Finding open water

[Downrigger]

Yep. Get to the ramps early. Maybe bring a bike. Not a lot of problems other than floating logs and ice chunks once on the water. Good luck

 

[Callem'In]

Been there many times and will be there next Friday. Pm me and I can give you some tips/ pointers.

 

[Achucker]

Anybody know how far south is open water on the river

 

[SDMF]

Anyone ever fished the rainy river? My first trip up there Headed up tomorrow any tips or something to watch out for would be appreciated.

Stay on the USA side of the river is probably the biggest thing someone who's never been there needs to know. Stray onto the Canada side and get checked/caught and it WILL ruin your trip and be an enormous pain in the backside. None of the folks from either USA nor Canada who are charged with enforcing border crossing have any sense of humor at all for folks not following the letter of the law.

Other than that, gold jigs, minnows, and pound the bottom vigorously with them.

 

[dean nelson]

Was out yesterday from merriweathers to tokache, trail is very much the same I used last year. We picked up 4 through the various spots, all were plain white lindy

How did you launch out of merriweathers there's still two feet of ice laying on the ramp?

As for where the river is open to, it's somewhere past the gun range. It's wide open there so probably approaching somwhere down around Hazleton. That said both there and the desert are still not cleared.

 

[Downrigger]

take her to nelson lake and stay on the south end.

thats what I'm going to do. I haven't cashed for a bass in years! Thanks!

 

[buckhunter24_7]

Stay on the USA side of the river is probably the biggest thing someone who's never been there needs to know. Stray onto the Canada side and get checked/caught and it WILL ruin your trip and be an enormous pain in the backside. None of the folks from either USA nor Canada who are charged with enforcing border crossing have any sense of humor at all for folks not following the letter of the law.

Other than that, gold jigs, minnows, and pound the bottom vigorously with them.

I just happened to ask the guy at the landing about if we had to stay on one side or not when we where unloading. We had a slow day and so did everyone else we talked to. (I'm sure someone did good though) I caught one 15 incher and lost a big one by the boat. Went west to the ice. sounded like yesterday (Wednesday) was a good day. Thanks for all the info everyone

- - - Updated - - -


Felt good to be out in the boat

 

[Hookin8easy]

How did you launch out of merriweathers there's still two feet of ice laying on the ramp?

As for where the river is open to, it's somewhere past the gun range. It's wide open there so probably approaching somwhere down around Hazleton. That said both there and the desert are still not cleared.

slid it right off the ice, loading was tricky though. Kidding, didn’t say I launched at merriweathers, was talking trail wise and where we were
throughout our travels

 

[rmiller]

Anybody know how far south is open water on the river

Went to get the boat out of storage south of huff on Wed. Ice was out till Eckroth, not the back water but the main channel was open. Ramps at little heart and Graner were pushed open but the docks were not in yet.

 

[dean nelson]

Ice line appears to be in the fort rice area for what it's worth. She's floating a fair bit of slush today so who knows how that will go. I'm curious why Bismarck cleared one ramp but not the other main ramp?

 

[NodakBuckeye]

Ice line appears to be in the fort rice area for what it's worth. She's floating a fair bit of slush today so who knows how that will go. I'm curious why Bismarck cleared one ramp but not the other main ramp?

You should call and ask! Kinda surprised they got you stumped.

 

[revolutionz]

Anyone else heading up to the Rainy this weekend? Got the new terrova on my boat, itching to get it in the water. Will be up there Sat-Tues/Wed depending on how the fishing is going. Supposed to warm up a bit again towards the end of the week. I'm starting to have withdrawls.

 

[Callem'In]

Yes, Friday to Sunday and staying at sportsmans lodge. Get a hold of me on Friday night and I will let you know how we did and where.

 

[revolutionz]

Yes, Friday to Sunday and staying at sportsmans lodge. Get a hold of me on Friday night and I will let you know how we did and where.

Have a friend of a friend up there right now, got up there yesterday. In their boat they caught 1 smaller one, and lost a bigger one at the boat and that was it all day. Another boat with them caught 2 26, 1 27, 1 28. They were fishing almost as far west as they could go near the ice. They were checked by the DNR coming off the water, and the DNR told them they've been having better luck heading east from birchdale, but didn't know/say how much farther east.

 

[Callem'In]

Thanks for the info!

 

[lipripper24]

Rainy River is starting to open up. Should only be another 10-days or so and there will be people fishing.

Rainy is open right now birchdale and frontier season closes on April 14 or 15