birchdale area hotels and bait shops

I’m going to be making my first rainy river trip this year I have a few quest ions if people could point me in the right direction. I’m looking for suggestions on what live bait to bring if I stay on the MN side rainbows, shiners etc, also are there bait shops bear birchdale? Second where are the nearest hotels to birchdale launch. Lastly I know no one can predict the future but what dates at this point would you recommend going up?

Now is the time to go and should only get better into April. Clemenston is the nearest resort. After that you would need to go to Baudette which is the best for bait. I like the big chub minnows but I’d be using plastics before going to minnows.

Clementson Resort and Royal Dutchman. I betcha they are full. Next comes Baudette. The nearest bait is in Baudette.

I would call up and see what is available. You can always go thru Brainerd/Walker/G Rapids to pick up bait.

You could also make the run from I falls every day. There is not much of anything at birchdale or for a long ways from there.

I was on the river from 7am to 11am today….I caught one walleye using a jig and minnow on my second cast, but that was it for the rest of the morning. Good luck fishing.

Thank for all the info! I booked a trip April 5-7th wanted to do weekdays maybe it will be a little less packed. I’m looking forward to it.