Rainy Lake facts reveal how much history, geography, and local character surround this Minnesota-Ontario destination. Visitors come to the area for fishing, boating, snowmobiling, skiing, wildlife, and quiet scenery.
This guide covers the lake, the people, Voyageurs National Park, local history, climate, and a few lesser-known pieces of trivia.
Lay of the Land
Rainy Lake and Rainy River form part of the border between Minnesota and Ontario, Canada. Rainy Lake covers about 360 square miles and has roughly 1,850 miles of shoreline.
In addition, the lake also includes more than 2,000 islands. About 70 percent of Rainy Lake lies in Ontario, while 30 percent lies in Minnesota. The lake has three main areas: the North Arm, Red Gut Bay, and the South Arm.
These lake facts help explain why Rainy Lake is such an important part of the Minnesota-Ontario border region.
People of the Border Region
Today, International Falls and Fort Frances sit on opposite sides of the Rainy River. International Falls has about 6,000 residents, while Fort Frances has about 7,700.
People first occupied the area around Rainy Lake nearly 10,000 years ago during the Paleo-Indian Period. That long human history is one of the reasons the region has so many stories tied to travel, trade, and border life.
Voyageurs National Park
Voyageurs National Park protects part of the Rainy Lake region. The park became Minnesota’s only national park in 1975.
- Water makes up about one third of the park. Much of that water sits within Rainy, Kabetogama, Namakan, and Sand Point lakes, which are linked by narrow waterways.
- The park also maintains 46 boat-in camping sites on Rainy Lake, along with hiking, skiing, and snowmobile trails.
- The park takes its name from French-Canadian fur traders believed to be the first non-natives to travel through the region.
For more official park information, visit the Voyageurs National Park page from the National Park Service.
Rainy Lake History
Some Rainy Lake facts connect directly to the region’s glacial past. Rainy Lake is a remnant of Lake Agassiz, which formed as glaciers retreated north during the last ice age 50,000 to 10,000 years ago.
The rocks around Rainy Lake are from 2.5 to 3.6 billion years old. By 1800, the lake had become the voyageurs’ highway, linking the Great Lakes with outposts in the remote interior.
Later, prospectors discovered gold on Rainy Lake in 1893, which helped grow Rainy Lake City.
Climate Facts Near Rainy Lake
If International Falls sounds familiar, it’s most likely because national weather reports often refer to the city as “The Icebox of the Nation.”
The all-time record low for International Falls is -55°F, set in January 1909. The highest monthly average temperature in International Falls is 65 degrees in July, while the lowest monthly average temperature is 7 degrees in January.
The air quality index in International Falls is 25 percent better than the national average. Its pollution index is also 78 percent better than the national average.
Rainy Lake Trivia
These Rainy Lake facts add a lighter side to the area’s geography, weather, and local stories.
- A mermaid statue built in the 1930s is located in Silver Island Narrows.
- Early French inhabitants gave the name Lac La Pluie (translated to Rainy Lake and Rainy River) because of the mist-like rain present at the falls where the lake flowed into the river.
- International Falls is home to several National Hockey League players, including Mike Curran, Richard Dougherty, Bob Mason (currently goalie coach for MN Wild), Gary Sampson, Neil Sheehy and Timothy Sheehy.
- Frostbite Falls, the hometown of cartoon characters Rocky and Bullwinkle, was based on the real-life International Falls.
- After several years of legal battles, the United States Patent and Trademark Office officially registered the slogan “Icebox of the Nation” with International Falls on January 29, 2008.