Muskie


There are a lot of muskie on Lake of the Woods and the Kenora area can definitely hold its own compared to the other areas on Lake of the Woods.  There are good numbers of muskie here with some very big fish too.  You have so many areas to fish with islands, points, bays and offshore structure here.  Whether it is weeds or rocks, you can find muskie throughout the Kenora area.


Fishing Kenora in the Spring


Month Avg. Temps °F (Hi/Lo)
March 31° / 8°
April 48° / 26°
May 63° / 40°

The Muskie fishing season is closed in the spring.


Fishing Kenora in the Summer


Month Avg. Temps °F (Hi/Lo)
June 72° / 49°
July 78° / 56°
August 74° / 53°

Muskie fishing opens during the third Saturday in June and there will be a lot of anglers out on the lake fishing for Muskie in this part of Lake of the Woods.  The muskie fishing can be incredible in this part of the lake as anglers have opportunities to catch multiple fish in a day while seeing many others follow lures back to the boat.  You may not always catch a muskie, but your chances are very good on Lake of the Woods in the Kenora area.  Muskie will be found along the rocky shorelines, off of points, islands, around weed edges and main lake structure too.  There are so many good spots to target muskie shallow and deep in the Kenora area on Lake of the Woods.


Fishing Kenora in the Fall


Month Avg. Temps °F (Hi/Lo)
September 62° / 43°
October 49° / 34°
November 30° / 17°

In the fall, the muskie fishing can be outstanding.  Early in the fall, you will still find a lot of muskie in deeper water as they can be found around big schools of walleye and smallmouth bass and other fish too.  Once the fall progresses into early October, the die hard muskie anglers will usually find them shallow, deep and anywhere in between as these fish put on the feed bag finding food wherever it may go.  From mid- September to early October, anglers usually catch some of the biggest muskie of the year and there is a lot less fishing pressure on the lake during this time.


More Fishing Tips


Catch Lots of Muskie


Kenora is home to a lot of good muskie water.  With access to the main lake so close to town, anglers can find so many awesome fishing spots for muskie all season long.  Because of the pressure in this area, you may not catch as many muskie close to town as you will if you head out further towards the middle of the lake.  The less-pressured areas of this part of the lake provide some awesome muskie fishing for numbers and big fish too.


Catch Big Muskie


There are plenty of big muskie in the Kenora area.  You can fish shallow bays, rocky points, reefs, islands and tons of main lake structure.  Muskie up to and above 50 inches are possible on this part of Lake of the Woods.


Fishing the Bays


There are many bays to fish in the Kenora area of Lake of the Woods.  It may be weeds or rocks, but there are plenty of fish in the bays to help attract some muskie there too.  Spring and fall usually provide some of the better fishing in the bays for muskie, however, you can find some muskie relatively shallow throughout the summers as well.  Find the bait fish whether they are relating to weeds or rocks and start casting your favorite muskie baits.


Fishing the Drop-offs


There are some really good drop-offs that hold good numbers of smallmouth bass and walleye.  These spots usually produce better in the summer and fall.  Find the walleye and bass and there’s a good chance some muskie may call these spots home as well.


Fishing the Points


There are so many points to fish and many of them will hold either smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike or a combination of them.  The points will have lots of rock and some will have weeds too.  Muskie will relate to both, so when fishing the points, make sure you’re covering a lot of water because there are so many points to fish here.


Fishing the Islands


You have lots of islands to fish and many of these islands are great spots for smallmouth bass, walleye and northern pike too.  With a combination of rocks, weeds and some nice drop-offs, you have a ton of areas that can hold muskie.


Fishing the Reefs


Reefs can be hit or miss with muskie, but there are plenty of these predators that patrol the reefs for an easy meal.  The reefs usually hold plenty of walleye and smallmouth bass from summer through fall and muskie can often be found patrolling these areas to find an easy meal.


Fishing the Rocks


With rocks everywhere, it’s hard not to be fishing the rocks when targeting muskie here.  Muskie will gladly eat a smallmouth bass or walleye, so you can definitely find plenty of muskie cruising around the rocks whether that’s an island, point, reef or just a rocky shoreline.


Fishing the Weeds


Muskie love the weeds just like northern pike and there are plenty of nice weed edges near deeper water here that will hold some nice muskie.  You will definitely find more pike in the weeds, but if you target the weeds with muskie baits, you will most likely run into some quality muskie here.