Everyone knows we have had a cold winter. Even though it has been to cold by our own standards it means good things for those people that enjoy the best time of the year fishing on Rainy Lake.
Massive amounts of walleyes, northern pike, smallmouth bass, and crappies move in shallow and spend a long amount of time in shallow water. Opportunities are endless, casting, fly casting, jigging, slip bobbering, dead baiting, rigging, it all happens in the early part of the season.
Why should this year be better than other years? It has been a long cold winter, ice will go out in early May and I expect a early season like we used to see when I was a 10-15 year old guide at my grand parents resort the Kettle Falls Hotel. Those glorious May and June fishing encounters all had winters very similar to this years.
The Kettle Falls area was known for current and river fishing plus it was close. I ventured to shallow water bays and my fishing world exploded. There were loads of fish shallow in the bays, live bait, Ciscoe Kids, L&s Bass Masters, Lazy Ikes, Hula Poppers, Sonics, and the famous Rapala all provided intense amounts of action.
The fish were hungry most of the time. As the water warms fish’s metabolism increases causing them to eat more and more often. The change in temperature has a surreal effect on them. Think about it; the temperature is constant on Rainy Lake from freeze up to ice out six months. One thing that also happens is fish digest their dinner much faster than winter months.
Rainy Lake is the best lake you can possibly choose for fishing anytime, but May and June are special. View our fishing calendar to see suggested baits and time of season fishing opportunities. Rainy has extensive shallow water spawning bays from one end of the lake to the other. They start not far from our dock, Black Bay, Dove bay, Cranberry Bay, Lost Bay, Brule Bay, Saginaw Bay, Marion Bay, Finlander Bay, Hitchcock Bay, Anderson Bay, Becky’s Bay, and Laurens Bay.
The Ontario side of the lake has just as many, Stokes, Pound Net, Friendly Passage, Cormorant Bay, Moose Bay, Willow Bay, Canoe Channel, Bleak Bay and many others. A Rainy Lake Houseboat is the best way to explore the 225,000 acres of prime wilderness.
The rest of the lakes cannot match Rainy Lake for fishing habitat, fish population or wilderness experience. It is time to start making plans for your May or June fishing trip. There is time to reserve a date, give us a call and we will help you plan your next outing on Rainy Lake!