Rainy Lake fishing for Walleye and houseboat vacation in Voyageurs National Park Minnesota.

Rainy Lake and Voyageurs National Park offer some of the best wilderness scenery, fishing opportunities and remoteness in the whole United States. A houseboat is the perfect way to explore the miles and miles of unspoiled shoreline and bays on the crystal clear waters of Rainy Lake.

Your hosts, the Dougherty family of Rainy Lake Houseboats say “Welcome Aboard” to a wonderful wilderness Rainy Lake houseboat,

adventure. Our family has been providing guests with wonderful vacations since 1918 in the famous Rainy Lake country. In 1971 our United States Congress found the Rainy Lake country to be so special that they made this one of the country’s 54 national parks. The Dougherty family invites you to embark on a wilderness journey you will never forget.

Fishing Rainy Lake
Rainy Lake is a Fisherman's dream come true. The walleye fishing has exploded! With the huge increases in walleye populations, it has unquestionably become Voyageurs National Park’s best fishing lake. Few lakes in the world can offer walleyes, northern pike, the finest in smallmouth bass, crappies and muskies for your fishing experience. There is no slow time during the year on Rainy Lake, and the fish bite readily on both live and artificial baits.

With the stable spring water levels, the action starts with a bang in May and continues through the whole season. Walleyes start biting in the shallow bays, and in late June many move toward the numerous sunken islands found throughout Rainy Lake. Early Rainy Lake Minnesota, Minnesota fishing

season northern pike fishing is also spectacular. Northern pike cruise the warming shallow bays looking for that tasty bait presentation. This is a great opportunity to catch that trophy northern pike! We do ask that you practice catch and release for these trophy water wolves of the north.

The smallmouth bass fishery is truly magnificent! Rainy Lake is one of the top five lakes in the world for smallmouth bass. Whether it’s fly rod, spinning gear, or live bait the action is good from mid-May through September, with some of the giants caught during the fall color season. Taking Rainy Lake’s incredible wilderness beauty into account and it easily becomes the world’s finest smallmouth lake.

With variety like this you can see how Rainy Lake’s 1,500 miles of shoreline and 1,200 islands provide an unending supply of angling opportunities. Guides are available to help you get acquainted with the world-class fishing available literally from the front door of a Rainy Lake Houseboat.

Rainy Lake Fishing Guides
We have guides available. Our guides are dedicated fishermen and are equipped with the most modern electronic equipment. Request for guides should be made with your reservation or at least two weeks in advance to assure availability. Guides are independent contractors. If this is your first houseboating venture, a spot guide is recommended for the first day. Fishing guides are $255 per day plus fuel, bait and tackle. Spot guide costs vary according to length of spot trip.

Living Quarters
All Rainy Lake Houseboats are completely furnished for your comfort. Spacious living quarters feature a couch, table and comfortable easy chairs. The boats are fully carpeted and the modern gallery is designed for easy, efficient meal preparation. The self-contained bathroom has a shower and a completely pollution-free waste holding system. Plenty of fresh water is provided. All beds are inner spring mattress beds and the northern lights are a perfect restful sleep.

Rainy Lake Houseboats
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