My brother and I will be Walleye fishing for the first time and have a house boat rented in mid-August on Rainey Lake. I’ve been told that the fishing is better on the Canadian side. If this is correct we need to get busy obtaining RABC, outdoor permit and non-resident fishing license. Any thought on quality of fishing — US vs Canada.
Thanks.
For what you are spending for the trip getting the Canadian stuff is cheap. I have no opinion on the quality of fishing on either side. At least one I would share. 
You probably cannot take the rental houseboat across the border as it would have to comply with all the Canadian rules on watercraft and you cannot camp on crown land etc without using an outfitter. I would call the house boat place right away if that is in your plans.
Rainy lake houseboats has a FAQ about what you need to do to take the houseboat or your fishing boat into Canada
I haven’t fished the Canadian side, so it could be a world of difference and I wouldn’t know…HOWEVER, the US side has more structure and “fishy” spots than you could fish in a lifetime, and we have always done alright to very good. You would be better off getting a guide through RLHB the first day of your trip and they will get you pointed in the right direction for the rest of your trip.
If you are interested in history see if you can hire Mike Williams. He has been on Rainy forever. If he can’t get you on fish they have all left the lake. 
I love fishing the Canadian side just for the fact that the pressure is about 1/4 of the US side, if that. The only issues, if you want to call them that, are the bait restrictions and no beer in the boat. Bait usually isn’t a problem in August because the walleyes are on a worm bite or you’d be throwing artificial for smallies.
If you are interested in history see if you can hire Mike Williams. He has been on Rainy forever. If he can’t get you on fish they have all left the lake. 
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Hired Mike this spring, he’s worth every penny and then some.
I’ve only fished the Canadian side si I can’t comment on thaf. But boat traffic is much less on the Canadian side. If you plan to cross the border by boat you will need an I68 from the US border patrol office and a RABC from the Canadian government. You can get a RABC at the Fort Francis border patrol office or by mail. I68 you have to show up in person. Make sure you check the Ontario regulations on your boat. If stopped by the Canadian conservation officer or border patrol they check everything out. Right down to having an oar in the boat. No live bait can be taken across and no beer or alcohol i the boat. Save yourself some money and purchase a conservation liscense for your trip to Rainy. The only difference is that the possession limit is 2 instead of 4.
Enjoy your trip!!!
No live bait can be taken across and no beer or alcohol i the boat.
You can bring crawlers provided they are in bedding and not dirt.
We were there in August 2 years ago, no need to fish Canada side. We were on a houseboat too south of the narrows and fishing the reefs 20-30′. the group did well, lots of 22-24″ and slot fish too. Canada side is pretty but for us we didn’t so so well , only there for 4 hours. A chip for the GPS really cut down time to find and work the reefs.
like the man said, no livebait or alcohol.
you’ll have a blast
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