Current Report July 26, 2017

It looks like some warmer weather in the forecast which should result in walleyes transitioning to the submerged reefs in the main lake. The best presentations will be jigs tipped with live bait and kept a foot or two off the bottom. There are several submerged reefs between the Jackfish Bay area and Brule Narrows. Smallmouth Bass can be found around the edges of weed beds and it’s also possible to pull in a large northern pike. Crappie are hitting on light jigs and minnows around Black Bay.

On Rainy River, the walleye and bass are both hanging in areas of stronger current, like below the dam or below any of the rapids or large tributaries. There have been good reports of large sturgeon now that the tag season has opened. Sturgeon tend to stay in the deeper waters and venture downstream to forage so the popular tactic is to graph a deep spot then anchor downstream and keep a large hook with several crawlers near the bottom with a heavy sinker.
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For the most up-to-date information you can call the International Falls, Ranier and Rainy Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1 800 325 5766.

Although there have been some hot days, Rainy Lake water temperatures have been slow to rise and walleye have not yet headed for the deeper structure in cooler water. Anglers are still pulling walleye from around 15 feet of water using live bait and either jigging or drifting with a spinner rig. There have been some strong winds lately and walleye anglers are sticking to the more protected islands and smaller bays, and some of those bays are also holding crappie and smallmouth bass.

Rainy River is getting some fishing pressure below the dam at International Falls and downstream around the confluence of the Little Fork River. Walleye are hanging in about 12 feet of water for several miles downstream of the dam. You can pull out some small mouth bass from below the dam west to the golf course or so.
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For the most up-to-date information you can call the International Falls, Ranier and Rainy Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1 800 325 5766.

Rainy Lake has been busy, lots of anglers are getting out, they are hitting the lee sides of the points and islands and jigging or slow trolling live baits, leeches, worms and minnows are all working for walleye. Smallmouth bass are hanging along the rocky south shorelines and respond to top water lures and shallow divers. You might also catch a large northern pike with that same method. You don’t have to travel far from any of the launches to find some likely spots, for instance, crappie are hitting near the structures in Black Bay, just south of the big ramp at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center. Walleye fishing has been good around the islands north and east of Bohman Landing near Crystal Beach.

Rainy River fishing has been best just below the Little Fork River and below Manitou Rapids. Shiner minnows on spinner rigs are working well for walleye.
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For the most up-to-date information you can call the International Falls, Ranier and Rainy Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1 800 325 5766.