September and October are a two-for-one up in northern Minnesota. The weather turns, the trees put on their color show, and for about six weeks, Lake of the Woods runs fishing and hunting seasons side-by-side better than almost anywhere else. Big fish have the feedbag on, waterfowl are staging, three species of grouse call the area home, and there are more deer than people roaming tens of thousands of acres of public land. Pack the rods, the shotgun, and maybe even your bow. If you are a hook-and-bullet kind of person, there are some special opportunities in these parts, all happening at the same time.

Fall fishing that lives up to the hype

The first half of “cast and blast” is the fishing, and fall fishing here is world class. Most anglers have walleyes and muskies on the brain this time of year.

Lake of the Woods has earned its reputation as the Walleye Capital of the World, and it’s no exaggeration as literally millions of walleyes swim in this lake. Limits are the rule rather than the exception.

The go-to presentation is simple: A jig tipped with a frozen emerald shiner or live minnow, worked over the side of the boat. Some anglers do fine pulling spinners or crankbaits, but walleyes here have a real weakness for a jig tipped with an emerald shiner. They’re silvery, shiny, just the right size, and give off a scent that walleyes can’t resist.

Charter boats/fishing guides make life easy

Resort fishing guides are on the walleyes year-round, tracking them as they move with the forage. Many guides share information with each other, which keeps everyone dialed in and ensures success rates high for visitors.

Many visitors book charters that fish the big water of Big Traverse Bay, where huge schools of walleyes and saugers key in on emerald shiners and other forage. The fishing is excellent, and many trophy fish are caught this time of year.

Charter captains understand the patterns and know where the fish are holding. For guests who don’t fish often, don’t own a boat, or just want the easy route, stepping aboard a charter with rods and reels, bait, a licensed captain, and fish cleaning included is hard to beat. Success rates are very high, and a fall day with friends and family getting multiple hooksets on nice walleyes is flat-out enjoyable.

The Rainy River

Every fall, emerald shiners run up the Rainy River, and walleyes from Lake of the Woods follow close behind. That sets up what has been labeled, “The Fall Run.” It adds up to great fishing up and down the river. Since the river isn’t overly wide, everything from 14-foot boats to full-size charter boats can get in on it. The action stretches along 42 miles of navigable river from the mouth at Four Mile Bay, upstream 12 miles south to Baudette, and east another 30 miles to Birchdale.

This is relatively small water with an absolutely beautiful setting. The technique is usually straightforward: Anchor up or Spot-Lock, and jig over the side of the boat as schools of fall walleyes push through chasing shiners. It’s a fun bite.

Don’t overlook the lake sturgeon while you’re on the river. With the waters cooling, these prehistoric giants absolutely turn on. These fish can weigh 50 to 100 pounds or more, and anchoring over a deep hole in the river during the fall migration is a great way to tangle with one while soaking in the migration overhead.

The Northwest Angle

Up at the Angle, walleyes still get most of the attention, and for good reason. Yet for those who like a bit larger predator, this area has earned the reputation as a world class muskie fishery. With 14,552 islands and a strong gene pool that regularly produces fish over 50 inches, there are no shortage of spots or fish.

Between the islands and more than 65,000 miles of shoreline, you’ll discover abundant structure with rock points, reefs, saddles, transitions, and current-swept, neck-down areas, just to name a few.

Big black crappies are another target around the Angle in fall. The fish school up and grow large, with 17-inch crappies a realistic catch, and 12 to 15 inches the average. Most anglers fish for them the same way they fish for walleyes, with a jig and minnow, and a crappie that size has no trouble inhaling a standard walleye jig.

Hunting that flies under the radar

The quality hunting around here is still a bit of a secret to a lot of people. Maybe the fishing steals all the attention, but whatever the reason, there’s some genuinely great hunting to be had.

Grouse

There are thousands of acres of public hunting land in the area, much of it crisscrossed with dirt roads, trails, and designated walking paths. That kind of access, combined with strong grouse numbers, makes for memorable days in the woods.

Beltrami Island State Forest is one of the standout spots—a huge, diverse tract loaded with ruffed grouse, spruce grouse, and woodcock. Beyond the dirt roads and ATV trails, the Lake of the Woods Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society and the MN DNR have put in a number of designated walking trails, complete with parking and signage, that loop hunters right back to their vehicles.

Good numbers of ruffed grouse, often called the “chicken of the northwoods,” mean excellent hunting and even better table fare. Two other species round things out. Spruce grouse, found in the pine-heavy areas with darker, stronger-flavored meat, and sharp-tailed grouse, which stick close to agricultural land and can take some scouting to find, but reward the effort.

Waterfowl

South of the big, open water, thousands of acres of farmland make for outstanding goose hunting. Success rates out of layout blinds run high. While most of the birds are Canada geese, you’ll see a few snows and blues mixed in. Several guides in the area have access to private fields.

Duck hunting is just as good. It’s fun watching hunters new to the area lean on digital maps to scout the bays and ditches along the south shore; a little homework goes a long way here. Water is public, and between bays and tributaries entering the lake or river, opportunities abound.

As fall progresses, thousands of diver ducks push through from Canada. Bluebills, buffleheads, ring-necks, redheads, canvasbacks, and even a few sea ducks fly through. They tend to stage around the islands at the Northwest Angle, where island points make for incredible shoots and a rock makes for surprisingly good cover. Some guides at the Angle offer layout boat hunting amongst the islands! Eventually, those same birds work their way down to the south shore bays, giving waterfowlers a second crack at them.

Big game

For hunters after something a bit larger, the public land here offers plenty of options. The deer population is strong, and every year, hunters take bucks well over 210 pounds field-dressed, with impressive racks to match. Black bear numbers are strong, too. Minnesota requires hunters to apply for a permit well ahead of the season, but for those drawn, success rates are high.

For anyone who loves both fishing and hunting, fall never lasts long enough. A lake full of fish surrounded by tens of thousands of acres of prime habitat, much of it open to the public, is about as good as it gets. Two seasons, one trip; it doesn’t get much better.