Fishing both sides of the rainy questions

So this will be my first time fishing both sides. I have my outdoor card and Ontario liscense. My question is being launching in mn and fishing both sides, do I have to have my passport with me or in my boat, do they check that. And does any one know if digital copies of the outdoors card and Ontario liscense are accepted or do I need the physical copies ?
Also from what i understand, my 14 yr old doesn’t need a outdoors card nor Ontario liscense if he only catches and releases correct. I’m pretty sure I have that all correct. But will he need his passport as well ?
Sorry dumb questions but I know some of you have this all well dialed in. Thanks in advance

Again don’t take what I say as gospel but it’s my understanding that you don’t need a passport as long as the rules we discussed before are followed. Ours have been expired for a few years and we fish the Canadian side open water on Rainy Lake several days a week.

fins wrote:

Again don’t take what I say as gospel but it’s my understanding that you don’t need a passport as long as the rules we discussed before are followed. Ours have been expired for a few years and we fish the Canadian side open water on Rainy Lake several days a week.

That was my understanding as well. I just wanted to double check with some of you guys.

Also does any one have a link or list of all the saftey gear I need to carry in my boat for the Canadian side of the water.

I do know first hand that a digital copy of you license/card is sufficient.

Not sure about the other stuff

I believe a Passport card would work in this situation, but it wouldn’t hurt to have your passport with for back-up.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

I believe a Passport card would work in this situation, but it wouldn’t hurt to have your passport with for back-up.

Is the pass port needed in the situation where I never touch any Canadian soil ? I know if I drove around to launch on that side i would need one, but from my understanding launching mn then crossing via boat and never touching soil, I do not need a passport. But I don’t know if that’s 100 percent correct

Timmy wrote:

I do know first hand that a digital copy of you license/card is sufficient.

Not sure about the other stuff

Thanks buddy, I appreciate it.

I just downloaded the 2025 Canadian fishing regulations and the word passport is not in the regulations.
That doesn’t mean it’s not needed.
The regulations do state that if you don’t touch soil all you need is the outdoors card and a fishing license.
It also says you can purchase a one day license without an outdoors card required.

I’d call the Ontario Fish and Wildlife and hear it directly from the source (1-800-387-7011). I’d bring paper copies of everything just to be safe – I believe that type of stuff is up to the direction of the officer and you never know what kind of person you will be dealing with and how reasonable they will be. Also, saying the kid is only catching and releasing while you have fish in the livewell might be kind of a gray area (again, depending on the officer).

Make sure you don’t have liquor (or other recreational substances) or live bait in your boat.

Pretty sure if your jig head touches canadian river bottom youll have to pay a 25% tariff

From their regs book:
If you purchased a recreational fishing
licence, other than a 1-day licence, you must
carry your Outdoors Card when fishing. You must
carry your licence summary if the current fishing
licence is not listed on the Outdoors Card or if
you have not yet received your Outdoors Card. If
requested, you must present these documents
to a conservation officer. An Outdoors Card is a
plastic, wallet-sized card valid for 3 calendar years
and used for administration purposes.
A licence summary is a document that lists all
valid fishing and hunting licences. The Licence
Summary can be either a printed copy or saved
as a digital format.
Digital Format: You can carry your Licence
Summary in a digital format, such as on a mobile
device. You can have a copy of your Licence
Summary sent to your email address by accessing
your account using the Fish and Wildlife Licensing
Service. If you choose to carry your Licence
Summary on your mobile device, it must be in
the PDF format provided to you from the Fish
and Wildlife Licensing Service (a photograph or
screenshot of your Licence Summary is not valid). ( this sheet/PDF lists your license ands your Outdoors card. I have shown this and it was sufficient.

Non-Canadian residents under 18 years of age
may fish without an Outdoors Card and licence
if accompanied by a person who has a valid
Ontario Recreational Fishing Licence. Any fish
kept are part of the catch and possession limit of
the person who holds the licence. Alternatively,
non-Canadian residents under 18 years of age
may purchase an Outdoors Card and Recreational
Fishing Licence to have their own limits.

IO have reviewed every page on Ontario I can find and cannot find reference to tan Emergency Kit. I know you are supposed to have one. I do on my boat
I will continue looking

Jimmy wrote:

I’d call the Ontario Fish and Wildlife and hear it directly from the source (1-800-387-7011). I’d bring paper copies of everything just to be safe – I believe that type of stuff is up to the direction of the officer and you never know what kind of person you will be dealing with and how reasonable they will be. Also, saying the kid is only catching and releasing while you have fish in the livewell might be kind of a gray area (again, depending on the officer).

Make sure you don’t have liquor (or other recreational substances) or live bait in your boat.

I won’t be keeping fish. Neither of us will

Full draw wrote:

I just downloaded the 2025 Canadian fishing regulations and the word passport is not in the regulations.
That doesn’t mean it’s not needed.
The regulations do state that if you don’t touch soil all you need is the outdoors card and a fishing license.
It also says you can purchase a one day license without an outdoors card required.

I thought about the 1 day thing. But for 240 bucks for 3 years, I did that.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

I believe a Passport card would work in this situation, but it wouldn’t hurt to have your passport with for back-up.

It’s my understanding you don’t need a passport if you don’t touch land, anchor, etc. we haven’t had them for a few years and have never had an issue or know of anyone that has. All those guides go straight to the Canadian side with their clients because it’s as simple as just buying a license, there’s no paperwork, no checking in/out and stuff. For how cheap Canadian licenses are and how good the exchange rate is, it’s a no brainer to go to the other side weather it’s the river or rainy lake itself.

FYI you may need a consent letter from your child’s mom. https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/td-dv-eng.html

That’s already made. Thanks for the heads up

FYI Anchoring is considered touching land. How picky they are on that detail might be case by case basis.

Oh there’s no being picky on that detail. There’s no way I’d ever toss an anchor out without the proper credentials. That’s a huge no no.

fins wrote:

Oh there’s no being picky on that detail. There’s no way I’d ever toss an anchor out without the proper credentials. That’s a huge no no.

So no bottom bouncers either?

I think that’s all hashed out now but I know that stuff was a hot topic for a while.

Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Jimmy wrote:</div>
I’d call the Ontario Fish and Wildlife and hear it directly from the source (1-800-387-7011). I’d bring paper copies of everything just to be safe – I believe that type of stuff is up to the direction of the officer and you never know what kind of person you will be dealing with and how reasonable they will be. Also, saying the kid is only catching and releasing while you have fish in the livewell might be kind of a gray area (again, depending on the officer).

Make sure you don’t have liquor (or other recreational substances) or live bait in your boat.

I won’t be keeping fish. Neither of us will

If i remember right you cant have any bait, dead or alive unless bought in canada and have a copy of receipt with you

Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Jimmy wrote:</div>
I’d call the Ontario Fish and Wildlife and hear it directly from the source (1-800-387-7011). I’d bring paper copies of everything just to be safe – I believe that type of stuff is up to the direction of the officer and you never know what kind of person you will be dealing with and how reasonable they will be. Also, saying the kid is only catching and releasing while you have fish in the livewell might be kind of a gray area (again, depending on the officer).

Make sure you don’t have liquor (or other recreational substances) or live bait in your boat.

I won’t be keeping fish. Neither of us will

Again don’t quote me on this but I believe the rules work so a kid can keep fish but they count towards the adult accompanying thems limit. Party fishing is strictly prohibited in Ontario unless it’s under these circumstances. None of which apply to the river because you can’t bring them back across anyways. Minnesota is so stupid.

I can’t remember if it was last year or the year before there was a big debacle about party fishing Canadian waters during a NWT event.

If you are fishing Rainy Lake you can apply for a RABC permit. This is just a remote border access pass.

You will need to go online and fill out applications for yourself and minors. They will ask for your drivers license, birth cert, ect.. Just some supporting documents that can be emailed to them with the application.

This allows you to drive the boat across the border and fish canada. The RABC permit is specific to Rainy Lake and very common. I believe just a state ID and your RABC permit is all you need then.

You still have to follow Canada’s laws and mentioned. No live bait, beer, ect..

RABC program is no longer available to new applications

I have been checked out there I think 4 times in the last two years by Canadian conservation officers. So they are indeed out there. One time a boat pulled up to an area we were fishing and fished right next to us for about an hour. Then all the sudden they swung over and checked us. It was sneaky.

They checked licenses, fish, and live bait each time. Now I’m not saying they won’t look for more stuff like alcohol just adding my experiences. Whether I’m solo or with buddies, we follow the rules and have not had a problem yet.

I finally asked one of them about anchoring and how it’s different than my jig dragging on the bottom. They said they don’t really care about anchors but border patrol/RCMP probably would so it’s probably not worth risking. These folks were simply COs and not too concerned about the legal border stuff.

Additionally, I have been stopped by MN enforcement a few times too but never during the spring. These have been in the summer and fall.

can you cross the invisible boundary with your boat if only coming from MN? No fishing just passing through