Lake of the Woods expert Joe Henry says sauger add to your ice fishing delight.

Most ice anglers think of ice fishing Lake of the Woods for the millions of walleyes that call this body of water home. It is not always the walleyes, however, that steal the show on cold winter days. Thank goodness for their cousin, the ever-so-valuable sauger.

There are only certain lakes and river systems where sauger live. Typically, sauger need colder water and prefer some current; thus, a river system as part of the watershed is key for sauger to thrive. They also do well in stained water, which is signature to Lake of the Woods, and allows for great fishing throughout the day vs. having to fish at night.

Walleyes and sauger look remarkably similar, yet have distinct differences. Sauger are long, thin fish with darker backs and brassy sides. They are browner in appearance and sometimes have a dark, mottled coloration on their sides, whereas walleyes are golden.

Sauger have distinct spots within their top dorsal fin. Walleyes do not have the spots.

Walleyes have a dark spot between the last two or three spines of their dorsal fin; sauger have none.

Walleyes have a white tip on the bottom of their tail. Sauger have no white tip.

This very prevalent fish gets up to about 19 inches in length; typically, 12- to 16-inch sauger are kept for the fry pan on Lake of the Woods.

Sauger really add to the quality of the ice fishing on Lake of the Woods, for several reasons. Day-in and day-out, sauger keep ice anglers busy. Sauger fill in voids when the walleyes are not in the vicinity and add nicely to anglers’ buckets and eventual fish fries.

Sauger behave much like a walleye, eating much of the same forage, and are consequently attracted to the same walleye presentations.

When headed up to Lake of the Woods, many anglers focus in on the fish that has made the lake famous, the walleye. On days when going after walleyes is a test in great patience, sauger play a big part in what makes this body of water such an enjoyable fishing destination, with high angler success rates. There are many reasons why the sauger is valuable to ice anglers on Lake of the Woods.

1. Sauger bring consistent action.
2. Sauger numbers at Lake of the Woods fluctuate year to year, but one thing we know, there are good numbers of sauger in the system.
3. Sauger coexist with walleyes.
4. Kids want and need action, and sauger typically keep electronics lit up and bobbers bouncing.
5. Sauger are unique. Many waterways throughout the Midwest do not have sauger. Sauger traditionally live in waterways associated with a river system and do well in stained water. Thus, most anglers do not have the opportunity to catch them on a regular basis.
6. Sauger taste incredible. The firm white meat of a sauger is very much sought after. Some locals will tell you they like the sauger better than even walleyes, as they believe the meat is a bit sweeter.
7. Liberal daily limits. There is a strong population of sauger in Lake of the Woods. Throughout the year, including the winter months, anglers are allowed a combined total of walleyes and/or sauger of six per day. Of these six, up to four can be walleyes. With these limits, it lends itself well to filling a bucket of fish for an evening fish fry and bringing a few fish home.
8. Sauger bite all winter. In some lakes when the oxygen levels decrease in February, fishing really gets tough. Lake of the Woods keeps on trucking in February and through March.
9. For the avid ice angler who cannot fathom the end of ice fishing, no worries. Lake of the Woods season for walleyes and sauger is open through April 14. Fish houses can remain on the lake through March 31. Depending upon the year, ice anglers are often still ice fishing and catching walleyes and sauger through the ice until the end of March.
10. Sauger fishing is much like walleye fishing. The fish are typically hugging the bottom of the lake and they are normally a bit deeper than walleyes. Jigging your favorite lure with a minnow head in one hole and having a dead stick down the second, with a live minnow suspended six inches from the bottom, will usually do the trick.

Much like walleyes, every day is different. One day they will be chasing down your jigging lure with wild abandon. On other days, the jigging line will attract them, but if in more of a neutral mood, they may prefer a wiggling minnow on a plain hook or small ice jig.

More often than not, when you come north for that epic walleye trip, there is a good chance the ever-so-valuable cousin will be swinging in to pay you a visit!

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