Several lakes are in both USA and Canada. If I'm camping on the USA side of the lake, can I fish on the Canada side? Should I buy a Canadian license in addition to the MN license to be safe, or is either license valid on a border lake?

Not only would you need an ontario fishing license, but you'd need the fishing card also

quote mr.barley: "Not only would you need an ontario fishing license, but you'd need the fishing card also"

outdoors card

Also unless it has changed, no live bait in the Quetico either!

Bruce

quote Arkansas Man: "Also unless it has changed, no live bait in the Quetico either!

Bruce"

and barbless hooks

All those regs on border lakes where the water is in both Canada and the U.S.? Can anyone post a reference? Seems to me that it would be pretty hard to split the rules on a lake that's in both countries. I'll do some looking, too.

I think you'll find the Candian Rangers have very good GPS's and they like to use them.

Tell it to the Canadian Judge ;-)

To fish the Canadian side you need: RABC (remote access border crossing permit), Outdoors card, Canadian fishing license.

Wow! Sounds like I need 3 separate documents????? Is there a place online where I can obtain all of these? Thanks for all the input. This is a great forum!

If I were in the Bwca, fishing a border lake like LLC or Crooked, I would just stick to the US side. forget all the documentation, licenses, permits, and extra expense of time and money. There are more than enough islands and bays to fish in and around to satisfy your fishing needs.

quote mooseplums: "If I were in the Bwca, fishing a border lake like LLC or Crooked, I would just stick to the US side. forget all the documentation, licenses, permits, and extra expense of time and money. There are more than enough islands and bays to fish in and around to satisfy your fishing needs. "

Me too. Plenty of good fishing on MN side. No need to test the boundary...

Yeah, I understand the "just don't go over there" answer, but I like to move around a lot while fishing and was hoping all I needed was a license. It will be hard for me to stay south of a line I can't even see. I don't want to fish looking over my shoulder either so I'll probably take your advice. Thanks for all the input!

There are a few border lakes that I fish a lot. To get your Ontario Outdoors Card and fishing license just call 1-800-667-1940. To get your RABC permit go here fill out the form and mail it in. If you only get up that way once per year it might not be worth the hassle but if you take a few trips (or more) per year up to border country there are several advantages to having the freedom to fish both sides of a lake.

Some rules to be aware of in Ontario (non-quetico). If you use leeches or live minnows they have to be purchased in Canada. It is ok to bring night crawlers across the border. If you are a lake trout guy you cannot use smelt, but can use ciscos on the Canadian side of the lake. Of course don't use those ciscos on the US side, that could be an expensive day of fishing. Also, it is a $1,000 fine if you are caught in Ontario without a border crossing permit and they usually enforce that.

Quetico lakes: In addition to the border permit, outdoor card, and license you would need to get a day pass for the park at a Quetico Ranger station. Plus there is the barbless hook rule and you can't use any bait, dead or alive (GRRRRRRRR).

I wish the border lakes would do something reciprocal like the States do (MN/WI) for example. If your license says u can use it, u can use it, or whatever they do. A "common" set of rules instead of these goofy international things...

quote Amok: "I wish the border lakes would do something reciprocal like the States do (MN/WI) for example. If your license says u can use it, u can use it, or whatever they do. A "common" set of rules instead of these goofy international things..."

Easier said than done. Two countries vs two states... Ontario makes their laws based on helping US tourists use Ontario services...

Perhaps if more Ontario residents took vacations in MN...

quote krick: "It will be hard for me to stay south of a line I can't even see."

You could consider a non-border route if you're concerned about your navigational skills.

quote old_salt: "

quote Amok: "I wish the border lakes would do something reciprocal like the States do (MN/WI) for example. If your license says u can use it, u can use it, or whatever they do. A "common" set of rules instead of these goofy international things..."

Easier said than done. Two countries vs two states... Ontario makes their laws based on helping US tourists use Ontario services...


Perhaps if more Ontario residents took vacations in MN..."

I know. Its wishful thinking on my part. It'll never happen, even with a very useful loophole of using "state/fed/queen" land for recreational use as an excuse.

of course im talking immediate boundaries only, no all-encompassing rules for both parks.

Ive read extensively on this site and everything I could find from Ontario from many different agencies on regulations for fishing and camping specifically for the La Verendrye provincial park side of the BW from Sag down to where Pigeon river park starts. Unfortunately it seemed Canada wanted to bury that information. After having to go thru countless websites that would give you a link to a different one to find the information and so on. I finally went and printed pieces of the different regulations to make sense of it. With that said here's what I found. Yes obviously need ontario sportcard, fishing license, and RABC. You do not need any camping permits unless you camp beyond the boundary of the La Verendrye provincial park. I found nothing on hook restrictions. I know there have been discussions about bait. I will share what ive learned from both sides of the border because I want to use live bait on these lakes. First with the Canadian side. For lakes entirely within Canada you're already traveling in Canada to get to the lake so buy your bait up there. In Minnesota importing minnows live or frozen is not allowed except I found Minnesota Statute 97C.341 which basically reads if you have the proper documents to prove it's VHS free you can import them meaning if I can find a Canadian bait store in BMZ 6 that would ship them to me I could legally possess them in Minnesota and cross over to the Canada side of these lakes and be legal to possess and use. Ironically the reasons for bait restrictions from both sides are the exact same. Both sides have implemented buying and selling rules for bait that are almost identical. So I can buy VHS free bait in Minnesota and use it on the Minnesota side of these border lakes and if it comes off my hook and swims over to the Canadian side no problem...... BUT if I paddle over the Canadian line with the same minnows I become a criminal?? Ridiculous. Canada and Minnesota need to look at each others paperwork for buying and selling disease free bait and then remove these restrictions from these lakes.

Winter1: You do not need any camping permits unless you camp beyond the boundary of the La Verendrye provincial park. "

Fun to see these antique threads continuing to help folks years later.

On the camping thing, you are correct if you are a resident of Canada. If you are not a resident, you will need a Crown Land Camping permit for any public (crown) land or for "non-operating" parks of Ontario.

New to the site and did'nt introduce myself. I'm Ryan and I have lived on the Northshore my entire life. I live fairly close to the BW and started going there with my folks when I was little. So about 40ish years. I didn't like the creation of the BW when I was young because my family and so many others had a nice Cabin in what is now the BW. They were given a short notice to get there belongings out and they burned it to the ground. Fast forward to today and I'm glad we have it. I'm sure my opinion on how the BW is managed differs from the majority that use it and advocate for it. My friends and family that have been going there before the BW started all agree that the forest needs to be managed. It can be done with not only a zero impact to the environment but a huge benefit to it for all aspects of nature. To be clear I'm NOT talking about clear cutting the whole thing like they did to our White Pine forest years ago. For those who do not live around here and have the BW in their back yard it seems that they are Bullies protecting their personal playground and in this instance are literally throwing gas on the fire. In closing the comment you made about the antique thread helping people was very true and as long as Minnesota and Canada keep changing their rules and regulations these conversations will continue

Winter1: Welcome to the site!

I am not sure I understood all of your post.

Some of the rules have changed since this originals thread…call to verify…don’t just believe internet posts :)

I believe now you can fish Canadian waters without an RABC as long as you don’t touch Canadian soil. If you do a shore lunch, go to shore for the bathroom then you would need the RABC. For fish length and limits you need to follow the province or state that has the most restrictive rules.

You would still need to have an Ontario outdoors card, Ontario license, if you are in Quetico Park waters then you may need a day permit and you would need to follow all Quetico Park rules: no live or dead bait in possession and the hook on your line needs to be barbless.

For non-Quetico Waters no day permit needed. I don’t know the rules for bait, my guess is minnows and leeches would not be allowed to cross the border and you would need proof that they were bought in Canada if you got caught with them?


T

To clarify the information I gathered was all from the different governing agencies of both sides and all the reading I've done on this site was to see if the answers to my questions were discussed here or spot things I may have missed. I've been going into Canada since I was a kid but missed out on going for about 15 years to raise my own kids so I'm fairly experienced at how Canada takes care of business. That's why I laugh out loud reading some of the posts on this site about Canada. For those on this site that have encountered the Canadian authorities that can enforce their laws they are spot on correct that there is no grey area and no exceptions to knowing and abiding by their rules and regulations. Some people just get lucky. Also the thought that the more restrictive side is what determines your limits and size restrictions on possessing fish is false. This is only true if you can't provide a receipt or other paperwork that shows you were in Canada when you caught those fish. Furthermore you can legally possess your limit of fish for both sides at the same time if you have the receipts or paperwork to show you were in Canada for the fish you have along with your allowable Minnesota fish. Obviously like many other things our DNR does they don't make that publicized information. Simply put if you have the required licenses to lawfully possess fish from Canada or any other state along with receipts or paperwork to show you were there to catch those fish it's legal.