Lake of the Woods and Upper Red Lake still have the best walleye bite in the area, but there have also been good reports for walleyes on Winnibigoshish and Leech Lake.
The walleye bite on Lake of the Woods has begun to move further from shore, with anglers starting to fish the reefs. The sauger bite has also moved into deeper water, with most of the action between 28 and 32 feet.
Fishing pressure and noise on the ice can determine how long schools of fish will stay in one area.
Lakes with little structure like Lake of the Woods and Upper Red have fish roaming the flats, following the schools of baitfish.
When a group of fish houses gets established in one area, the most aggressive fish get caught pretty quickly and the fishing usually shows a gradual decline.
When fish are roaming the basin, it is often more productive to stay away from the crowds and keep drilling holes in new areas until you make contact with the fish.