What is There to do on a Rainy Lake Houseboat in the Summertime?

We answer this question a lot and in many different ways. My favorite thing to do is capture the many enchanting images and moods that Rainy Lake provides. Do you ever look at something and say" I wish I could have that picture. You can.

Todays photographer whether amateur or pro has it easier than we used to. Digital picture taking allows us to take many different photos and experiment without a whole lot of expense. You can shoot a shot and check it immediately, change your exposure, shoot it again and notice the change for bad, good, or no discernible change at all.

Most cameras have different symbols to set your exposures with. Usually there is a dial with symbols, a head for a portrait, mountains for scenery, flowers for a macro shot, a runner for action or speed, stars for night etc. It amazing what you can do with a point in shoot camera. 

SLR 35 MM digital allow you to use multiple lenses, manually change apertures and shutter speeds, take multiple shots and even video.

Rainy Lake provides a never ending change of scenery and moods. I like to shoot in the early morning hours and evenings. Lighting is softer and colors stand out.

Sunrise shot with tripod                                                                                                Billy Dougherty

Billy Dougherty

Shot in macro mode on a houseboat mooring site beach during the fall color period 

Depth of field exposure 1/100 shuttter speed 5.6 f/stop                                           Billy Dougherty

Chance shot by Joey Dougherty. Driving up river to fish muskies. Joey grabbed camera and shot while boat was moving. Sunrise, geese to left of sun!

Billy Dougherty

Billy Dougherty

Billy Dougherty

Rainy Lake will never disappoint you, there is something for every one to do. Shooting pictures is something any one can do. There is still time for you to take your Rainy Lake Houseboat getaway. Call us anytime for information or reservations 1-800-554-9188 or email us at info@rainylakehouseboats.com 

Tuesday May 13, 2013 Ice Out Conditions

What a difference a few hours make. The first picture is Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM. The second is 4:30 PM. We started out with sunny cool weather. It turned to rainy, cold, and windy, then sunny and 65 in mid afternoon.

The next pictures are out on the lake, I was test driving our rental fishing boats. The north side of Dryweed Island all the way up to the beautiful beach ob Sand Point Island.

The next is looking east towards Bushyhead Island. Bushyhead is the second island from the left of the four smaller islands. Ice was out well beyond the island.

The last is a picture of one of our pair of loons that have nested every year since I can remember. 

Monday May 13 Ice Conditions

75 % of our bay is ice free. Houseboats are going in the water as I write. Black Bay, Sha-Sha, and Islandview areas are all free of ice. Main lake and Sand Bay still a mix of ice sheets and open water.

Temperatures forecasted today are 62-67 degrees with south winds 10-20 mph. Tomorrow rain 78-83 degrees  wind SE 10-15 mph. Wednesday 72-77 degrees, west winds 10-15 mph. hAll ice should be gone by Wednesday evening. The res t of the week temperatures will be 70 degrees or above thru Friday.

Walleyes watch out the troops are coming.

6:00 AM Monday May 13, 2013

Tuesday Ice Movement

Tilson Bay at 5:30 PM Tuesday May 7th. Ice is going fast.

Black Bay going out fast, shot from Sha-Sha

Compared to yesterday lots of ice is gone!

Rainy Lake Ice Out 2013

Well we have had the winter that just won’t end like the rest of the Midwest. Spring has arrived, we had good rains on Saturday, and temperatures are going to hit the high 60’s to 70 degrees today. Sand Bay is about 25% open basically from Ranier to Birch Point, the Sha-Sha- area is also open.

Ice out is official on Rainy Lake when you can drive a boat from Ranier to Kettle Falls. Many areas of the lake will be open before official ice out. I look for total ice out to be May 17^th.

There will be areas to fish this Saturday, Sand Bay, Rainier Bridge to the boom logs by the paper mill, and the Shah-Sha area. The boat landing in Ranier is ice free as well as the Pat Roche Landing by Second Bridge and Voyageurs National Park Headquarters.

I have included pictures shot today of the Tilson Bay and Sha-Sha areas. I will update again on Wednesday.  Check out the fishing blog for fishing info with a focus on where the fish will be on on May 18^th. This is when the first batch of houseboats leave the dock.

The area we launch our houseboats. First ones will be in Thursday.

Tilson Bay wood ducks

Tilson Bay

Sha- Sha

I am out side doing this post and one of the best sounds you get to hear at ice out is happening as I write. A ruffed grouse is drumming on a log right across from my house. 

Spring is Here?

We have just started our last sport show left this winter, the Minneapolis Northwest Sport Show Thursday March 21 – Sunday March 24. It has been an excellent year for reservations. Of course there is usually a spot for you, just stop and see Tom and Joey Dougherty during the show, they were busy a beaver yesterday. You can’t play golf so you might as well come and check out summer fun!

The first day of spring was Wednesday March 20^th, as I look out over our bay there is absolutely no sign of that thing called spring, last year at this time it was 80 degrees and we were getting our fishing boats ready for an early, early spring. Not this year. I believe ice out will be around May 7^th.  May 7^th is not late more in line with normal ice out over the past 50 years.

Last year was the year of the drought. The drought has ended. During the middle of November we received a fair amount of rain that replenished our swamps, beaver dams, and lowlands. We have plenty of snow, now we need spring to show up and we will be on our way to another fabulous season on Rainy Lake. The Rainy Lake basin is a remarkable eco system. The four seasons of the year are extremely important to its health and vitality.  Consider Rainy Lake and it’s surroundings renewed.

Wednesday March 19, 2013

My predictions for the May fishing season are; Kettle River will be hotter than a pistol, Kempton Channel and Hitchcock Bay not far behind. The bays will hold there normal bevy of large pike and walleyes.  On the Ontario side Seine River will enjoy hey days once again.  There will be current and current draws walleyes!

June is going to be incredible. June historically provides the best shallow water fishing of the year. Walleyes, smallmouth bass, crappies, and northern will spend the whole month using the bays and current areas. Last year everything was accelerated, water warming up so fast that normal stages of the fishing season passed by in a few days rather than a couple weeks. This year Rainy Lake will go through much more normal progressions of pre spawn, spawn, post spawn, early summer, and peak summer fishing. 

Summer is coming!

We'll see you soon!

  

Fabulous Finish to our Fall Trip Part 3

While laying in bed waiting to fall asleep (you don’t have to wait long with all the fresh air) I though what can tomorrow possibly bring? We have had two spectacular days in a row what can…

I woke early thinking it might be another early morning of good camera light, coffee, and an excursion to a close bay for fall colors. Rick was up too and decided to join me. We drove a couple hundred yards and put my MinnKota trolling motor down and probed our way into a bay that had a couple different inlets, a creek with a beaver dam and just started admiring the beauty.  The rising soft sun was just turning the landscape into an absolute heaven.

  

Rick and I returned to the Lady of the Lake and breakfast was waiting; how sweet! We left the houseboat to do some more fishing, and the weather was still incredible. Low and behold the Vikings game came on the radio.  I was not long before we decided to go in and have a little Rainy Lake tailgate party.

More fun; the Vikings pulled off a 20-13 victory over the Detroit Lions. We hung out a while longer enjoying the beach and nature before we pulled out for a new location on our last night. A very tranquil frog showed up in the shallow water right next to the Lady of the Lake. He (or she) wanted to be a star! I don't know who was more relaxed Jon Hakala or the frog.

  

The lines were undone, the Lund Pro V’s were tied on and we were off for another cruise, this time back toward Rainy Lake Houseboat's base.  My thought was to cruise down Kempton Channel, back through Brule Narrows and find a nice spot to moor on our last night.

Kempton Channel

We found a perfect spot to spend our last night together. The location was absolutely perfect, we would have a sunset on the west side of the houseboat and a full moon rise on the east side of the boat and both of them occurring almost simultaneously. How often does that happen?

 Incredible sunsets on the west side of the houseboat!

Tremendous full moon rise for our last hight on Rainy Lake.

People decide to go on a houseboat trip for a wide variety of reasons, a family outing, a gathering of friends or family, a getaway with your loved one, a fishing trip, a bachelor or bachelorette party, and many others. We gathered to celebrate a lost friends life, Guy LaFrance.  We left port with an air of sadness, and loss. Gathering with friends and talking about Guy, laughing at many of the stories, and remembering what a great person Guy was has helped ease the pain.  We are grateful for the friendships and realize how important it is to keep friendships alive. Our friendships with Pat, Rick and Jon go back forty-five and fifty years. Cathie and I are very thankful and lucky to have those relationships. We miss you Guy!