For most anglers, crappie fishing can be difficult on Rainy Lake with the exception of the spring spawn. There are plenty of crappie in the lake, but they can be hard to find when they go deeper.
Rainy Lake in the Spring
| Month | Avg. Air Temps °F Highs | Avg. Air Temps °F Lows |
| March | 34° | 15° |
| April | 50° | 29° |
| May | 66° | 42° |
The spring is the easiest time to find good numbers of crappie on Rainy Lake. Anglers will find good numbers of crappie in the bays as they move into spawn. During pre-spawn, you can usually find some schools of crappie in deeper water near the points that lead into the bays. Once the spawn is in full swing, you can catch good numbers of quality crappie in the shallows around rocks, wood and vegetation
Rainy Lake in the Summer
| Month | Avg. Air Temps °F Highs | Avg. Air Temps °F Lows |
| June | 73° | 52° |
| July | 78° | 57° |
| August | 75° | 54° |
In the summer, crappie can be very hit or miss on Rainy Lake. They will usually school up out in deeper water. You may find them close to main lake structure, however these fish will also be found suspended just roaming the deeper waters of the main lake basin. It can be quite difficult to find these open water fish, but if you have good electronics and you’re willing to spend some time searching for them, the fishing can be very good if you find the right school of crappie.
Rainy Lake in the Fall
| Month | Avg. Air Temps °F Highs | Avg. Air Temps °F Lows |
| September | 64° | 45° |
| October | 51° | 35° |
| November | 32° | 20° |
In the fall, crappie can usually be found in the same spots that you find them throughout the summer. The big difference in the fall is that you may find some fish moving back into the shallows as they chase schools of minnows and the schools in deeper water can hold very large numbers of fish. Some anglers report catching a lot of big crappie when they find these schools of them in the fall.
Fishing Rainy Lake in the Winter (Ice Fishing)
| Month | Avg. Air Temps °F Highs | Avg. Air Temps °F Lows |
| December | 18° | 2° |
| January | 13° | -5° |
| February | 20° | 1° |
Ice fishing is popular on Rainy Lake, however there are less outfitters available to help you through the ice than during the summer. Most anglers will consistently catch northern pike and walleye on Rainy Lake through the ice, but the crappie fishing can be very good if you can find them.
More Tips
Use Your Electronics
Make sure you use good electronics to help you find crappie in deeper water. Use your boat to move around until you find schools of bait fish. Crappie can usually be found near these schools of bait fish in deeper water. Keep moving around until you find them and when you do, stay on them as long as you can.
Catch Big Crappie on Rainy Lake
If you look at the trap netting results on the Minnesota DNR website, you will be shocked at how many big crappie they captured in the 12 to 14 inch range. There are a lot of big crappie on the Canadian side of Rainy Lake as well. They may not always be easy to find, but when you do find them, it is possible to catch some very big crappie.
