Jim Hartje proves there are big walleye in Rainy Lake by sharing his photo of a 12 pound 10 ounce walleye. The Rainy Lake Guide Association says "Go deep" here's their tip of the week and latest fishing report.

Tip of the week: Deep water fishing often requires the use of a marker buoy. Placement of this simple tool can make a big difference in your success and fishing experience. First; make sure you throw the buoy far enough away from the fish you intend to catch so that it won’t become entangled in your lines. There is nothing worse than a marker buoy placed right on top of the fish you are trying to catch. Second; take note of the wind direction. Most people work their boat back and forth over the fish by powering up into the wind and maintaining a controlled drift back again over the fish. Place your buoy so that you can easily look up from your fishing location in the boat and see the buoy without having to turn around. This will help you maximize your time directly over the fish and save you from a stiff neck at the end of the day.

Walleye: Deep water fishing continues to be the key in recent weeks. This trend, as expected, continues. Mid-lake hump fishing on most of Rainy Lakes reefs have been producing fish. People are having good success catching fish anywhere from 20 to 40 feet depending on the day and weather patterns. Fishing with a ¼ oz jig tipped with a chub or shiner have been the consistent favorite. Lindy rigs with leeches have also been a strong producer. Lindy rigs with a tail hooked minnow are sometimes a good trick when fish become a little finicky.

Crappie: Crappies continue to hold in deeper water in the 15 o 30 foot range. Electronics is the key to finding them. Jigs and minnows or slip bobber presentations have been most successful.

Smallmouth Bass: Top water, spinner baits, twitch baits and plastics continue to catch fish holding in the 3 to 10 foot range. Rocky structures as well as weeds are a good bet. Some bass are beginning to hold in slightly deeper water. Shallow humps and break-lines have produced a few fish in the 10 to 25 foot range

Northern Pike: Trolling large crank baits on and around deeper structures continues to be a good technique for catching larger pike. Patience is the key in this game. That being said, windblown points and deeper weed structures are holding pike as well. Casting spinner baits and larger jerkbaits or twitch baits have brought success.

The Rainy Lake Guide Association tells us the fishing is pretty good, and the hikers tell us the blueberries are ripe and plentiful. Here's the report we got from the guide association this week.

Walleye: Walleye have made their predicted summer movement to main lake reefs and break lines. People have been most successful using jigs and minnows or lindy-rigs and leaches. Walleyes can change depths daily so don’t be afraid to spend a little extra time searching with your electronics to pinpoint the best locations.

Crappie: Crappies have moved out to deeper structures in the 15 o 30 foot range. Using your electronics to find them is important. Jigs and minnows or slip bobbers have been the best tools.

Smallmouth Bass: Bass have been caught with a variety of techniques. Top water, spinner baits, twitch baits and plastics are all catching fish depending on the situation and weather patterns. Rocky shorelines, points and weed/rock combinations have been holding fish.

Northern Pike: Small pike often appear to be everywhere; rocks, weeds, and deeper structure. Large pike have been caught trolling large deep diving crank baits, typically near or at the same depths as the walleyes are being caught. Both break-lines and reef structures have been effective. Deeper weed lines casting spinner baits, larger jerk baits, twitch baits, and spoons have also proved successful.

As for the blueberries, they can be found on islands throughout Rainy Lake and it is legal to gather some for your own consumption in the National Park. Outside the Park, roam the forestry roads of Koochiching County and check rock outcroppings. A bonus will be spotting wild raspberries, which are also ripe and plentiful.

This post was brought to you by Rainy Lake Guide Association.

We've been having some great weather for summer recreation and enough rain to hold down the fire danger. and keep the forests green with fresh growth. That's a good thing for the forest wildlife.
    The Rainy Lake Guide Association tells us walleye are making their way to the typical main lake structures. Fish the reef tops from 15 to 20 with 1/8 to 1/4 oz jigs, lindy rigs or slip bobbers. Minnows and leeches have both been working well.
    Crappie can be found on shoreline breaks and sunken brush piles in the 18 to 28 foot range. Check the rocky shorelines for smallmouth bass and expect northern pike on the deeper structures.
    Berry picking time is at hand, blueberries are pretty plentiful and can be found on islands throughout the Park. Raspberries might be a bit more common on the edges of forestry roads in Koochiching County.
    Birders and wildlife watchers are being treated to whitetail does with fawns in tow. There are lots of nice hiking trails where you are likely to encounter wildlife.