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Rainy Lake sits in Minnesota and is classified as a lake. At around 227,604 acres (about 356 square miles), it is a very large waterbody. Below you will find an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. If you are planning a trip, Kabetogama Lake are also nearby. Check the hourly forecast and activity outlook below before heading out to Rainy Lake.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 11, 1:03 AM CDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Good (84/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Sailing (88/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 94/100 across these hours. Wind 5 mph from the northwest. Dawn hours (07:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 69° | 67° | 66° | 63° | 61° | 60° | 58° | 57° | 60° | 64° | 64° | 67° | 67° | 67° | 67° | 67° | 65° | 65° | 61° | 56° | 56° | 56° | 54° | 52° |
| Wind (kts) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Direction | S | SW | SW | SW | W | NW | NW | NW | NW | NW | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE |
| Gusts (kts) | 18 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
| Precip % | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 5% | 5% | 11% | 18% | 24% | 33% | 41% | 49% | 48% | 46% | 44% | 45% | 46% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, 1 AM CDT | 69°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 21 mph | 1% | 20% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 2 AM CDT | 67°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 18 mph | 1% | 4% | Clear |
| Sun, 3 AM CDT | 66°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 17 mph | 1% | 3% | Clear |
| Sun, 4 AM CDT | 63°F | 5 mph SW (225°) | 15 mph | 1% | 10% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 5 AM CDT | 61°F | 5 mph W (270°) | 14 mph | 1% | 6% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 6 AM CDT | 60°F | 5 mph NW (315°) | 13 mph | 1% | 41% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 7 AM CDT | 58°F | 5 mph NW (315°) | 13 mph | 1% | 35% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 8 AM CDT | 57°F | 5 mph NW (315°) | 13 mph | 2% | 43% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 9 AM CDT | 60°F | 5 mph NW (315°) | 14 mph | 3% | 45% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 10 AM CDT | 64°F | 10 mph NW (315°) | 14 mph | 4% | 55% | Partly Sunny |
| Sun, 11 AM CDT | 64°F | 10 mph N (0°) | 15 mph | 4% | 73% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sun, 12 PM CDT | 67°F | 10 mph N (0°) | 16 mph | 5% | 73% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sun, 1 PM CDT | 67°F | 10 mph N (0°) | 16 mph | 5% | 71% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sun, 2 PM CDT | 67°F | 10 mph N (0°) | 16 mph | 11% | 82% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sun, 3 PM CDT | 67°F | 10 mph N (0°) | 16 mph | 18% | 86% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 4 PM CDT | 67°F | 10 mph N (0°) | 16 mph | 24% | 82% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 5 PM CDT | 65°F | 10 mph N (0°) | 17 mph | 33% | 89% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 6 PM CDT | 65°F | 10 mph NE (45°) | 18 mph | 41% | 90% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 7 PM CDT | 61°F | 15 mph NE (45°) | 18 mph | 49% | 88% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 8 PM CDT | 56°F | 15 mph NE (45°) | 20 mph | 48% | 94% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 9 PM CDT | 56°F | 15 mph NE (45°) | 20 mph | 46% | 91% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 10 PM CDT | 56°F | 15 mph NE (45°) | 21 mph | 44% | 93% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 11 PM CDT | 54°F | 15 mph NE (45°) | 20 mph | 45% | 96% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 12 AM CDT | 52°F | 15 mph NE (45°) | 20 mph | 46% | 95% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 1 AM CDT | 50°F | 10 mph NE (45°) | 20 mph | 47% | 95% | Chance Rain Showers |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Overnight October 11, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 | Friday October 16, 2026 | Friday Night October 16, 2026 | Saturday October 17, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 57° | 67° | 43° | 54° | 38° | 50° | 38° | 55° | 36° | 55° | 35° | 48° | 29° | 51° |
| Wind | SW 5 to 10 mph | N 5 to 10 mph | NE 10 to 15 mph | NE 10 to 15 mph | NE 5 to 10 mph | N 5 mph | W 5 mph | NW 5 mph | E 5 mph | S 5 to 10 mph | W 10 to 25 mph | NW 15 to 30 mph | NW 10 to 15 mph | W 10 mph |
| Gusts | 25 mph | 20 mph | 25 mph | 25 mph | 20 mph | 12 mph | 12 mph | 13 mph | 12 mph | 25 mph | 35 mph | 32 mph | 25 mph | 20 mph |
| Precip % | 1% | 33% | 50% | 64% | 85% | 54% | 6% | 6% | 12% | 45% | 45% | 36% | 22% | 1% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Rainy Lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Good for fishing (85/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the south. 1% chance of precipitation. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for boating (82/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 10 mph from the south. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for sailing (88/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the S is in the preferred sailing range. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Good for kayaking (82/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the south. No active official alerts for this lake. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of MN Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Anchored in the heart of MN, Rainy Lake serves as a central hub for boating excursions, weekend camping, and sport fishing. The lake features varied bottom contours and shoreline cover that support diverse aquatic life. Launch ramps and recreational amenities are overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) is required for anglers age 16+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Current motorized watercraft registration mandatory. Practice Clean, Drain & Dry protocols: drain all livewells and inspect props before launching. Life jackets required for all passengers.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Walleye, Black Crappie. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Northern cold winter conditions with freezing air temperatures and potential surface ice formation. Ramps and water systems may be winterized. Confirm open status before visiting.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Rainy Lake is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 11, 1:03 AM CDT