It is a sight to see!  Imagine dozens of huge sturgeon reaching lengths of over 70 inches and some tipping the scales at over 1oo lbs. all in front of you in 1-3 feet of water.  Well, it is happening right now just eight miles east of Baudette at the Clementson Rapids of the Rapid River.

The Rapid River spills into the Rainy River and each year, good numbers of mature sturgeon make their way upstream as far as they can to spawn.  The sight for spectators is amazing.

Bryan “Beef” Sathre captured some amazing video and images this week of the sturgeon in the river.  These fish with prehistoric roots are a big hit with anglers on the Rainy River, doubling over the heaviest of fishing rods.

A sturgeon is often times the largest freshwater fish an angler will ever catch and the Rainy River is loaded with them.  The sturgeon population has taken off as has the average size of fish.  Getting some teeth into the Clean Water Act allowed the Rainy River to really clean up compared to the day of old.  Anglers from days past tell stories of fishing in the Rainy River, having to clean their line off every couple of minutes due to the pulp and other debris floating down from upstream.

Clean water has led to success with these massive fish spawning this time of year.

Another key factor was stopping commercial netting.  At one point in time, Lake of the Woods produced a good portion of the world’s caviar!

Sturgeon are a success story on the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods.  Anglers and people who love a conservation “feel good” story are happy about their success.  If you want to see this incredible fish up close and personal, now is the time to head to the Baudette area and check out the spawning sturgeon in the Clementson Rapids of the Rapid River eight miles east of Baudette.

 

Learn more about Sturgeon Fishing

Learn more about the Lake of the Woods area 

Lodging on the Rainy River, Baudette and Lake of the Woods