Rainy Lake is the largest lake in Voyageurs National Park, composing around 227,000 acres. It is the third largest lake in Minnesota and the fifth largest inland lake in Ontario (excluding the Great Lakes). Rainy Lake has more than 1,850 miles of shoreline.
Rainy Lake is one of Minnesota’s top angling destinations. Fishing options include walleye, smallmouth bass and northern pike. In the winter, ice fishing on Rainy Lake is a popular choice. The cold weather brings thick ice and hundreds of ice shanties dotting the lake. Locals also enjoy tip up fishing too. Northern pike, walleye and crappie are sought after.
Rainy Lake Visitor Center
The Rainy Lake Visitor Center sits 11 miles east of International Falls on Highway 11 at the southwest end of Rainy Lake. There is a free public boat launch as well as in the winter access to the Rainy Lake Ice Road for cars. It is on the shore of Black Bay with views to the Kabetogama Peninsula. Visitors can watch the park film, shop at the bookstore, ask rangers questions, or enjoy the exhibits and displays. There are a number of guided boat tours and ranger programs here in the summer. The visitor center is open year round but the hours vary.
The Voyageur boat tour departs from the Visitor Center docks for guided trips around the national park. There is a discovery cruise to orient visitors, the Grand Tour which stops at the Little American Island Gold Mine for a hike and the full day Kettle Falls Cruise to the east end of Rainy Lake.
The Rainy Lake Ice Road is a 7 mile road from the Rainy Lake Visitor Center boat launch ramp to either Cranberry Bay or Dryweed Island in the winter. Because of the cold temperatures in the area, the ice gets thick enough to drive on for months. The ice road has been in operation in the winter since the mid-1990s. The ice must be at least 12 inches thick for cars to be allowed on the lake by the park service.
Little American Island
This island is located in Rainy Lake north of the visitor center and is of historical significance because gold was discovered here in 1893. The Little American Mine on the island was running the next year and the discovery of gold kicked off the founding of Rainy Lake City. The gold rush ended by the turn of the century. The picture above shows the remains of the hoist house mechanism from the mine. The island is a stop on the Voyageurs National Park Grand Tour. The island contains the remains of the largest and most successful gold mine on Rainy Lake. There is a 1/4 mile hiking trail, a bridge over the adit, several historical signs and an overlook of the lake.
International Falls
This Minnesota city has a population of around 6500 and has the nickname “Icebox of the Nation” due to the number of days where the high temperature does not exceed freezing.
The sits across the Rainy River from Fort Frances, Canada. The cities are connected by a bridge. Similar to Kettle Falls, a dam was built here on the Rainy River by the Minnesota and Ontario Paper Company to facilitate power for the company’s mills. Rainy River flows to the west/northwest out of Rainy Lake on its way to Lake of the Woods and Hudson Bay.
Falls International Airport (INL) provides daily commercial flights to Minneapolis/St Paul International Airport. Delta and Skywest serve the airport. Avis offers car rentals on-site. The airport also has free parking and free wifi.