Use a jig and a minnow or a twister tail, or a smaller crankbait for walleyes. Pike will hit jigs, spoons, smelt or herring. No ice is visible from the south shore of the lake, and a few crappies are biting near the mouth of Shotley Brook and other tributary streams. Look for crappie fishing in shallow water to improve as water temperatures rise. The big lake appears to be mostly free of ice, although a few chunks occasionally are spotted farther offshore.
Pike fishing is good in the shallow bays right now.
Anchoring and dunking a sucker minnow, cisco or smelt below a bobber is still the best bet for bigger fish. Smaller pike are hitting spoons or crankbaits. Best spots include Zippel Bay and the mouth of the Warroad River. Looking toward next weekend's walleye opener, Four-Mile Bay could be a good bet as walleyes filter back into Lake of the Woods after completing their spring spawning run. Crookston area Crappie fishing is excellent on Maple Lake near Mentor, Minn., where anglers are limiting out in as little as half an hour.