Rainy River Walleye and Koochiching County Birds

The walleye bite in Rainy River has picked up considerably. Using shiner minnows and slow trolling or drifting in about 15 to 18 feet of water is working very well. In the swifter waters around the rapids and below the dam at International Falls you will pull in some walleye and some smallmouth bass. On Rainy Lake, the walleye are still congregating around the submerged humps, but also near some of the rocky shorelines and islands. The depths have varied greatly with the spells of quite warm weather followed by spells of more seasonal temperatures. On the lake, the walleye are responding to both minnows and leeches. The crappie bite is picking up, especially around the west end of Black Bay and up into the Rat Root River.
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Fall colors are starting to show, but have not peaked yet so it might be an excellent weekend to get out for a scenic drive or hike. If you decide to do some hiking, wear some blaze orange as this will be the opening weekend for small game hunting. Koochiching County is blessed with vast tracts of excellent habitat for ruffed and spruce grouse and the grouse populations are in pretty good shape.