Facts About Rainy

Rainy Lake and Rainy River offer a host of activities for outdoor enthusiasts throughout the year, from fishing and boating to snowmobiling and skiing. The following are some basic – and more obscure – facts about Rainy Lake and the surrounding area.

Lay of the Land

Rainy Lake and Rainy River establish part of the boundary between Minnesota and Ontario, Canada.Rainy Lake is approximately 360 square miles, with 1,850 miles of shoreline and more than 2,000 islands.Approximately 70 percent of Rainy Lake lies in Ontario, and 30 percent in Minnesota.The lake is divided into three areas; the North Arm, Red Gut Bay and the South Arm.​​

The People

The sister cities of International Falls, Minnesota, and Fort Frances, Ontario, are situated on either side of the of the Rainy River.The population of International Falls is approximately 6,000. Fort Frances, ON, is home to about 7,700 residents.Almost 240,000 people visited Voyageurs National Park (see below) in 2017.The first people to occupy the area around Rainy Lake arrived nearly 10,000 years ago during the Paleo-Indian Period.

The Park

Rainy Lake is home to Minnesota’s only National Park, Voyageurs, which was established in 1975.

  • One third of the park’s area is water, most of it in Rainy, Kabetogama, Namakan, and Sand Point lakes, which are linked by narrow waterways. 
  • The Park maintains 46 boat-in camping sites on Rainy Lake in addition to hiking, skiing and snowmobile trails.
  • The park is named for French-Canadian fur traders believed to be the first non-natives to travel through the region.

The History

Rainy Lake is a remnant of Lake Agassiz, which was formed as the glaciers retreated north during the last ice age 50,000 to 10,000 years ago.

  • Rainy Lake rocks are from 2.5 to 3.6 billion years old.
  • By 1800, Rainy Lake was the voyageurs’ highway, linking the Great Lakes with outposts in the remote interior.
  • Gold was discovered on Rainy Lake in 1893, spurring the growth of Rainy Lake City, which was a ghost town by 1898.

The Climate

If International Falls sounds familiar it’s most likely because of a national weather reports referring to the city as “The Icebox of the Nation.”

  • The all-time record low for International Falls is -55F, set in January 1909.
  • The highest monthly average temperature in International Falls for July is 65 degrees. The lowest monthly average temperature for January is 7 degrees.
  • The air quality index in International Falls is 25 percent better than the national average, and the pollution index is 78 percent better than the national average.

​The Trivia

Impress your friends with these lesser-known facts:

  • 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.