Rainy Lake Memorial Day Week

Hi all, were going up to fish Rainy Lake starting Memorial Day and fishing through the week, staying at camp idlewood with my father and my 2 young sons. Looking to catch dinner and put some smiles on the boys faces. In past years we’ve fished Lake of the Woods in Early July (zipple Bay and the NW angle) and did pretty good. We picked Rainy Lake because with an 18′ lund we are more weather limited on lake of the woods especially when the wind is blowing, there’s minimal protection. We’ll probably do 1 day fishing the river as well, not against traveling to catch fish. Do you think there’d be more walleye in the river near birchdale or on rainy lake this time of year? What would be a good plan? Shallow water spinnerbaits for pike, and trolling cranks and stickbaits near rocks for walleye? Any help is appreciated.

Mikhal

Stop at Rainy One Stop and ask around. Your resort owner ought to be able to point you in the right direction also. I would think 10 to 20’ range you should find fish.

We will be coming home from Rainy lake on Memorial day and will try and pm you morning before we leave if we hit anything. Our plan is to fish the lake, haven’t been up there enough to know if river or lake is better this time of year but suspect lake better.

Pitch jigs with plastic to wind blown shorelines. Have been there in early June and some days it is lights out. Saginaw, Marion, Finlander Bays was where we fished. We were on a Houseboat near the Brule Narrows. Good luck you lucky dogs.
P.S. Bring lots of jigs 1/8, 3/16, 1/4 oz.
Also neutral buoyant stick baits.

Thank you, tomr I look forward to the report! Skeeter I stocked up on jigs and sinking and suspending stick baits, every time I go to Walmart I grab those cotton brand crankbaits (there like 2.50 apiece) so I’m ready to burn some tackle if nessecary. When we’ve fished Lake of the Woods in July we seem to catch more big walleye in very shallow water like 3-4′ of water trolling spinnerbaits for pike, I feel like the shallows should be MORE productive in late May than in July due to the water temperature. Looking forward to the cooler weather up there (coming from Florida).

The river always holds fish, but the majority of the spring run should be done by now and most guides on LOW are out on the lake (weather permitting). I’d plan on sticking to the lake, and think you have the right game plan fishing shallow. Finding weeds will generally put you on fish up there. Rainy Daze Guide service does a good job on social media for up to date info, otherwise your resort and local bait shops should be able to point you in the right direction. I’m already counting down to our July trip up there!

I will be on Rainy Lake May 29th. I go end of May for a week every year, never fished the river so no help on that. Shore fishing is usually good. I do find east towards Kettle Falls to be better if there is good water flow. However that is a very long run from where you are staying and if its windy with big waves would not be a fun ride, if calm would be about a hours run for you. You could trailer to the park boat landing in Black Bay and shorten the run plus if the weather is nasty the bay is calm and can produce some nice Walleyes. I hope you have a map chip as travel on Rainy can be challenging especially if water levels are low. Good luck its a great lake.
If looking for a good meal I highly suggest Thunderbird Lodge, that’s where I always stay.

I am also heading up on the 30th and staying at TBird. Bringing my dad and brothers up for some quality father/son time after he had a health scare. Would love any info for the area bc this is my first spring trip to Rainy. Targeting walley and smallmouth with hopes of some crappie for Dad. Thanks!!

BigWerm wrote:

I’m already counting down to our July trip up there!

We’ll be up camping on the East end from July 4th to the 10th (3 sisters area).
I’ll try and remember to let ya know how we do. We are usually up the first week of August every year on the East end, so will be targeting a bit shallower than usual.

For this next week, I would be targeting shorelines either pitching jig/minnow, jig/plastic, or cranks, and even throwing a slip bobber out if your fishing the evenings. I’ve caught alot of eye’s and smallies on Namakan on memorial weekends past with just a lighted bobber off our campsite in 4-8′ of water.
Also look at area’s with current, we did well in American Narrows many years ago on a early June trip at Idlewood. Also picked up some eye’s out off 8 mile island. Good luck and enjoy, great country!!!

Scott Friedman wrote:

I am also heading up on the 30th and staying at TBird. Bringing my dad and brothers up for some quality father/son time after he had a health scare. Would love any info for the area bc this is my first spring trip to Rainy. Targeting walley and smallmouth with hopes of some crappie for Dad. Thanks!!

I’d look into booking a guide for a half day at least, there’s a bunch of really solid guides that work Rainy and you’ll learn enough in that time to make the rest of your trip much more successful. If that’s not feasible there’s a ton of great structure right out from TBird that would be worth checking out. It’s still early and the water is cold, so I’d start shallow and work your way out. In deeper water lean on your electronics and only fish marks, there’s so much water if the structure looks good but there aren’t any marks you will be wasting a lot of time on unproductive spots.

Greetings.

Do any of you know the “general” water temps on Rainy right now? We haven’t had a very sunny/warm spring. Am headed for Rainy soon, and am hoping to find a few active and shallower water smallies for the younger fisherman in our group.

Thanks much!

Same here. Headed up in less than a week and trying to figure out what to gear for, cold and deep or warm and shallow, or… I know weather doesnt like it is going to cooperate to warm it much in the next few days.

Any updates on water temp and conditions would be appreciated.

Not knowing for sure I would guess low to mid 50’s.

That would be my guess too. What’s the magic number for shallow and active smallies? 60?

Just got back not much to report. Got up to Rainy on Saturday fished Cranberry bay pitching jigs and plastic to the shore that the wind was blowing into with rock. The walleye and smallie were biting. 18″ biggest smallmouth and 18″ to 23″ walleyes. Saturday night we were camping and it was cold! Sunday wind blowing and cold action was slow with occasional walleye showing up. Monday more cold and wind and not much action. Hope you do well and the weather straightens out.

What was the water temp over the weekend? I’m heading up middle of next week and wondering if the forecast this week will push it close to 60.

Thanks!

Water temps on kab and namakan were 50-53 on the main lake and 54-56 in the shallow bays over memorial weekend. It had only warmed up a degree or two from opener weekend.

@grubson, I appreciate your response. Temps you mention are a bit cooler than I expected. Looking forward to the trip north next week!

Timing may be pretty good, which usually doesn’t happen to me. I’m hopeful walleye and smallmouth may both be shallow.

I think you may hit it just right. I think a few warm days is what they needed last week . I found some smallies in spawning areas, but most were out on edges in 10-15ft near shallow flats. Walleyes were scattered some shallow, some deep. I think the shiner spawn is running behind this year as we didn’t see any in the shallows around the dock at night like we have the last few memorial weekends. If they move in, the walleyes are sure to be following.

We just finished being up there for a week, here’s the report. Keep in mind this is our first time fishing this lake. Fished The Sunday before Memorial Day and conditions were tough, highs were around 48 with light rain, we fished Black Bay and caught about 8 pike, 1 smallmouth and an 17.5″ walleye just casting and trolling rapalas and spinnerbaits. The reports had been excellent for LOTW so we trailed over there on Memorial Day and caught our limit of walleye and sauger by noon with 1 fish in the slot ,23″. Tuesday we again fished LOTW and had the same result, no slot fish this time largest fish was 18″. Wednesday brought bluebird skies and sunny conditions, the surface water in the lake was reading 55 and the back bays near 60. We fished the American side casting on the north side of islands on the shoreline. Caught 10 nice pike and a 23″ walleye. Also 2 smallmouth bass. Caught another 21″ walleye jigging on top of a hump in 30′ of water. Thursday went back to LOTW and again destroyed the sauger and walleye (over 40 fish caught) many small ones. 1 Real nice 26″ fish. Friday fished Rainy Lake again the American side. 6 smallmouth, largest 17″ fishing stickbaits on windward rocks, caught 6 pike. Fishing was slow. Was windy in the morning and as the wind stirred up the water the main lake water temp was 50 degrees, so still abit cold from what I gather. Talked to some folks who did much better on the Canadian side (30 fish) on Friday. But the consensus was slow fishing probably due to water temperature. Saw people Fishing with bobbers off the dock but no one was catching anything. The walleye bite was definitely off this past week. Talked with some folks who had been coming to Rainy for years and said it was off and that’s it usually a lot better. Hope this report helps.

Morning – we fished the Canadian side 29th thur the 2nd. I had a difficult time narrowing in on a consistent pattern for walleye this week. It was the slowest spring in 7 years for us (for walleye, pike were going crazy). Walleye were scattered in the shorelines and shallows. We were able to eat walleye each day for lunch so were not talking drastic conditions, but I personally landed maybe 7-9 over 23″ entire trip. Biggest 26.” That is pretty brutal for Canadian Rainy 4 days all day. Successful presentation 1/8th oz jigs with plastic or minnows, 3/16th oz jig in 15-23′ with minnows, DT 4 casting to shore. Ultimately we decided to move faster on shorelines. Heavy weight, single spinner tipped with minnow and just cover ground. We would pick off a Walleye every now and then, and were getting hammered by S.M. and Pike so at least was fun. Temps high 50’s low 60’s in bays.

Raptormaster wrote:

Morning – we fished the Canadian side 29th thur the 2nd. I had a difficult time narrowing in on a consistent pattern for walleye this week. It was the slowest spring in 7 years for us (for walleye, <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>pike were going crazy). Walleye were scattered in the shorelines and shallows. We were able to eat walleye each day for lunch so were not talking drastic conditions, but I personally landed maybe 7-9 over 23″ entire trip. Biggest 26.” That is pretty brutal for Canadian Rainy 4 days all day. Successful presentation 1/8th oz jigs with plastic or minnows, 3/16th oz jig in 15-23′ with minnows, DT 4 casting to shore. Ultimately we decided to move faster on shorelines. Heavy weight, single spinner tipped with minnow and just cover ground. We would pick off a Walleye every now and then, and were getting hammered by S.M. and <em class=”ido-tag-em”>Pike so at least was fun. Temps high 50’s low 60’s in bays.

Raptormaster wrote:

Morning – we fished the Canadian side 29th thur the 2nd. I had a difficult time narrowing in on a consistent pattern for walleye this week. It was the slowest spring in 7 years for us (for walleye, <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>pike were going crazy). Walleye were scattered in the shorelines and shallows. We were able to eat walleye each day for lunch so were not talking drastic conditions, but I personally landed maybe 7-9 over 23″ entire trip. Biggest 26.” That is pretty brutal for Canadian Rainy 4 days all day. Successful presentation 1/8th oz jigs with plastic or minnows, 3/16th oz jig in 15-23′ with minnows, DT 4 casting to shore. Ultimately we decided to move faster on shorelines. Heavy weight, single spinner tipped with minnow and just cover ground. We would pick off a Walleye every now and then, and were getting hammered by S.M. and <em class=”ido-tag-em”>Pike so at least was fun. Temps high 50’s low 60’s in bays.

Just got back from Rainy and my results were about the same, the flats was hot and cold as they were moving to bays with warmer water. Bass were super hot. The day before we left the Canadian bays near Kettle River got hot and everyone had a great day.
Did three shore lunch’s, fish for one supper and managed to bring home full limits. 27″ Walleye was largest with lots of low 20’s good eaters 16to 17 inches. No rain till last day. Cool most days.

Back in early July

We’re a couple days into our trip and this has been the slowest fishing I’ve ever had on Rainy. We haven’t been able to identify any type of consistent pattern, instead picking single fish off over shallow water, deep water, jerk baits, jigs, ripping raps, and Lindy’s with minnows. Last two days have been extremely hot, perhaps that killed the bite a bit. A few eaters bit nothing over 20″.

We’re a couple days into our trip and this has been the slowest fishing I’ve ever had on Rainy. We haven’t been able to identify any type of consistent pattern, instead picking single fish off over shallow water, deep water, jerk baits, jigs, ripping raps, and Lindy’s with minnows. Last two days have been extremely hot, perhaps that killed the bite a bit. A few eaters but nothing over 20″.