Spring Rainy River Conditions

Quote:

---

When I just looked at the temperatures for up here there are only 2 nights in the single digit but nothing below zero… Just remember it always changes and they are usually wrong but the high temps for the most part are in the 40s and look how much the river went out yesterday or even the nights we were below zero it is still opening up. I think they will have Birchdale cleared out sometime next week (due to the holiday I don’t think it will be this weekend). Also it may be really close to being open at Froniter by Sunday. Hope everyone has a good day!

---

I am surely praying for the landings to open sufficiently to be able to back boats in too. We all will be watching closely & following your posts. It won’t be like last year, but we’ll take whatever we can get. Hopefully the landings will be pretty clear by the middle of next week. So far, there isn’t much rain in the forecast, and that is a good thing. We went into last fall with low water levels and it’s looking like the river might hold through the prespawn. Doesn’t look like a major melt for a while yet. I’ll be on the hot line with a buddy of mine up there, ready to turn the Silverado’s nose into the wind at a moments notice!! Fingers crossed!!

Thanks for the reports!! I see it’ll be a short window for those big girls, It’ll be great to hear they moved up and are popping!!

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Wow. No replys to those last photos. I would guess about half the guys seeing them fell off theirs chairs and hit the floor. The other half is out hooking up the boat and heading north. Hope to see some more photos and maybe even some fish photos soon.

---

There is open water & then there are realistic fishing conditions. We know how important the prespawn is to all the local businesses, but realistically, we are still a ways from comfortably getting bigger boats in the river. I don’t think any sensible person would take a chance on damaging their boat trying to force a launch over ice. I too, am frustrated, as I have already canceled two trips to the river this spring. I am hoping to get up the second week in April. There is still a lot of shore ice & snow to go yet, and the weather forecast is going to take another dive next week. A couple of below zero nights to boot!! I truly believe our window of fishing opportunity is going to be very short this year, if at all. Fingers crossed!!!!

---

Maybe you should just buy a smaller cheaper boat?

March 30th, 2013:
We went and took pictures of the River this morning around 10:30 AM and the temperature was around 35 degrees. The River is open about 1 mile east of Frontier hoping to be able to push boats off at this landing tomorrow. The shore ice at Birchdale is less than yesterday but still pretty thick by shore so it will probably be a few days until it gets open up for big boats.
The 1st picture is Birchdale Landing, 2nd Picture is one mile east of Frontier looking to the west, 3rd picture is one mile east of Frontier looking to the east.

April 1st, 2013:
We didn’t go check the river yesterday because we spent time with family. Today the river is open about 3.5 miles West of Frontier Landing. They are pushing boats in at Froniter and Birchdale still. We did talk to a county worker and he said there was someone coming from International Falls to clean out the Birchdale Landing but it would probably be a while on the Frontier Landing as there is still quite a bit of shore ice. We will know tomorrow if the landing was cleaned out for big boats. Fishing this past weekend averaged about 50-60 fish a boat with some guys doing good and some doing not so good. We heard of some slot fish, suckers, and sturgeon being caught.
1st Picture is Birchdale Landing, 2nd second picture with more shore ice is Frontier, and the 3rd picture is looking to the west at Frontier Landing

Looking great. Thanks for all the up dates.

According to Clementsons site. A backhoe was reported to be at the Birchdale landing as of this morning. I have not verified it, however I would have to imagine if they posted that it has to be true. I am sure we will know by the end of today.

Good Luck everyone!

Jake

April 2nd, 2013:
The Birchdale Landing was being cleaned out with equipment this morning and should be ready for big boats later today or tomorrow morning. Frontier Landing still has some shore ice and they are pushing boats in. When we arrived at Frontier there was a 17 foot Almuacraft that had been pushed across the ice. The River is open 4 miles West of Frontier it is getting very close to the white church on the Canadian side.
1st picture is them cleaning out the Birchdale Landing and the 2nd picture is of Frontier

Quote:

---

April 2nd, 2013:
The Birchdale Landing was being cleaned out with equipment this morning and should be ready for big boats later today or tomorrow morning. Frontier Landing still has some shore ice and they are pushing boats in. When we arrived at Frontier there was a 17 foot Almuacraft that had been pushed across the ice. The River is open 4 miles West of Frontier it is getting very close to the white church on the Canadian side.
1st picture is them cleaning out the Birchdale Landing and the 2nd picture is of Frontier

---

Anything for a walleye!!! I think it is wonderful that the county pitches in, seeing that this prespawn run is so vital to the local economy up there. Mother Nature might swing a big stick, but caterpillar has a bigger backhoe!! Clear ’em out, I’m coming up next week!! Looks like the little fork will hold through the prespawn. It’s the best fishing trip ever!!!

My mistake, I see it says DEERE on the hoe. A John Deere with Caterpillar colors??

I’m praying for cool temps until the last weekend.

I am new here at the posting but have been reading for quite some time. I would like to add my 2 cents in on the spring walleye fishing on the Rainy River. A lot of people do not like the walleyes being caught in the spring saying that it interrupts the spawn and dangers the fish. Well I thought the same way about 15 years ago until I started fishing all of Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River. It is one amazing fishery and the walleyes just keep on coming. I am originally from Canada and fished the Canadian waters of Lake of the Woods and Rainy River for the better part of 25 years. I have fished the Minnesota side now for about 15 or so years. The DNR set a slot size on the walleye for a reason and it is working. It is a large body of water and a lot of walleyes produce, not only in the Rainy River but other areas also that are not fished. It is a great economical boost for the area and we need it to be sustained. So when you are out fishing respect the fish, handle with care and have fun. Also if you are coming into the area be sure to look up the folks at the Royal Dutchmen. I do know them and they are great folks and they will look after you. So I hope to see you on the water I will be there this weekend trying to catch the hogs for the photo album. If anyone wants to go fishing and don’t have a boat and wants to get out on the water let me know and I will gladly take you out this weekend. Let me know. Thanks Cheers Labatt

Welcome to IDO Labatt! Well said!

Any ideas on water clarity at the time

Water clarity is good. There has been no major run off and the dams in Fort Frances and IFalls have not been open.

Cheers Labatt

Looking forward to getting up there. Heading up Sunday. Great to see those photos and reports.

April 3rd, 2013:
The Birchdale Landing is open to big boats! Frontier still has some shore ice so boats are pushing off there. The River is open about 4 miles West of Frontier so it hasn’t moved much in the last few days. The forecast is calling for some warmer temperatures! Some groups seemed to have a good day yesterday while other groups weren’t as lucky. It was a cold and windy day for them yesterday!
1st picture is Birchdale Landing and the 2nd picture is showing the shore ice at Frontier.

Great news! I’m chomping at the bit this year; we’ll be there 11th-14th and hope the eyes are hungry. Look for the black Polar Kraft with the big walleye on the side.

Good luck to everone. Hopefully we can all play nice together gonna be a little crowded. Ill be in 20ft white champion with yamaha on the back gonna tear up some walleyes Then try and get some sturgeon. Be there 8th-18th

truck will be pointing north tomorrow night!
Ill post a report when we get home..

wish us luck!

Good Luck,
Hope everyone in the world is not up there,
but
it may seem like it.
only a week and a half left in THE season, and it only started (or opened) about two days ago.
I knew it would before this weekend,
Jack

You all need to be prepared to walk if you are using the Birchdale landing. Went by it yesterday coming home from work and the trucks and trailers where out onto hwy 11 up to Birchdale store. Just to let you know.

Cheers Labatt

I would walk a mile to fish walleyes.

Quote:

---

I would walk a mile to fish walleyes.

---

You’ll need to. Fishing has been SO-SO. My buddy Ryan has been guiding down there. Was getting 30-40 Walleyes a day few bigger fish mixed in. Mostly 16-18 inch fish was his report to me. He said yesterday it was very tough. 15 fish maybe? Brutal cold conditions and a 45 minute wait to launch at the only landing open in the area. GOOD NEWS IS….You can fish. Be cautious of your big glass boats here. The landing is YES open. Ice on the other hand lines the shore. When your coming to pick up your buddy who walked 2 miles you’ll either be picking him off the ice sheet……DANGEROUS or the close to the concrete landing. GOOD LUCK and BE SAFE!!

That is the good thing about being the captain. I got walkers to go get the truck. Still on the fence about throwing a bike in the truck this year. Might throw a set of ice cleats in for that shore ice.

April 5th, 2013:
As of this afternoon Frontier is now open to big boats also. From the road Grant figures the River is wide open 3 miles East of Vidas Landing but wasn’t able to find where it ended. There were some guys out ice fishing in front of Vidas. We talked to a few groups already today and one said that morning was really good while another group didn’t catch many for the few hours they were out there.
1st picutre is Frontier Landing and 2nd picture is in front of Vidas.

Thanks Dutchmen for those photos and reports. Think we are going to hit it about just right with heading up and Sunday and fishing next week.

Quote:

---

I would walk a mile to fish walleyes.

---

Have a friend said he has a friend up there right now and he waited 3 hours to get the boat in the water and only caught 2 walleye. Then they found out that they got another landing open, But I would imagine it’ll be quite the wait at the landings up there. And a lot of this….

Most of the guys we have talked to said the longest they have waited to pull the boat out was an hour and half. It all depends on the time I think and if you leave a little earlier it might be easy but with that said here is the new report.
Hey Everyone! Sorry I didn’t get time to post on here yesterday but Vidas Landing just past Clementson is open to big boats. It opened up yesterday morning. Yesterday morning we could see open water just around the bend by our house. This morning it is a lot closer and hopefully by the end of the day it will be past us. With another landing open it should help with the time to get boats in and pull them out

Three days of fishing up there 1st part of this week and we never waited more than 5 to 10 minutes to put in. Loading up was much the same. The only slow ramp was Frontier loading up one evening. 15 boats or more waiting out front to load. We just drove the truck and boat up to Birchdale. Got there and the ramp was empty.

For you guys using Frontier there is a huge hole at the end of the ramp. Get your trailer tires in that sucker and you may be leaving the axle in there. You need to jacknife the trailer towards the down river side of the ramp and back out on the gravel. Make sure and have a spotter there for you or at least get out to look at that hole.