Lake of the Woods Ice Fishing Trip Help

Rich T,
My friends and I have done a sleeper house on LOW each of the last two winters. We've used Fire and Ice, formely Gibbons Ice Fishing. Bryant and Chad do a very good job and their houses are perfect for 4 guys. Corey Heiser

If you listen to KFYR, they have a trip to LOW at that same time with an outfitter. I think the fee including transportation and meals is like $350 or so. THe bus leaves from Bismarck and brings you back, two days of fishing.

If you listen to KFYR, they have a trip to LOW at that same time with an outfitter. I think the fee including transportation and meals is like $350 or so. THe bus leaves from Bismarck and brings you back, two days of fishing.

Just remembered it's Ballards resort. Some of my partners went up there two weeks ago and used Arnesen's, they were very happy with everything.

I have a cousin that lives in Warroad, and we email back and forth daily. The fishing is quite good right now. The walleye action is has slowed a little though. As far as a sleeper house goes, i would stay at a hotel or a resort. When it gets dark the fish just quit. It is not like around here when the fish bite better at sundown. I have been there many times and expierenced this. I would reccomend hiring a guide for a day, and then going off on your own. Oh yeah make sure you take your vex, as you will need it.

Rich,
If you are going up in the middle of March I wouldn't worry about a sleeper. Stay in a motel and save some money. Like you have been told before the fish quit at sundown on LOTW's anyway. If you have a portable take it with and save some more money, if you don't have one consider fishing without one. That time of the year it usually isn't that bad fishing outside unless it's really windy, and the fishing that time of the year is usually about as good as it gets. South Buffalo Point or the reefs out of Warroad, Rocky Point, Long Point, or Zippel Bay would be my choices that time of the year. If you really want to have some fun after dark go to Upper Red Lake and fish for crappies in the evening, just make sure you don't bring any walleyes onto the ice.

We have a group (~18 guys) that has done a sleeper house trip each winter for the last 5 years. All but one of those years we have gone to LOTW.

We have fished out of both Ballards (http://www.ballardsresort.com/) and Zippel Bay (http://www.zippelbay.com/) houses. At Zippel you drive your own truck out to the house where as with Ballards they shuttle you out via a snow cat. (Both places have rates on there sites)

From Fargo its about a 4 1/2 hour drive to either resort.

Guys,
FBO staff member Tony just did a trip last weekend,check out the gallery on NSO.Tony is dialed in forsure and has the info you want.Looked like a fun trip Tony!

Hey guys:
FBO Field Staff Tony here: I can't get my FBO name to work, so I am posting as birddog:
Anywho, just wanted to let you know that indeed we are discussing a lot of LOW "Stuff" over on www.northstaroutdoors.com both in the fishing reports and in the talk forums: I certainly check this site frequently but there are guys from MN that check NSO and have a lot of info to offer: L.O.W. can get AWESOME very soon!
I am trying to plan a trip up the last weekend in Feb! I would be happy to give any advice wherever I can.
Tony

We just got back from a great trip to LOTW. Weather was pretty nice and the fishing cooperated. Long Point Resort is where we fished out of and they are some nice folks. Like some have said, fishing shuts down at sunset. So, unless you have a strong desire to sleep on the ice, I would go the Motel/cabin route. The price will run about the same. The houses, that we used at Long Point, only have heaters in them. $83.00 for a six holer and $106.00 for a 8 hole. Limits on the lake are now 4 Walleye and 4 Sauger for 8 fish per day. Their possesion limit is their daily limit, which really sucks. And your possesion limit includes the fish back at the cabin in the freezer. So, you need to eat your fish daily in order to fish the next day. Then, you can only bring back 4 and 4. Their limit is going to change again towards the end of the month and I think it drops to only 6 fish. As for the license, it is $21.00 for three days, or if you are only fishing two days, get two one day licenses at $8.50 per day, which saves a few dollars. Like I said great time , but only bringing back 8 fish sucks. Have a good time when you go. I'd do it again.

go fishing; why does it suck so bad you can only bring back 8 fish? ND only allows 10. If my math is correct thats only a difference of two fish. Where else do you go that allows you to keep more than 8-10 fish total? Most of Canada allows a total limit of fish at 2-6 fish each. Catch and release!!!

Archer - You are right, there is not much diference. What I was trying to say, but didn't express very well, was if your caught your limit of Walleye and Sauger you could have 8 fish. Well, the Sauger were not cooperating very well, as we only caught 6-8 inchers. We did manage to get our Walleye limit of nice size fish. So, my partner and I brought back 8 fish, 4 Walleye each. And that's what sucked.