It’s that time of year, inland walleye waters will be closed, but our Minnesota Ontario border waters will remain open until the middle of April. That means some of the earliest open water walleye fishing on Rainy River and some of the latest ice fishing on Rainy Lake. Koochiching and Lake of the Woods County will open the boat launches as soon as it is safe to do so. It’s not just walleye that are the attraction, there are large northern pike lurking as well as smallmouth bass and crappie. Those species are open continuously here. There are also huge sturgeon in the Rainy River and while that is largely a catch-and-release thing, there are tag seasons.
Here’s a suggestion for a fun indoor event when the Rainy Lake Visitor Center hosts Mike Williams for some tales of growing up at Kettle Falls. For those that don’t know, Mike’s family ran the Hotel at Kettle Falls, an important waterways crossroads deep within Voyageurs National Park. Kettle Falls is accessible only by boat or by snowmobile in the winter and is the point where the Namakan reservoir pours into Rainy Lake. The treaty establishing the border followed the route of the Voyageurs west and the border snakes around so that a portion of Canada is directly below Kettle Falls, a part of Minnesota. Where else can you stand on US soil and look south into Canada? Mike knows the history of the area very well and spins some fun stories about his experiences growing up with the colorful and memorable peoples of Rainy Lake. The event is set for Sunday, March 5, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and you can contact the Rainy Lake Visitor Center at 218 286 5258 for more information. This is part of the winter program series presented by Voyageurs National Park Association. To see the full schedule, click on the events tab above. It’s that time of year, inland walleye waters will be closed, but our Minnesota Ontario border waters will remain open until the middle of April. That means some of the earliest open water walleye fishing on Rainy River and some of the latest ice fishing on Rainy Lake. Koochiching and Lake of the Woods County will open the boat launches as soon as it is safe to do so. It’s not just walleye that are the attraction, there are large northern pike lurking as well as smallmouth bass and crappie. Those species are open continuously here. There are also huge sturgeon in the Rainy River and while that is largely a catch-and-release thing, there are tag seasons.
Here’s a suggestion for a fun indoor event when the Rainy Lake Visitor Center hosts Mike Williams for some tales of growing up at Kettle Falls. For those that don’t know, Mike’s family ran the Hotel at Kettle Falls, an important waterways crossroads deep within Voyageurs National Park. Kettle Falls is accessible only by boat or by snowmobile in the winter and is the point where the Namakan reservoir pours into Rainy Lake. The treaty establishing the border followed the route of the Voyageurs west and the border snakes around so that a portion of Canada is directly below Kettle Falls, a part of Minnesota. Where else can you stand on US soil and look south into Canada? Mike knows the history of the area very well and spins some fun stories about his experiences growing up with the colorful and memorable peoples of Rainy Lake. The event is set for Sunday, March 5, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and you can contact the Rainy Lake Visitor Center at 218 286 5258 for more information. This is part of the winter program series presented by Voyageurs National Park Association. To see the full schedule, click on the events tab above. The annual fishing derby will be held Saturday, February 25th on Rainy Lake. Proceeds from this fund-raiser go toward improving the area fisheries. You can’t put a line in the water until 1:00 pm, but you can come early and scout for a spot. Prizes will be awarded in four categories and there will also be raffle prizes awarded. You need a $10.00 raffle ticket to enter the derby area.
For those that are just fishing Rainy Lake for fun, the walleye fishing has been best in the morning and early afternoon. Anglers say jigging with a shiner minnow will do the trick for both walleye and crappie. If you hit a group of crappie, switch to a smaller jig and use the smallest minnows. Snowmobilers are having a ball. trails are in excellent shape right now and it looks like the weather will be fairly moderate for a ride. In addition, the International Voyageurs Snowmobile Club hosts their 9th Annual Speed Run against Cancer at the Thunderbird Lodge on Saturday, Febraury 18th. If you want to take part, be there by 11:30 am for registration, runs will start at noon. Cross country skiers and snowshoers are also hitting the trails. The Black Bay and Tilson Bay trails are in great shape. There are also some fun programs coming up at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center for Voyageurs National Park, such as a class on lacing your own snowshoes. There will be some fund events and entertainment at the Backus Community Center over the next couple of weeks too. You can check our calendar of events for everything going on in the area just go to the top of the home page and click on events. If you’d like more information on the area mailed to you, scroll down to the order form on the home page. If you’d like to subscribe to our e-newsletter, that option is at the bottom of this page. |
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