Catch Lots of Walleye
If you want to catch a lot of walleye, come to the Rainy River during the peak of the spring or fall runs. The spring is better, but the fall can be great as well. Anglers report huge days of 50 to 100 walleye per boat in a day of fishing when the bite is good. There are bad days here as well if you don’t time it right, so it isn’t always easy. Time it right though and you can catch a lot of walleye.
Catch Big Walleye
The Rainy River is home to some of the biggest walleye in the state of Minnesota. You won’t always catch a big fish here, but if you come here during the spring and spend a couple of days fishing with slightly bigger baits, your chances are very good. Walleye up to and above 10 pounds are possible here. The fall provides some very good fishing for big walleye as well, but you may have to put a little more time on the water to find the big ones in the fall.
Spring Walleye Run
The spring walleye run is what most people think of when they hear Rainy River. The spring run can be flat out awesome, however, it occurs early in the year and you will most likely have to deal with some things most people would prefer not to deal with.
Lots of People
The spring walleye run is not a secret and the rest of the state of Minnesota has its walleye fishing season closed during the spring walleye run on the Rainy River. For all the people that are itching to get out and catch some walleye, they only have one good option to fish and it’s to make a trip up to the Rainy River. You will have lots of people up there. You will have to deal with some people that have problems launching their boat. You may have to deal with people over crowding you on the river. If you don’t like being around a lot of other boaters, this may not be for you. If you don’t mind the crowds, the fishing can be lights out.
Freezing Temperatures Can Make the Boat Launches Dangerous
With below freezing temperatures and water coming up onto the boat ramps, water can freeze on the ramps, which can be really dangerous. We have heard of anglers bringing bags of salt and sand just to play it safe. All it takes is a few anglers to have some salt and sand on hand and the ramps become a lot safer for everyone.
Fall Walleye Run
The fall run is not as good in terms of the numbers of walleye that enter the river, however, a lot of walleye still do move into the river. The shiners move into the river in huge schools and this brings the walleye in with them. You are still going to deal with some cold temperatures and lots of people, however, it’s not as crazy as the spring for sure. You can still catch a lot of fish and run into some very big fish, but don’t expect it to be as awesome as the peak days of the spring run.
Best Baits for Walleye
Walleye eat a variety of different baits, however, when push comes to shove, it is much easier to catch them with live baits. Minnows, nightcrawlers and leeches are definitely the best live baits for walleye.
While most anglers will just use live baits, many anglers will also target walleye with lures as well. Crankbaits and soft plastics are the best lures for walleye, however, you can catch walleye with a variety of different lures.
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Best Rigs for Walleye
When targeting walleye, there are many different rigs that you can use to catch them. While most anglers will keep it super simple and just use a simple jighead, many anglers will use a variety of rigs such as spinner rigs, 3 way rigs, bottom bouncers, drop shot rigs and many others.
To learn more, take a look at our best rigs for walleye page.
Best Techniques for Walleye
Jigging is by far the most popular technique for walleye fishing, however, you can catch them a variety of different ways. Casting, trolling and drifting are some of the other awesome techniques that anglers use.
To learn more, take a look at our best techniques for walleye page.
Learn More About Walleye
Our walleye fishing section has tons of tips on the best lures, live baits, where to catch them and how to catch them.
Visit our walleye fishing website to learn more.
