We are into the middle of October and ruffed grouse hunters are starting to flush more birds as the cover has been coming down. Cold and wet weather lately has limited the number of hunters willing to get out.

Fall color watchers are seeing the peak pass them by, although there are still some green leaves. By about October 20th, they will all be gone.

Birders can catch all sorts of migrating waterfowl from swans to geese, and as a reminder, if you hike any of the trails you should wear some blaze orange for safety.

Weather has been a factor for Rainy Lake and Rainy River anglers. While few folk are getting out, those that find the window of opportunity are finding walleye, northern pike and crappie at varying depths around the submerged structure in Rainy Lake. Crappie are also being caught in the west end of Black Bay and up into the Rat Root River.

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

The International Falls Bass Championship will be the center of attention through the weekend. This catch-and-release contest has become one of the premier Minnesota fishing events. It's much more than a fishing contest, with daily and nightly entertainment, foot races and more. Their website is www.ifallsbass.com

So what should you expect if you get out to wet a line, we thanks the Rainy Lake Guide Association for providing this fishing report, and guide Bruce Jean for providing a nice photo.

Walleye: Walleyes continue hold their deep water presence on most of the Rainy Lake’s reefs or mid-lake humps as some fisherman refer to them. Actively using electronics to mark schools of fish is the key. The depths of these fish appear to change almost daily ranging from as shallow as 20 feet to as deep as 36. A ¼ oz. jig and minnow has been working well, lindy rigs with a minnow or leech has been working when fish are finicky.

​Crappie: Crappies remain in deeper water along breaklines and submerged brush with most of them being caught in the 18 to 30 foot range. Jigs and minnows have been working well.

​Smallmouth Bass: Some bass are being caught in deeper water ranging from 12 to 25 feet. Weighted plastics have been a good choice along with crank baits and lipless baits. Other bass remain in shallow water along rocky shorelines and points. Again, plastics, twitch baits and spinner baits are catching fish.

Northern Pike: With the warming water of August much of Rainy Lake’s pike population has moved to deeper water. Casting or trolling water ranging from 15 to 40 feet has been the best bet for catching larger pike. That being said pike continue to be caught on windblown points and weed beds. Spinner baits, buzz baits, spoons, and larger jerk or twitch baits have proven successful.

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

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.