Walleye run upstream on Rainy River in the fall, chasing an annual run of emerald shiner minnows. You can find walleye lurking on the weedy edges and below the confluence of feeder streams. Naturally, you should use an emerald shiner minnow. Spinner rigs are usually best for river fishing because of the current. The sturgeon tag season ended Sunday, but catch-and-release is still an option.
We have had some wet weather that has kept anglers off the lake, but there have been some sunny days too. Word is walleye on the reefs and points, northern pike at the mouths of bays and crappie in the west end of Black Bay and up into Rat Root Lake. Fall colors are probably peaking in most of Koochiching County. There are still some green leaves, but the mix of colors has probably reached the maximum as the leaves have been coming down with the winds we've had. Leaves coming down are the desired effect for the grouse hunting crowd, with thinning cover, it's easier to spot and flush the birds. Koochiching County has vast tracts of excellent habitat open to the public and sprinkled with hunter walking trails. If you'd like a map, just send me your mailing address. E-mail me at cvb@rainylake.org Fall patterns are settled in on Rainy Lake following an unusually warm start to September. Big northern pike are becoming quite aggressive as the days grow shorter and the water temperature cools. Try the weedy edges of the bays casting a large flashy lure or trolling a spinner rig with a large minnow. Anglers continue to find walleye on submerged structures throughout the lake. Smallmouth bass are also in the mix. Look for a depth of about 35 feet and put your live bait a foot or two off the bottom. Use a jig if it's calm, or troll the live bait if there's some chop. Ruffed grouse hunting started last Saturday and although the weather was not great, hunters did get out and flushed quite a few birds. In fact, the Department of Natural Resources predicts the best season in years because of the great weather for brood survival and the increase in drumming counts last spring. There's still a great deal of underbrush in the forest so the birds can disappear in seconds. However, the colors are showing and the leaves will be coming down as fall progresses. The Voyageur tour boat continues to operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays through the end of September. The 2:00 pm cruise is an excellent way to take in the spectacular scenery of Voyageurs National Park while the fall colors are showing. The International Falls Bass Championship takes place this weekend. Good luck to all the anglers. Smallmouth have been pulled from the deeper waters where the walleye are now lurking, but also from the rocky shorelines and weedy edges of the bays along the south shoreline of Rainy Lake. No one has been talking about what they are using to pull in the smallmouth. Walleye are responding to minnows on a jig on the submerged reefs. There have been some big northern pike caught in those same areas. The North American Sturgeon fishing contest was held this past weekend in Birchdale. The tournament is strictly catch and release and the winner was Chris Qualley with a 56 and ¾ inch fish. The youth championship was won by first-time sturgeon angler Maxx Deroy of South St. Paul with a 55 inch fish. The sturgeon tag season remains open on Rainy River. Meanwhile, the best walleye and bass action has been around the structure and swifter waters below the dam at International Falls. Emerald shiner minnows work best in Rainy River. For the most up-to-date information you can call the International Falls, Ranier and Rainy Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau at (218) 283-9400. PLEASE: go to this link, Vote for Voyageurs National Park, share the link, and vote again every day until August 28. |
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