Fishing on Rainy Lake is fantastic!
Rainy Lake Captains would be happy to show you and your friends how to catch trophy Walleyes and Smallmouth Bass. If a shore lunch is your desire (we highly recommend it!) our kitchen will furnish your guide with the necessary supplies to make yours a meal to remember. For a quick grab & go lunch, we can provide your group with bagged lunches.
Guide Rates
Fishing Guides are independent from the Thunderbird Lodge, and should be booked directly through them. Rates vary by guide. Contact us for fishing guide suggestions.
Guide Services
bcoaonline.com
gatorscharter.com
fullthrottleguiding.net
rainydazeoutdoors.com
rainylakeguideassociation.com
rainylakeguiding.com
Helpful Links for Fisherman
MN Fishing Regulations
Buy Your MN Fishing License Online
MN DNR
Ontario Canada Fishing Information
Guests can apply and mail in their application for Ontario Remote Area Border Crossing Permit and information. Guests can also purchase and print Canadian Fishing Licenses online. Purchase A Canadian Fishing License
Safety Gear
Required by law and essential for safety (check the Safe Boating Guide for the gear required for your vessel size)
- Vessel license (Make sure your PWC is properly licensed and marked and don’t forget to carry a (paper) copy of your license on board!)
- Life jackets of appropriate size for each person on board (Choose a bright one for better visibility, high-impact PFD’s are recommended while using PWCs.)
- Floating heaving line (49.5 feet)
- Flashlight or 3 flares of type A, B, or C
- Pea-less whistle and/or horn
- Navigation lights
- Paddle or anchor with not less than 49.5 feet of cable, rope or chain**
- Bailer/pail or manual bilge pump**
- Fire extinguisher (Class 5 BC)**
**If all people on board are wearing a PFD of appropriate size, then the last three items aren’t mandatory.
| May | June | July | August | September | |
| Walleye | Fish shallows with live bait. Small creeks or gravel bars best on lakes, but current at Seine and Kettle Rivers produces. | Probably best month overall. Fish windy shallows down to 20 feet. Live bait best but Rapalas good too. | Reefs beginning to produce now. Graph and topo maps are important now. Minnows best but leeches or worms work. Fish moving to 25 feet or more late in the month. | Walleyes hold on reefs or deeper points. Minnows best, either on Lindy’s or small jigs. Locate fish with graph in 25 feet plus. | Continue to fish reefs, but any current begins to hold Walleyes. Cooler weather keeps fish deep. |
| Northerns | Season opens in May in MN. Open all year in Ontario. Fish shallows with live bait or spoons. | Northerns can be found everywhere now, both deep and shallow. Trolling or casting large spoons or crankbaits best for big ones. | As in June, very plentiful. Walleye reefs are good for northerns too. | Northerns are somewhat deeper now, but still are easy to find. Large minnows on reefs work very well. | Larger Northerns begin to move to shallows. Excellent month for a trophy. Use larger minnows or lures. Silver is best. |
| Smallmouth | Season opens in May in northern MN. Open all year in Ontario. Good bass fishing begins with warmer weather. Fish spawning areas with live or artificial bait. | Warm weather and spawning means lots of bass, very shallow, 3-5 feet. Fish rocky or sandy areas with few weeds. Clean bottom is important. | Bass move somewhat deeper but still are above walleyes. Fish 10 feet plus in daylight but surface lures produce in early AM and evening. Live bait most successful overall. | Fish same as July. Fly fishermen are successful in late July to mid-August. | Bass fishing slow with cooler weather. But big ones are accidently caught by fishermen after walleyes. Fish deep, 25 feet plus. |
| Crappies | Season open all year. Crappies beginning to spawn in shallows. Fish 2-4 feet deep and close to fallen trees and structure. Keep quiet and use small minnows or jigs. | Crappies still dispersed, but beginning to school. Graph is very helpful now as they move deeper. Use minnows. | Crappies are in schools now and found as deep as 20 feet. Very good month for them but graph may be a necessity. | Very easy to catch in great numbers when found. Red Gut, Kettle Falls, Ash River and Lost Bay are all good. | Best crappie fishing found in fall months. Use graph to locate and fish with minnows. Crappies are underfished in area lakes. |
