Lake Facts
About Rainy Lake
The Rainy Lake watershed in Northwestern Ontario is a place of great natural beauty. Its rocks are from 2.5 to 3.6 billion years old. Rainy Lake's ancestor, Lake Agassiz, was formed as the glaciers retreated north during the last ice age 50,000 to 10,000 years ago. Rainy Lake covers 92,100 ha (227,604 acres) and has 3,000 km (1,850 miles) of shoreline. The lake is divided into three distinct areas: the North Arm, Redgut Bay and the South Arm. Approximately 70% of the lake lies in Ontario and 30% in Minnesota. Over 4,000 islands dot Rainy Lake.
Protecting Crown Lands
In 1997 founding members of the Rainy Lake Conservancy presented a successful proposal to the Ontario Government's Boreal West Round Table to protect the Crown Lands on the islands of Rainy Lake as conservation reserves. Today, the majority of the Crown Lands islands on Rainy Lake, 5,477 hectares (13,533 acres), are free from logging, mining and development, and continue to be a source of enjoyment for the general public who have hunted, fished, picnicked and camped on them for generations.
Working Together
Since the early 1900s, Canadians and Americans have worked together to preserve Rainy Lake's natural beauty, clean water, abundant plant and wildlife and its rich history. See publication,
"A Century of Wilderness Preservation":
Rainy Lake is a rare and precious place in a world where forests and clean lakes are rapidly disappearing. The Rainy Lake Conservancy and its partners are proud to carry on this tradition today.
Contact Rainy Lake Conservancy
Call: 1-807-632-4051 or 1-807-275-9640
Email: info@rainylakeconservancy.org
Learn how can you help the Rainy Lake Conservancy