Things to know when fishing the Rainy River

Some folks were predicting there wouldn’t be a spring fishing season on the Rainy River this year. Too much ice, too cold this March.

Well, that’s not the case. In fact, the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale opened to all boats March 27. That’s great news for those who love taking part in the tradition of fishing the Rainy River in the spring.

As is always the case, however, Mother Nature is in control – but this year with a bit of urging in the right direction, as water was released through the dam upstream to bring down water levels above the dam. That extra bit of current helped the angling situation.

Koochiching County officials and others play roles with this spring fishing season. Each year, Koochiching County plows snow at the boat ramp and access areas. They also are helpful in giving that pesky shoreline ice in front of the boat ramps a little push with a backhoe to speed things up. It makes things safer, because without a boat ramp open, there are a number of boats that would be dropped in over shoreline ice.

There are workers from Koochiching and Lake of the Woods counties who help people to fish the Rainy River, and there are others – local law enforcement, the Minnesota DNR, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources – that help make this possible.

How is fishing this year? Initial reports have been excellent. For now, water clarity is good, the Birchdale ramp is open (as of late March) and the Frontier access was about to open as well.

Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about the spring season on the Rainy:

• May I fish the Ontario side of the Rainy River?

Yes, as long as you have the proper Ontario fishing license and fishing or outdoors card (if you didn’t purchase a one-day license, for which the card is not required). There are different limits and regulations when fishing Ontario waters, so refer to the Ontario fishing regulations.

• May I have live or frozen bait in my boat when fishing the Ontario side of the Rainy River?

No. No bait – alive, dead, or frozen – is allowed to be brought into Canada from the United States as of October 2020. You can use artificial baits, which are popular in the spring season. Plastics on jigs and crankbaits are good options.

• May I keep walleyes on the Ontario side of the river and transport them to the U.S. during the spring season on the Rainy River?

No. Because the walleye fishery on the Minnesota side of the Rainy River is catch and release only, the Minnesota DNR states it is unlawful to transport walleyes across the border into Minnesota.

• May I trailer my boat into Ontario, fish the Ontario side of the river during the spring season, keep walleyes, and trailer the walleyes back into Minnesota?

No. According to the Minnesota DNR, you may not bring walleyes across the border during the spring season, even if by automobile.

• May I navigate into Ontario waters for safety reasons or to avoid a pack of boats?

Yes. For safety reasons, and the law is reciprocal, you are allowed to navigate into Canadian waters to avoid dangerous situations such as shallow water, ice chunks, a pack of boats, etc. Just don’t fish there unless you’re licensed to fish the Ontario side of the river.

• Are there unwritten rules I should follow while spring fishing on the Rainy River?

There certainly are. Here are just a few:

Be patient and helpful. Plan for it to take some time to launch your boat.

Keep it clean. Pack out what you packed in. Most boat landings have portable restroom facilities and in many cases, even dumpsters.

Watch for no-parking signage. The no-parking rules are in place for a variety of good reasons.

Don’t pull your trailer out of the water too quickly. Your trailer is draining water as you pull it out of the water. If the weather is cold, the water can create ice on the ramp. If you pull out slowly, the vast majority of the water in and on your boat will drain into the river.

Help others, whether it is helping someone crank a boat onto a trailer, guiding someone who’s backing up a boat trailer, or grabbing someones boat if they’re coming to the dock.

For more information: info@LakeoftheWoodsMN.com