Lake Of The Woods Ice Fishing Pressure Doubles Since 2000

When's the last time you went ice fishing at Lake Of The Woods? It's always been a fantastic lake for ice fishing, and many people make the trip each year to try their luck. More and more anglers are going every year since the 1990s, and some are worried about there being too much pressure on the fish.

The Minnesota DNR has a 10-year fisheries plan for Lake Of The Woods. The three main goals of the plan are to maintain Lake Of The Woods as a high-quality multispecies fishery, protect and enhance valuable habitats, and improve communication and coordination with "other government interests and stakeholders."

Lake Of The Woods is one of the most fished lakes in Minnesota

Walleye is still the most abundant and targeted species of fish in Lake Of The Woods. The DNR has been hearing more concerns about increased ice fishing pressure from anglers and stakeholders through surveys, public meetings, and public input.

The Minnesota DNR estimates that in 2022-2023, there was a record 3.2 million angler hours on Lake Of The Woods. Compare that to the year 2000, roughly 1.6 million. That increase could partially be a change to their estimate design, but there is no doubt that there are more people ice fishing on Lake of the Woods in recent years.

Related: Only 1 US State Has More Boats Than Minnesota

Why are there more ice anglers on Lake Of The Woods?

Since the 1990s, the ice road network on Lake of the Woods has expanded, reaching more spots on the lake. A big reason for the increase in fishing is higher-quality ice houses. It's a destination for many, especially during warmer winters when anglers are looking for thicker ice to bring their wheelhouse.

It's also more affordable and easier than ever to ice fish, which has brought more people to the sport.

Has increased ice fishing pressure hurt the walleye or sauger population?

The DNR says that despite the concerns and increased ice fishing pressure, they haven't seen any evidence that shows that it's increasing the walleye harvest or decreasing the walleye or sauger populations.

Read more about the full 10-year plan for Lake of the Woods from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.