Fishing has been as hot as its ever been on the west side of the lake this year!  Limits of fish have been caught in a matter of hours at times.  Early ice has been phenomenal around 5 mile reef, out in front of the Warroad Estates, and South tip of Buffalo Point.  An early cold snap combined with favorable wind conditions gave fishermen an early start to this winter’s fishing frenzy.  The ice in muskeg bay did not suffer the big winds that ice on the east side of the lake did during freeze up making it much easier to get around “off the beaten path” to follow the fish.  Fishing has been best in 24-28 Feet of water near rock reefs and tight inside contour lines.  Gold, a Lake of the Woods staple has proven its worth over and over again.  It helps to have electronics to cue you into fish that have been suspended off the bottom.  its been common to spot fish 3 to 4 feet off the bottom.  They have been aggressive when presented with the lure.  Without a flasher you would never know they were there!
The best thing about fishing the west side of the lake is not having to drive 10-15 miles on an ice road to get to prime fishing spots!  With 3 great access points within minutes of town you can pick up your bait, lures, and munchies at one of the many bait shops in Warroad and have your lines in the water in the amount of time it takes to say “FISH ON”!