If you’ve been there you know it can be amazing or it can be humbling. For those that haven’t been there I’m sure you’ve heard stories……if not I’ll tell you a few. I’m no expert by any means and every time I think I have it figured out things change on me, but I’ve caught some of my best walleyes on the Rainy. On the Minnesota/Ontario border it’s a special pre-opener walleye season that is catch and release only for some of the biggest walleyes Lake of the Woods has to offer, these preseason females are coming into the river to spawn and are full of eggs so a 25 inch fish full of eggs may weigh upwards of seven pounds. Fish ranging from 25”-30” inches aren’t uncommon and any angler on the river has a chance to land a ten pound trophy walleye.
Years ago we’d go up and down the river looking to get away from the crowds, that’s still not a bad idea but if you see a bunch of nets out and rods up high it might be worth checking out. Pods of fish will come through working their way upstream to spawn, and if you’re in the right spot with the right presentation and ideal conditions, prepare to see the magic!
I’ve been fishing the rainy early season for almost twenty years and most of it has been bouncing a jig and a minnow and trying to stay vertical. I work as a fishing guide in the summer for the Ely fishing guide company and some of the other guides I work with have started pitching plastics with amazing results. Instead of the typical light bites walleyes fisherman are accustomed to these fish will crush the plastic in a predatory way that almost pulls the rod out of your hands. Lately we’ve been fishing the Canadian side because the southern sun exposure warms up the Canadian shore line first and that‘s where the big girls want to be. We’ve been using current cutter jigs with oblong heads because they get down deeper faster than round jig heads. Sizes range anywhere from ¼ oz. on low flow days up to 3/8oz. We’ve been casting out perpendicular to shore letting the jig hit bottom and then lifting up enough to let fall back down again, you should be bumping bottom about every 3-5 seconds but more importantly the jig should hang in the current so the subtle wobble to the tail does all the action. If you are dragging or snagging too much put on a lighter jig and if you can’t feel the bottom go heavier until you can. Some of the fish will pin you jig to the bottom and you’ll end up hooking them under the chin. Popular plastics include pulsars and moxies from B and N plastics in Iowa and Saltwater assassins, the regular walleye assassins will work but some guys think the paddle tail doesn’t have as same thump as the saltwater assassin. As for colors here’s a list that have worked chartreuse green core. Charteuse orange core, stewarts problue, white, firecracker, mama’s chicken, opening night and the list goes on make sure you have a wide variety of both bright and natural colors and play around with them, some colors really shine over others. Also, make sure you test the baits over the side of the boat, some dance better than others and if there is no wobble, don’t waste your time using it, discard it for a better one.
We share the rainy river with Canada and there is an imaginary line that splits the river between the two countries, the line can be seen on the GPS navigation on most depth finders, if you don’t have a Canadian license it’s best to stay on the US side to avoid a hefty trespassing fine. If fishing in Canada make sure you check the regulations because they seem to change every year. Licenses can be purchased online and everybody needs an Ontario sportman’s card for 8$ as well as the nonresident fishing license; licenses can be purchased for; one day, 8 day or the year you can also get a conservation license of the regular yearly license depending on if you plan to return and weather or not you want to keep fish. Make sure you double check the regulations when fishing in Canada, some things to keep in mind include; no live bait, no alcohol and no anchoring. Make sure you have a whistle or air horn for emergencies and those with DUI charges in the last 5 years may have to call ahead to make sure they are ok to fish in Ontario waters.
The river can be fickle and once the big fork or little fork rivers start to thaw or “blow out” the clarity goes downhill fast and there can be too much debris to fish. River flow and conditions at the USGS website found here. Sometimes they open the dam at International Falls to lower the water level on Rainy lake so pay attention to reports before making the trip. The river clarity can go from 2 feet to two inches pretty quickly and there are few things you can do to deal with it but your best bet may be to go home if the fish can’t see your bait due to poor visibility or lots of floating grass and debris.
If you are on the river when the forks break or the dam is opened there’s not much you can do to stay on a good a bite. With the amount of grass and debris flowing down river not only is the clarity next to nothing but it would probably be like eating in a snowstorm with grass and junk flowing by. Sometimes placing a swivel two feet above your jig will catch some of the debris and keep it away from your jig. It’s not a bad idea to have a backup plan and sometimes having some crawlers and a sturgeon rod will save the day, the Rainy is quickly becoming a major destination for trophy sturgeon in Minnesota, more on that in another article.
If the water is cold the fish will be slow to chase. Walleyes spawn at 42-48 degrees and the closer you get to those temps the more aggressive the fish will be. There are always fish in the river and some of my buddies will slide a boat across the icy access to get first crack at those fish. If you are going to slide a boat make sure your deph finder transducer is tipped up to avoid damage. Have an extra long tow strap on your trailer for pulling a boat up on to the trailer if the landing is icy. The landing can be cold and frozen so if you put a boat in let your trailer drain for a few minutes at the bottom of the ramp before pulling out so you aren’t dragging dripping water up the landing to make a slippery slope. It’s a good idea to have a 4wd vehicle and to bring some extra sandbags or ash to spread on the landing for traction. I also like to wear ice fishing cleats to avoid slipping at the landing or along the shore. Birchdale is probably the most popular landing since many of the fish come up to spawn just before the first big rapids.
As the season progresses the spring sun warms up the water and more fish will head upriver from of lake of the woods to spawn. Some of the more popular landings (Birchdale, Frontier, Vidas) that can accommodate bigger boats will be cleared of ice and become accessible. Once the main accesses are open things get busy, guys will be lining up at the well before sunup and waits in line can take well over an hour to put in and pull out your boat.
Make sure to test your boat out,especially if it’s the first time of the year since winter storage. I’ve seen guys forget plugs, forget to charge trolling /starting batteries and just not be able to start the big motor before even starting. Don’t be a slow poke at the landing, make sure the plug is in, test fire the big motor and unstrap your boat, but make sure you keep the trailer winch connected until the boat is floating, the landings can be steep and every year a boat slides off the trailer and lands on the concrete ramp. There will be guys ready to go behind you and you’ll probably get an earful if you take longer than is necessary. If temps are still below freezing after a day of fishing it’s not a bad idea to start the big motor briefly to blow any excess water from the lower unit otherwise that water can freeze and you can blow out your lower unit seals. I have also seen where boats with carpeted bunks have frozen to the trailer on cold nights as well. I hope this article sheds some light on what truly is a special fishery. If you are looking for a springtime adventure and shot at a trophy walleye or giant Minnesota sturgeon the Rainy is the place for memories to be made. Good Fishing!
