Winnipeg River – Minaki

About this water

Big, moving Shield river water with excellent walleye and smallmouth fishing, trophy muskie potential and a protected lake sturgeon population.

Fast-flowing river system draining Lake of the Woods, with rapids, deep channels and rocky islands. Strong current in the narrows. FMZ 5.

FMZ 5 regulations — Northwest Ontario — Sunset Country & Rainy River

A 44,360 km² zone in northwest Ontario with about 5,000 lakes. It stretches west to the Manitoba border, borders Quetico Provincial Park on the east, ends at the Minnesota border to the south and reaches north to Highway 17 and the Canadian National Railway.

• Walleye: check for border-water reciprocal rules with Minnesota.
• Smallmouth bass: fourth Saturday in June opener; S-4/C-2 (one over 46 cm).
• Sturgeon: catch-and-release only in most Rainy River tributaries.

Zone check: FMZ 5 confirmed from this water's coordinates against the official Ontario zone boundaries (reviewed 2026-08-12).

Summary only — always confirm current seasons and limits on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 5 page before your trip.

Seasonal availability

Open-season windows for the species found at Winnipeg River – Minaki, taken from the FMZ 5 regulation summary. Green months are within a published open season — they are not a prediction of how well fish will bite.

No FMZ 5 season line published in our summary for: Muskie. Check the official page before keeping these species.

Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 5 page before your trip.

Fishing tips

• Border waters have unique reciprocal licence rules — read the Ontario summary carefully.
• Rainy River sturgeon requires heavy tackle and single hooks per regulation.
• Anchor above the current seams and pitch jigs downstream. Lake sturgeon are protected in most of this system — release any you hook without lifting them from the water.
• Access: Free public lot at the launch.

Gear setup

Setup:

Medium spinning for walleye; heavy casting for muskie

Rod:

7' medium spinning rod; 8'6" heavy muskie rod

Reel:

Size 3000 spinning; 300-size baitcaster

Line:

10 lb braid; 80 lb braid with heavy leader for muskie

Best bait:

Minnows, Leeches, Worms

Best lures:

Jig & minnow, Tube jig, Bucktail, Crankbait