Things To Do

Fishing

With over 1,600 islands on this lake bordering US and Canada, there is a diverse array of fishing.

Rainy Lake and surrounding interior lakes are home to multiple species including walleye, crappie, bass, eelpout, white fish, lake trout, and muskie. Additionally, Rainy River is known for its sturgeon fishing. You can fish from a dock, the river’s edge, boat, and more. Rainy Lake and Rainy River offer ideal fishing for any fishing enthusiast.

Things To Do

A green and white houseboat with the number 40 cruises on Minnesota’s Rainy Lake, surrounded by trees under a clear blue sky. The boat’s reflection shimmers in the calm water. | Rainy Lake, MN

Rainy Lake Houseboats
A man kneels on snow, smiling and holding a large northern pike fish. He is dressed in winter clothes near an ice fishing shelter and snowmobile, enjoying a perfect day on Minnesota’s Rainy Lake under the clear blue sky. | Rainy Lake, MN

RainyDaze Outdoors
A wooden dock extends over Minnesota’s calm Rainy Lake, surrounded by lush green trees under a clear blue sky, with picnic tables and a shaded shelter on the grassy riverbank. | Rainy Lake, MN

Rod Smith Memorial Pond
Wooden sign reads “Ron Hall Memorial Access, Rainy River Public Water Access, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources,” set against trees near Minnesota’s scenic Rainy Lake. | Rainy Lake, MN

Ron Hall Landing – Rainy River
A lakeside lodge with red roofs surrounded by green trees sits on the serene shores of Rainy Lake, Minnesota, featuring docks with boats and calm water under a clear blue sky. The forested shoreline stretches along the background. | Rainy Lake, MN

Sha Sha Resort on Rainy Lake

Shelter Rock Campsites
A street view of a one-story building in Minnesota with signs reading "SPORTSMENS SERVICE" and "WILDLIFE MUSEUM." Multiple cars are parked outside under a cloudy Rainy Lake sky. | Rainy Lake, MN

Sportsman Service
Aerial view of Mackenzie Lodge on Rainy Lake in Minnesota, surrounded by trees, with several boats docked at piers. The scene is bright and sunny under clear blue skies. | Rainy Lake, MN

Thunderbird Lodge
A wooden dock extends over a calm Minnesota lake under a cloudy sky, with another dock visible in the background. Bare trees line the shore near Rainy Lake, and cracked pavement is seen in the foreground. | Rainy Lake, MN

Tilson Bay Boat Landing – Rainy Lake
A smiling person in a gray shirt and cap holds a large, golden-brown fish with spiny fins on a boat on Rainy Lake, Minnesota, with calm water and a scenic, cloudy sky in the background. | Rainy Lake, MN

Up North Angling
A man wearing sunglasses and a cap holds up a large fish in front of Rainy Lake, Minnesota, with a boat motor visible in the background. | Rainy Lake, MN

Voyage North Guide Service
A red and silver Voyageurs Outfitters boat is docked at a marina on Rainy Lake, Minnesota, surrounded by other boats, with calm water and trees in the background at sunset. | Rainy Lake, MN

Voyageurs Outfitters
A smiling man in a blue shirt and sunglasses holds a large fish with both hands while standing on a boat on Minnesota’s Rainy Lake, with trees and a cloudy sky in the background. | Rainy Lake, MN

Willie’s North Country Guide Service
A smiling man wearing sunglasses and a cap holds a large, golden fish toward the camera, standing on a boat with Rainy Lake and a cloudy sky in the background. | Rainy Lake, MN

Yellow Cabin Guiding
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Season Information

Open Season: May 10th, 2025 – April 14th, 2026
Combined possession of walleye and sauger limit 8 (not more than four can be walleye).
​All walleye from 18-26″ must be immediately released. One walleye over 26″ allowed in possession.

Open season: Continuous
Possession limit: 10

Open season: June 15 – Nov. 30
Possession limit: 1 (minimum size 50″)

Seasons on when you can catch and release sturgeon and keep sturgeon vary.

  • Harvest season: April 24 – May 7
  • Catch-and-release only: May 8 – 15 (No tag needed)
  • Closed: May 16 – June 30
  • Harvest season: July 1 – Sept. 30
  • Catch-and- release only: Oct 1 – April 23 of following year (no tag needed) 

​
Anglers looking to catch and keep a sturgeon during the keep season must purchase a sturgeon tag.  They are allowed 1 sturgeon per calendar year. Fish must be 45″-50″ inclusive or over 75″. Fish must be immediately tagged and registered within 48 hours. 

See the “Canada-Minnesota” Border Waters section of the MN DNR fishing regulation booklet for more details about Lake Sturgeon fishing regulations.

Open season: May 10 2025 – February 2026
Regulations allow for a 3-fish limit, with a crucial conservation measure in place: only one fish can be 36 inches or greater, and any pike between 24 and 36 inches must be immediately released to ensure healthy populations for future generations.

Open Season: Continuous
Smallmouth Bass can be found on Rainy Lake and Rainy River.
Possession limit: 6 total

MN Fishing Regulations
Spring Walleye Fishing
Three people dressed in winter clothing stand on frozen Rainy Lake in Minnesota, each smiling and holding two fish they caught, with snow and a cloudy sky in the background. | Rainy Lake, MN
Four men smile while standing on a wooden dock by Rainy Lake in Minnesota, with boats and a lodge in the background. One man holds a fishing net containing fish. It’s a sunny day with clear skies and trees in the background. | Rainy Lake, MN
A smiling man wearing sunglasses and a cap kneels on a boat at Rainy Lake, Minnesota, proudly holding up a large fish with one hand. A fishing rod and net are visible beside him, and the scenic lake is in the background. | Rainy Lake, MN
Two smiling people in outdoor clothing hold up freshly caught fish on a boat at Rainy Lake, Minnesota, with cloudy skies in the background. | Rainy Lake, MN
Five freshly caught fish with speckled yellow and green scales lie inside a black, open-mesh fishing basket, viewed from above—perfect evidence of a successful day on Minnesota’s Rainy Lake. | Rainy Lake, MN
A smiling young boy wearing a life jacket proudly holds up a fish he caught on Rainy Lake in Minnesota, standing on a boat with water and green trees in the background. An adult stands nearby, partially out of frame. | Rainy Lake, MN
Two people wearing hats and jackets smile while standing on a boat, holding a large fish together over Rainy Lake on a sunny Minnesota day, with a grassy shoreline and trees visible in the background. | Rainy Lake, MN

Blog Posts about Fishing

Aerial view of Minnesota’s Rainy Lake with numerous tree-covered islands and calm blue water. A boat creates a wake, while a tall observation tower rises among the trees on one of the islands. | Rainy Lake, MN

Facts About Rainy
A scenic aerial view of Rainy Lake in Minnesota, bordered by lush green trees, with a small marina, parked boats, and RVs along the water's edge under a partly cloudy sky. | Rainy Lake, MN

Boat Landing Accesses on Rainy Lake
A small passenger boat named "Voyageur" cruises on Minnesota’s Rainy Lake with several people standing on the upper and lower decks, enjoying the view on a sunny day. Trees line the distant shore under a partly cloudy sky. | Rainy Lake, MN

A First-Time Visitor’s Guide to Voyageurs National Park
Four people in winter clothing kneel on a frozen Minnesota lake, smiling and holding several fish each. More fish are arranged on the ice in front of them, with two off-road vehicles parked nearby—an unforgettable day on Rainy Lake. | Rainy Lake, MN

Rainy Lake Fishing “Cheat Sheet”
A snow-covered frozen lake at sunrise or sunset on Rainy Lake, Minnesota, features an ice fishing hut, a snowmobile, and an ATV. Tire and track marks crisscross the snow as distant trees line the horizon. | Rainy Lake, MN

Keep It Clean
A person snowshoes uphill through a snowy Minnesota forest with sunlight streaming through tall, snow-covered pine trees under a clear blue sky. | Rainy Lake, MN

Winter Fun on Rainy Lake: 6 Outdoor Activities