Red is becoming a lake where if you can get away from the crowds you’ll do better,” he said.

Usually that requires driving two to six miles on the ice.

“I realize that’s a broad range, but it shows how much walleyes can move around. You can have hot and heavy action for a while and then the fish move out fast,” he added.

Burch said he takes a simplistic route on Upper Red.

“I drive out a few miles and find the depths from 12 to 14 feet, drill a few holes, throw a bobber and minnow into one hole and a jigging spoon in the other,” he said.

With some of those world-famous slab crappies still swimming around, Burch said he makes it a priority to catch a few.

“In the process of crappie fishing you’ll catch a lot of walleyes, too -- it’s enough to keep you busy most days,” he said.

Sathre said big pike on Upper Red aren’t afraid to go after a walleye rig and sometimes he uses summer gear to catch both species.

“I’ll put on a summer rig like a fireball jig-and-minnow and bounce it off the bottom to bring in a walleye or a pike,” he said.

Sathre said jig sizes may vary, but he usually uses a 1/16-ounce and never larger than 1/8-ounce.

For more information, contact the Upper Red Lake Area Association at (218) 647-8913 or visit online at www.UpperRedLakeAssn.com.

Lake Bemidji
For some reason, lakes with a high percentage of natural reproduction tend to be good for late-season ice-fishing. It’s not something the DNR has published in an official study, but many of the anglers consulted for this article said they prefer that kind of water in the late-ice season.

The lakes usually feature creeks or backwater areas beneficial to walleye reproduction, said Corey Bechtold, an avid angler and a moderator at www.FishingMinnesota.com.

Lake Bemidji fits the profile and the Bemidji fisheries office reports that the walleyes were all born from natural reproduction. The lake is also full of structure where walleyes like to hang out, particularly in the late season.

“There is so much structure around the lake where you are going to find the walleyes and during this time of the year, I actually like to begin to work shallower again,” Sathre said.

One of his favorite locations is a rockpile smack dab in the middle of the lake.

“This is a great spot throughout the year and it’s probably my first choice for the late-ice period because you can fish the shallows or deeper areas without moving very far,” he said. “If the walleyes aren’t where you thought they’d be, you don’t lose a lot of fishing time searching for them.”