Hello,
Similar to the other thread just below this one I’m considering a trip to Rainy River this spring.
Just wondering – how busy does it get there in the spring? Does launching and loading require immense levels of patience? How long might be a typical wait to launch and load? Do you play bumper boats out on the water?
Or is it not that bad? I have some other questions too but they are mostly getting answered in the other thread.
Thanks!
Tucker
It depends on when you go, what time you launch, and how many accesses are open. If you go when only 2 or 3 accesses are open during a peak weekend and launch at 9 am, bring a thermos of coffee and a bike. Coffee while you wait your turn, and bike to get back to the landing after parking a mile+ away. If it’s open all the way to the lake, and Wheeler’s Point access is open it’s usually not too bad up river. And yes you will play bumper boats most likely, just don’t be the guy that drops anchor in an area 30 other boats are slipping the current.
just don’t be the guy that drops anchor in an area 30 other boats are slipping the current.
Idk. Drifting isn’t the “official” way to fish there. About 1/2 the time anchoring can be many times more effective than drifting. Spot lock is even better.
There are also plenty of other spots than the community holes too. No need to fish around 30 other boats.
Glad you added that gill. I guess part of my question should be how hard is it to avoid the heavy traffic and still be in a position to catch big fish?
Oh, and does showing up early save some of the boat landing hassle? How early is early enough? What about loading up? Does one guy have to sit out in the boat for a couple hours while another waits in line in the truck at the end of the day?
There are also plenty of other spots than the community holes too. No need to fish around 30 other boats.
Other spots like up near I-Falls? 
Other spots like up near I-Falls?
Definitely not. 
Idk. Drifting isn’t the “official” way to fish there. About 1/2 the time anchoring can be many times more effective than drifting. Spot lock is even better
Apparently you have a bad case of that seasonal affective disorder going around. 
Ignore everyone’s advice and listen to BigGill, you can add a 2 hour drive to your day and have 30 boats pissed at you!
In all seriousness there are times anchoring works better, casting perpendicular to the current, trolling cranks or dragging jigs upstream. But most people start by slipping the current vertical jigging, and often they find productive stretches of river that they will keep cycling through, when this happens and someone decides to drop anchor in the middle it messes it up for everyone else, and you will get some flack. Right, wrong or indifferent that is the truth in my experience. Also, you can get there before sunup and avoid most of the traffic. At the end of the day it’s tough to avoid unless you want to stay out well into the dark, or come in early, but guys are pretty efficient at loading up and it’s not a couple hour wait at the end of the day.
The river can be busy. The perfect storm is generally when the bite is on and there in only one open access. This hasn’t happened for years though. When these conditions occur you can expect there to be hour long waits in line, but for the most part I haven’t waited more than 15min in the past 5 yrs.
If you get to the access before sunrise there will be nearly no wait at all even if it’s busy. The worst time to get to the access is sunrise and the hour or so after.
The boat landings can get real slick, icy ,if I go again ,well bring some grit,
sand or something, to keep truck from slipping.
As far as “bumper boats” goes, I’d say this video shows what a nice spring weekend day looks like up there on many stretches of the river. Not too bad IMO. I’d say if you want to drop anchor, go for it. For me, don’t be the guy who comes flying down the river zig-zagging his way through the boats.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jYB8JmjXVI
-J.
If you get to the access before sunrise there will be nearly no wait at all even if it’s busy. The worst time to get to the access is sunrise and the hour or so after.
And leaving the water at sunset can be a cluster f too.
Three of us went last spring. Just go, find a bed where ever suits you. Accesses weren’t bad. It was busy, but not overwhelming. There’s boat clusters, but everyone seemed happy cause the fishing was good. There’s spots we fished away from crowds and it fishes bigger than pool 4 imo. I love netting fish, but got utterly exhausted doing it. Last year, from the fishing to the weather, it was light’s out. Don’t expect to see weather like that this year, but you never know if you don’t go. I like pool 4, but it’s nothing special compared to the rainy.
I’m sorry for being a Richard.
No worries! You weren’t wrong, we just both wanted to be righter 
I think we all agree with basseye’s here.
Just go, find a bed where ever suits you.
Don’t expect to see weather like that this year, but you never know if you don’t go. I like pool 4, but it’s nothing special compared to the rainy.
I love netting fish, but got utterly exhausted doing it.
Last year I refused to pull out the net for a fish under 22″. I probably used it a 100 times. No joke.
i just hope it opens in time this year,cant wait
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