Rainy Lake, Ontario side…

Heading up soon to NW bay, Canadian side of Rainy Lake. (LaBelle’s Birch Point Camp) I haven’t been up there in while, but I used to go each spring when I was growing up. The “group” still goes up there, but no one is a professional angler, and they all tend to fish memories more than anything. Good news is, there is lots of fish up there and they usually do alright, at least on the pike! — But tend to just pick up a walleye here or there…. I’m hoping to improve their walleye fishing this spring!

This will my first year back in a while, and my kids (8 and 6) first trip out of the states. Hoping to get them into some decent walleyes, and am expecting a few pike and smallies mixed in.

Any general depth/bottom types to target and with what sort of terminal tackle would be much appreciated!

I’d assume the walleyes are going to still be pretty shallow yet. Just trying to get some ideas on where to start.

Thanks!

Whittsend

Start shallower than you think with the late ice out. Don’t be afraid to pitch as shallow as 3-5 ft on windblown shorelines etc for walleye. The one thing I’ve learned from 3 IDO houseboat trips to Rainy is fishing the wind blown areas is critical. B-Fish-N moxies and Pulse-Rs on precision jigs worked very well.
I also suggest checking Chris Ganruds posts on Rainy Lake forum for latest conditions.

Fish the Whitehorse river where it enters on the north shore. Cast cranks and pitch jigs in the current. Verticle jig around the red cans marking the rock piles. As the water warms the eyes will be hanging in the deeper water around them. Smallmouth like the sides an tops of those rocky under water islands. Lots of big eyes to catch but this is mostly a catch an release water. One under 18 per day is the rule.