Rainy River or Rainy Lake?

My wife and I are planning to purchase a waterfront home in the Int’l Falls area to be used as a summer / retirement place. My main ambition is to live on a body of water with great fishing. I’m thinking either Rainy Lake or Rainy River. I especially like to fish for Northern Pike, but I the bottom line is that fishing is fishing, it’s all good. I’m looking at a place on the river in Loman. Is the river easy to travel on? I think I’d like to go to Rainy Lake a lot, and would prefer to just take the boat up the river. But, don’t know if there are lots of logs, rocks or other debris in the river. Is traveling 40+ mph on the river safe? If you were going to buy something with being surrounded by nature and great fishing as your desires, which would you choose? Is there a section of the river that has appreciably better fishing than another? All info that you feel I should know will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

The Rainy river can be tough to navigate when the water is low!I have taken a big boat from Ifalls down threw the Manitou Rapids ,it’s not bad if you are use to the river and know it.The river fishing can be really good ,I have caught some monster pike,sturgeon,and the walleye fishing is good.That being said I would pick the lake ,much more water and opportunity .I have been living here for 13 years now and fish both lake and river.The Canadian side of Rainy is under fished and the fishing is unbelievable at times.When you live here in the Falls,and fish Canada a lot ,you can get a remote border crossing pass and can go from the us to Canada via water and do not have to go through customs.I would take the lake hands down and trailer to the river.
BB2

Thanks for the info, that’s exactly the kind of assistance I’m hoping for. The boat I have now is a 17′ bass boat, so it’s not too large. Anyone else with an opinion, please post, but from what he said, it looks like I should focus on the lake.

Take the lake if you can afford it, more opportunities without trailing but will come at a price

Take the lake without a doubt. The river is amazing in spring and fall just trailer your boat over there during that time otherwise the lake will put produce the river all summer. Also that river has some very nasty spots to the east towards manitou Rapids. I just fished the rainy river classic out of Canada and in two days the winning weight was 16lbs on 8 fish it was terrible!!! And I saw 4 locals hit a log one did it with his bass boat at 65mph destroyed his motor and I know his hull can’t look good either. And these are locals that have lived in rainy river Ontario for 20-50years and know this river very well. I love that river at the right times of the year and I hate it on the wrong times for fishing and dangerous navigation!

Don’t believe you can travel from river to lake freely. The dam at int. Falls is stopping point. Agree with what has been said about navigating river.

Wow, thanks for the great info guys. The lake it it. I’ll be adding additional posts regarding the various areas on the lake that I find property. I’ll be asking your opinion on the fishing in those areas. I appreciate your help.