After checking with a few anglers, it looks like Rainy Lake walleye are getting all the attention. That’s because they are being caught all over Rainy Lake right now. Around the submerged reefs east and west of Brule Narrows, look for 25 to 35 feet of water and try a bright colored jig tipped with a minnow or leech. Bottom bouncers and lures are also working. The water is a tad warmer in the bays, and walleye are there too looking for bait fish pushed up against the shorelines. look for 5 to 20 feet of water on the windward shorelines. Just about every bay on the lake has been mentioned for the walleye. There’s been little chatter about smallmouth bass, and that is likely due to tight lipped pros pre-fishing for the upcoming Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship. Expect the bass to be along the windward shorelines in the bays from Dove Bay east to Lost Bay. The tag season is open on Rainy River and sturgeon anglers are pulling in some good sized fish, many of them over the required 45-50 inch tag size. You may only keep one sturgeon per year and it must be 45-50 inches inclusive or over 75 inches. Those are some pretty big fish. Voyageurs National Park interpretive programs are in full swing. Board the Voyageur for a tour of Rainy Lake that is sure to include several points of interest and wildlife watching opportunities. The boat tours are offered Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 2:00 pm. Hike the new recreation trail at the Rainy Lake visitor Center, paddle a canoe to check out beaver habitat or check out the entho-botanical garden. There’s a lot to see and do in Voyageurs. One of the many reasons this is Minnesota’s Vacation Paradise. A summer pattern has set in for walleye on Rainy Lake. anglers are finding them fairly consistently around the submerged reefs like Olson’s and Erickson’s west of Brule Narrows and around Saginaw Bay on the east side. Use your electronics to check for activity in 25 to 30 feet of water. Jigging with either a leech or minnow has been working well, as have bright colors. Smallmouth bass are hanging near weed beds along the southern rocky shoreline. Areas from Rainy Lake city all the way east to Lost Bay have been giving up smallies. Crappie fishing has been best in the Rat Root River and the western end of Black Bay. Jigging with a light minnow has been the best bet for crappie.
Another summer pattern would be the fun activities. We are coming up on the Northern Minnesota District Fair, which will be followed up by the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship, Crazy Daze, An All Class Reunion, Ranier Days and the International Falls Bass Championship. Click the “events” tab at the top of the page and see a full listing of events. |
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