Yes, that’s what’s going on! This will be the last weekend in September and we will have summery 73 degree days with pleasant sunshine. What a great time to get out and enjoy. For anglers, the walleye bite has been very good, they are reacting to bright colors for jigs and spinners and both minnows and leeches are producing bites. On Rainy Lake, they will be around the submerged humps in 25 to 35 feet of water and around the rocky windswept shorelines in 15 to 25 feet of water. On Rainy River, the best bet has been in about 18 feet of water where there is some current. On the river, the walleye prefer minnows. Some sturgeon anglers are taking in the last days of the tag season and word is the sturgeon fishing has been good around the Long Sault Rapids near Birchdale.
If you want to get out and see some fall colors, they are turning now. The milder weather has kept the forest predominantly green, but maples, aspen and birch are starting to show some fiery colors. There’s plenty of mixed hardwood forest to drive through for a view. If you prefer to walk, check out any of the hunter walking trails in the County, be sure to wear some orange. The ruffed grouse season is open and there are miles of trails and huge tracts of ideal habitat. Walk if that’s what you want, or bring along a shotgun. After the opening weekend, hunters reported they were flushing birds, perhaps on about the same level as last year. As some of the leaves come down, cover will thin and the grouse will be more likely to flush Yes, that’s what’s going on! This will be the last weekend in September and we will have summery 73 degree days with pleasant sunshine. What a great time to get out and enjoy. For anglers, the walleye bite has been very good, they are reacting to bright colors for jigs and spinners and both minnows and leeches are producing bites. On Rainy Lake, they will be around the submerged humps in 25 to 35 feet of water and around the rocky windswept shorelines in 15 to 25 feet of water. On Rainy River, the best bet has been in about 18 feet of water where there is some current. On the river, the walleye prefer minnows. Some sturgeon anglers are taking in the last days of the tag season and word is the sturgeon fishing has been good around the Long Sault Rapids near Birchdale.
If you want to get out and see some fall colors, they are turning now. The milder weather has kept the forest predominantly green, but maples, aspen and birch are starting to show some fiery colors. There’s plenty of mixed hardwood forest to drive through for a view. If you prefer to walk, check out any of the hunter walking trails in the County, be sure to wear some orange. The ruffed grouse season is open and there are miles of trails and huge tracts of ideal habitat. Walk if that’s what you want, or bring along a shotgun. After the opening weekend, hunters reported they were flushing birds, perhaps on about the same level as last year. As some of the leaves come down, cover will thin and the grouse will be more likely to flus 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.
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. |
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