The Harry Oveson Fish Camp is a preserved commercial fishing camp on Rainy Lake in Voyageurs National Park, kept by the Park Service as a boat-in day-use site. Two weathered green frame buildings and an ice house stand along the shore, connected to a dock, and visitors can walk the grounds and step inside the ice house. A picnic table, fire ring, benches, and a seasonal restroom make it a good place to stop, and interpretive signs tell the camp’s story.
Harry Oveson was born in Roseau in 1906, moved to International Falls in 1921, served in Alaska during World War II, and settled on Rainy Lake to build this camp in 1959. A bachelor commercial fisherman, he netted whitefish and walleye — often around 300 pounds of whitefish and 50 pounds of walleye a day. In 1985 the state paid him and two other remaining Rainy Lake walleye netters to give up their licenses; he later moved to Arizona and died in 1990 at age 84. The camp is a stop on the ranger-guided ‘Life on the Lake’ boat tour out of the Rainy Lake Visitor Center.
Rules for this place
This is inside Voyageurs National Park, and the park regulations govern: hunting is not allowed, and no drone may be flown without the written approval the superintendent's compendium requires. Rainy Lake is named in the border waters section of the Minnesota fishing regulations, which decides which license lets an angler fish which side of the line. Minnesota’s invasive species law rides home with the trailer: pull the drain plug, drain the water, and leave plants and prohibited species at the access.
Verified 2026-09-07. Rules change; check the official page before you go.
