Rainy River boat launches downstream from International Falls are all open and the walleye are biting! Anglers are looking forward to sturgeon season opening on April 24th. The Rainy Lake ice road is closed and lake access is becoming increasingly difficult.
Cross country ski and snowshoe trails are still open but there’s no guarantee on the conditions. It’s probably safe to assume the season has ended for this form of winter recreation. The International Voyageurs Snowmobile Club offers a very similar report for sledders, here’s what they posted on their trail report:
3/2/21: Trail conditions continue to deteriorate with the changing weather. Our groomers will not be out again unless we get a good dump of snow before April 1st, when the trails close to snow machines. Please remember that the trail systems are closed to ATV’s at this time. If you do go riding please take caution as trails are rough, worn down and icy in spots. We will continue to keep an eye on the weather and will keep you updated if things change. The border water walleye season remains open until April 14. Sand Bay is the most popular area and walleye are hitting on live bait throughout the daylight hours. We suggest using a bright colored jig. The bright color allows the fish to see it from a long distance. Other areas on /rainy are seeing angler traffic, like Black Bay, where walleye and crappie are possible, but so are large northern pike and they will respond to larger minnows on a bare hook. Use weights to keep your bait around 6 inches from the bottom.
Rainy River is also a spring option, but for now the ice is not stable enough and the launches are not clear of that ice yet, so be patient. The warmer weather will probably result in the accesses being cleared soon. If you do want to try some of the earlies open water fishing in the region remember to practice social distancing while launching, respect the parking regulations and the area residents driveways and accesses and do not stray into Canadian waters, that border is closed. |
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