Rainy River….NOT YET

Kelly and I took a nice Easter Sunday drive West from Ifalls checking landings. In Ifalls the landing is presently open. Pelland Landing is open. Frans Jevne State Park landing is Not close to being open. Birchdale is Locked up with a heavy shelf of ice on the shoreline. Frontier landing was the worst condition with ice extending far into the river. 30 degrees today. Teens tonight. Mid 30’s tomorrow and 40’s the rest of the week. UGHHHHH!! As we expected VERY touch and go. Guys are YES sliding small aluminum boats over shelf ice which is dangerous and dicey to say the least. Ole Mother Nature is just playing tough. Small window is slowly closing.

Chris

Thanks for the update on current conditions. I know lots of folks are needing to know and/or wanting to know the changing potential and iffy season.

stay warm….

Thanks again for ALL the effort,

Jack

i’ve got my fingers crossed that my favorite fishing water in N WI will be open on May 5. not too sure at this point

going up on the 8th will birchdale have a chance to put 20ft deep v or am i gonna have to bring a 16ft with a roller trailer. Got ten days planned gonna put the hooks to some walleyes and sturgeon. Willing to bring auger, chisel and waders it it needs a little help ? Thanks for the imput

Based on the past 10 seasons, I think the county will have the access cleared by Thursday if not sooner.

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Based on the past 10 seasons, I think the county will have the access cleared by Thursday if not sooner.

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Certainly possible. They will need a backhoe to dig out the shoreline ice. It was about 12 inches thick and piled up. Still I am sure they will try get anglers in somewhere. This being said…..IF it is open you will be there with about 4000 other launchers.

Right now the river looks pretty low. Low water obviously means lower flow/current. I saw 4-5 smaller aluminum boats that had been slid over the ice. Reports from a few locals getting a few bigger fish, but predominately smaller males thus far.

Big fork and Little fork rivers don’t expect to break loose in this small window. Looked pretty solid.

Report from someone fishing near birch dale…county plow was at the access this morning. Expect long lines this weekend!

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Report from someone fishing near birch dale…county plow was at the access this morning. Expect long lines this weekend!

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Sounds like they might have brought a back hoe in?? Just info I’m gettin second hand. If so…Get a ticket that line of trailer will be to the highway with nothing else ready to roll!!

The good old years of walking over a mile to your parked truck when no other access is open. Some people bring a bicycle and lock up near access. Good sportsmen will often give walkers to the vehicles a ride so it doesn’t take too long. Ah the joys and pains of Rainy River.