First time visiting Rainy Lake

Going up to Rainy lake for the first time. Staying at Thunderbird Lodge. Wondering places to go and not to go? Have a Alumacraft Trophy 18 with 175. Looking for the top 4 species. (Muskie, Pike, Walleye, Bass).

Canadian side for Muskie.
East end reefs for Walleye.
American Narrows for Pike.
Humps and reefs everywhere for Smallmouth.

Thank you very much, dutchboy. What is your opinion of Black Bay?

It seems like lately Black Bay has been super hit or miss. Hot one day bust the next. We usually stop and give it a shot on the way by. You really never know. It fishes like it’s a separate lake really. If you do go in there be prepared to sort through quite a few pike to get to the walleyes, saugers and crappies. We stopped on the way back to the cabin tonight and caught around 10 walleyes and a ton of smallish pike. As the seasons change it will only get better back there. Good luck and check back and let everyone know how you did.

for walleyes those huge flats by rockfish island would produce I bet. for smallies rock islands with points or weeds seemed to hold fish. good luck!

I have fished the east end from a houseboat about 7 times. Have been told and believe you pass a lot of fish on the way to the east end. Also, if the winds blowing, it can be a brutal ride in a tin boat. Had to make a semi emergency trip back to the dock on a beautiful windy day {18′ Alumacraft}. Think I was an inch shorter after the round trip. Always seemed going out, there were stretches of light fishing pressure, then it got more concentrated after The Brule again. It’s a good lake to hire can hire a guide for a day if you can swing it. So not to spend most of your trip figuring it out.
Muskie-Canada, walleye- shallow spring, reefs summer, smallmouth- anywhere there are rocks. Small pike shallow weeds, had luck steep drops and deeper rock for the bigger ones.
Have never fished Black Bay. But mostly hear it’s an ice out thru spawn crappie spot. And it’s very shallow with big prop eating rocks. If you are going in the fall it will be a great trip. Fish will be a bonus.

Thank you all for the advice. Very much appreciate it

stevenoak wrote:

It’s a good lake to hire can hire a guide for a day if you can swing it. So not to spend most of your trip figuring it out.

This! Wish I had done that for this last weekend on Kab. Got my ass handed to me and ended up taking home one single sauger. Sorry I can’t be more help other than I found out the people doing well on Kab right now were trolling lead.

Well I took some of the guy’s advice and hired a guide. Bruce Jean was his name and was a fantastic guide. Even helped me with a problem with my trolling motor the day after I hired him. Got lots of walleyes.
After that the wife and I caught lots of fish. Not use to catching that many fish and a rock.

Bruce was a very good choice.

Glad you had a good trip.