Planning your Rainy Lake Houseboats vacation!

Our guests travel from far and wide. One of the questions we answer is about food, what is the best way to plan, buy groceries at home or shop in International Falls. Number one is planning should be fun; it is a great way to gather and discuss your trip.
 
We encourage people to plan their meals; breakfast, lunch, and supper for the number of days and nights you will be on your houseboat.  You can pick and choose as to what you will have for a meal on a given day or switch around. We have found that the people who plan by each meal have lower costs and much less food left behind. 
 
We do have a delivery service if you have some items you have run out of or need. We do not sell liquor at our base. If you run out on the water you can come into base and Thunderbird Lodge has a liquor store. 
 
You have several options for your grocery needs. You can buy in your home town, stop on your way to or inInternational Falls. We have grocery order or (planning) forms on our website at www.rainylakehouseboats.com click the Fishing License/Groceries heading. You can either visit Super One Foods by clicking their link and shop on line or print out our forms and fill them out and send them to us and we will fax them to Super One. There is a $10.00 handling charge above the price of the order. Super One delivers the groceries to your houseboat prior to your arrival. 
 
Our guests who use this service really like it. It takes care of a large portion of trip planning and time in the grocery store shopping. Ivan Stewart and his son Dave are quality owners who do an outstanding job of supplying our customers with their grocery needs. The Stewarts have excellent meat and home made sausage and bacon. Super One supplies all food on our Chairman II houseboat that is staffed with a chef all food is included on the Chairman.
 
If you have liquor needs you can pre order liquor, wine, or beer at International Discount Liquors, their phone number is 218-283-9741. They will help with your selections and deliver to your houseboat while it is in port at Rainy Lake Houseboats. This is very helpful to our customers who arrive by air. Soft drinks and ice are sold in our gift store.
 
We have a gift shop and bait shop on site. We always have chub minnows, leeches, and large leeches by the dozen. If you have greater needs for bait there are several bait stores; in International Falls, Sportsman’s Service and the Outdoorsman’s Headquarters. On your way from International Falls to Rainy Lake houseboats is another bait store “Rainy Lake One Stop”. They supply us with our wholesale bait needs.
 
Minnesota fishing licenses are available in our office and can be printed upon your arrival. You can purchase them at any other license agent or online at www.dnr.state.mn.us it costs an extra $3.50 to purchase online.
 
We can order Ontario licenses in advance of your arrival. You only need an Ontario license if you intend on fishing Ontario waters. Eighty per cent of our guests fish Minnesota waters only.  If you would like to order Ontario licenses you can send your information by email, fax, or mail. A printable form is located on our web site by clicking Grocery list #2 and click on license. Ontario license information must be received a minimum of fourteen days prior to your arrival.  Most of our guests order a conservation license; you can only keep one walleye per day in Ontariowaters no matter what license.
 
A permit is required to stay overnight in Voyageurs National Park, it is issued free of charge in our Rainy Lake Houseboat office upon your arrival.
 
We hope this helps you with planning your trip, if you have questions please contact us and we will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us at 1-218-286-5391 or email:info@rainylakehouseboats.com.