Anglers are reporting walleye coming from the shallow rocky shorelines as well as from the submerged reefs somewhat distant from the bays and islands. A spinner rig tipped with a minnow is working well along the shorelines. jigging with a crawler or leech around the reefs seems to be working well too. Smallmouth bass are hanging in the bays along weedy edges and that is where you will find northern pike too. Smallies are responding to poppers and other surface lures.
Canada Day and Independence Day kick off a lot of the major summer events and entertainments. Check our events tab above to get more information on summer events, tours and entertainment. May 8th, Cindy Pawlowski of Frazee pulled in a 62 and 7/8 inch sturgeon it had a 29 inch girth and it’s a good bet it was a 100 pound fish. When Cindy returned the monster to Rainy River, she became the new Catch-and-Release record holder for sturgeon. The catch-and-release category was created because the sturgeon grow very slowly and many sport anglers feel it should not be unnecessary to kill the fish to set a record. Incidentally, the sturgeon tag season on Rainy River will open on July 1st.
Meanwhile, Rainy Lake anglers say walleye are starting to show on the submerged reefs, but can also be found along rocky shorelines in low light situations. Either way, they are responding best to lively minnows. If it’s still enough jig with the minnow, or if there’s a little wind, slow troll a spinner rig and minnow. Sand Bay, Cranberry Bay and the area around Three Sisters have all been mentioned. Crappie are being caught on the west end of Black Bay and smallmouth bass can be pulled from the weed bed edges in just about any of the bays. Borderland is gearing up for the two-nation celebration of Canada Day, followed by Independence Day. You can check the schedules by clicking on the Events Tab at the top of the page menu bar. We have twice the parades, twice the entertainment, twice the fireworks and twice the fun here in International Falls, Minnesota, USA and Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada. Come join the fun! Word is mayflies are hatching around Rainy Lake, and that will change fishing. The hatch usually occurs in June so maybe they should be called Juneflies. Much of this depends on the water temperatures warming the shallow bays, and that has happened. The hatch usually signals a good bite from the walleye, smallmouth and crappie around the windward shorelines to be followed by a strong shift to the submerged reefs. Anglers have been doing well jigging with shiner minnows, as well as slow trolling spinner rigs with minnows.
Voyageurs National Park boat tours have started, as have many other interpretive programs and you can check out the schedule by clicking the events tab above. The park has been popular, seeing steady use of the Rainy Lake Visitor Center ramp and parking area. There are many other public accesses on Rainy Lake and Rainy River, and you can check those out through the maps tab above. |
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