Rainy River

I need some help trying to figure out what licences I need to fish on the Canadian side on the Rainy River. I have a passport but wonder what exactly I need to be able to fish that side of the river. I am from Wisconsin. Thanks for the help.

Remote border crossing and a Canadian fishing license.

You need an outdoorsman card they last 3 years and a Ontario fishing license of your choice. I just paid for my new license last week online the. You just print it out. Let me find the link and I will send it over.

Here you go! Like I said if you don’t already have the outdoorsman card you will need that and it lasts 3 years just keep using it and purchasing just the license. Up to you on if you want a conservation of sport license and how long of one. I buy full season since I make 2-3 trips to Ontario each summer. Anyways here’s the link it’s very easy if you have any questions let me know.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/fishing-licence-non-residents-canada

And it is important to remember….no live minnows crossing the border and no alcohol possessed in boat. All border import rules apply, and I believe you are supposed to call in to US customs upon your returning. (That was per a US border agent, so I assume it is true)

FYI, sturgeon fishing is not allowed on the Canadian side.

There’s a handful of different laws required on the Canadian side. My buddy is a CO in international calls he was listing the. Off to me the other day you have to have flares and 100 feet of floatable role and a few other weird things to boot I’ll text him today and get the down low on it as well. One helpful thing I did ask him is do they follow the divider line down the river for US and Canada and he said no they just cut the river in half because there are spots where 80% of the river is US and some vise versa so he said they make it simple just stay on your half the water if you don’t have all the requirements for the Canadian side.

Timmy wrote:

And it is important to remember….no live minnows crossing the border and no alcohol possessed in boat. All border import rules apply, and I believe you are supposed to call in to US customs upon your returning. (That was per a US border agent, so I assume it is true)

The RABC (Remote Area Border Crossing) Permit allows a person to move over international borders waters without declaring each time. If you touch Canadian ground you are required to call in and declare yourself or obtain the I68 form. However if you are just crossing the border via water or ice no need to call and declare each time you cross into Canada.

I have had the RABC, non resident Ontario license, Ontario Outdoors card, and MN fishing license for the Rainy River trips. Have been checked by Immigration, Canadian MNR officers, and MN game wardens for the past 20+ seasons without issue. Never have booze in the boat while fishing, always have used either salted minnows or artificial baits.

Much easier to obtain these proper license than risk the fine. I have seen several boat seizures and talked with people who were fined for minnows and alcohol.

I plan on putting in on the Minnesota side but want to new able to fish wherever. What things do I need extra so the boat is legal? Someone said 100 ft of floatable rope and flares. What else to be legal would i need?

Ok I plan on putting my boat in on the Minnesota side but just want to be able to.fish wherever I want.

Thanks for the help

I’ve always heard it is like a $5 or $10 per live minnow fine, and no alcohol or that’s another fine. Any reason in particular you want to fish the Canada side? There’s always been plenty of water on the MN side and not being able to use live minnows is a deal breaker for me personally. Just my .02

I never use minnows anyway. Always plastics only. I just want to be able to drag long drags away from people.

F.Y.I., If you were planning on launching and staying on the Canadian side you wouldn’t need a RABC.

Edit: I just read further down that you were planning on launching U.S.,my bad.

BigWerm wrote:

Any reason in particular you want to fish the Canada side?

It’s not always clear where the line is. Some places its close to the Mn side, some place close to the CA side, some right down the middle. Don’t always assume the guy in a US boat is on the US side!

-J.

Just some questions. Can you have live minnows in the boat BUT not on the pole your are using? Or are live minnows not even allowed in the boat? What if you buy minnows in Canada and keep the receipt is that legal?

Thanks Cal – That is some good info.

My version of the rules came from a crane lake station guard – and we were returning via sled from fishing Ontario waters of la croix – so the “touching land” criteria was a given. We never addressed the issue of crossing in a boat and simply fishing without beaching and then returning. It has been told to us – at CA customs on sand point that even if we have RABC’s, we must still check through both countries customs if they are open. It was stated in no uncertain terms that if the customs office is open, the RABC is over ruled on that chain of lakes.

bowtecmike wrote:

There’s a handful of different laws required on the Canadian side. My buddy is a CO in international calls he was listing the. Off to me the other day you have to have flares and 100 feet of floatable role and a few other weird things to boot I’ll text him today and get the down low on it as well. One helpful thing I did ask him is do they follow the divider line down the river for US and Canada and he said no they just cut the river in half because there are spots where 80% of the river is US and some vise versa so he said they make it simple just stay on your half the water if you don’t have all the requirements for the Canadian side.

My understanding is that the equipment requirements are for boats registered in Canada. See link https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/debs-obs-quick-quick_visitor-1610.htm

mxskeeter wrote:

What if you buy minnows in Canada and keep the receipt is that legal?

I know you can’t buy minnows and take them into Canada. I assume that you can’t bring minnows into the states from the other side.

If this premise is true then the following would apply. yes, you can buy minnows in Canada, keep the receipt, launch in Canada, but not cross into the states with the bait. Same should be true in reverse.

Sorry, I’m better at going into Canada rules than back to the states.