Battling Rainy River behemoths: Hundreds of pounds of sturgeon released over two days of fishing
As days get longer and spring 2026 blooms across the north country, prime opportunities existed for anglers ahead of Minnesota’s May 9 fishing opener. One of those is the famed Rainy River, where a massive migration of fish make their annual springtime push from Lake of the Woods into the river.
Last weekend, my dad, brother, and I embarked on our first trip to this special fishery with hopes of catching the largest fish swimming in these waters, the lake sturgeon.
