Cottages For Sale in Rainy River & Fort Frances

Buying a cottage in Rainy River & Fort Frances

Rainy Lake sits on the border east of Fort Frances, with more than 2,200 islands, most of them on the Canadian side. Its outflow, the Rainy River, runs west along the Minnesota line to the south end of Lake of the Woods. Along the river the land opens up into fields and cattle country around Emo, a change from the rock and pine found elsewhere in the northwest. To the east, Atikokan is the gateway to Quetico Provincial Park and a long list of drive-to lakes.

Highway 11 is the main road. It runs east from Fort Frances over the Noden Causeway on Rainy Lake to Atikokan and Thunder Bay, and west along the river to the town of Rainy River. Highway 71 starts at the Fort Frances bridge and later turns north toward Nestor Falls and Kenora. Fort Frances is about 3.5 hours from Thunder Bay, 4 hours from Winnipeg and 6 hours from Minneapolis. Falls International Airport, across the bridge in Minnesota, has Delta flights to Minneapolis.

Rainy Lake is known for smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike and crappie, and Fort Frances hosts the Canadian Bass Championship every July. On the Rainy River, walleye fishing is best in spring and fall, and the river holds lake sturgeon. Winters bring ice fishing, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. More than 95 per cent of Northern Ontario is Crown land. Rainy Lake set a record high in June 2022, so ask about flood history on any shoreline property.

Getting there: About 4 hours from Winnipeg; 19+ hours from Toronto.

• Rainy Lake
• Smallmouth bass
• Minnesota border
• Rainy River walleye
• Quetico gateway
• Farm country