Author: Billy Dougherty

Yesterday was quite warm with a strong westerly wind. Rainy Llake is ice free from from Rainy Lake Houseboats dock all the way one mile east of Brule Narrows. Seine Bay, Bleak Bay, Little Grassy, Grassy Lake and Shoal Lake are open. One mile east of Bule Narrows there is a large ice pack blocking […]

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 of 10-20 mph. Tomorrow rain […]

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 […]

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 […]

Winter has definitely settled in on Rainy Lake.  A normal old-fashioned winter has taken hold. Unlike the rest of Minnesota we have snow and and plenty of it. Snowmobiling is excellent on both the groomed lake and land trails. Ice is as good as it has been in some time.  We have had some temperatures […]

May 31, 2012 was a day Joey Dougherty and John Peterson of Northland Fishing Tackle will never forget as long as they live. The stars were lined up creating potentially spectacular smallmouth fishing. Rainy Lakes ice went out in record fashion the first week of April. The ice had been out for fifty two days on […]

Phones are ringing and emails are coming in droves! There is definite excitement for the 2013 season.  Many of the calls are touching almost to the point of emotional for us.  Usually the first words are “I have been waiting since I left last spring to get back to Rainy Lake”. I am fortunate to […]

I have ordered a new guide boat for the coming season. For me boats are a lot like a very good hunting dog, you just hate to let them go. In this case, my 2004 2025 Lund Pro V IFS is not ready to be retired. My guide partner Jon Balaski will be running my […]

We gave the muskies a two day break and started out again Sunday morning in search of more muskies.

I know it is early but it is time to start thinking about next spring’s outdoor adventure. Rainy Lake Houseboats should be at the top of your list for your first fishing blast of the year. Wait one week after ice-out and you will experience the kind of fishing that you only hear about in […]