Crossing the border · Kenora fishing trips
Most Sydney Lake guests drive up from the Midwest and cross into Canada at International Falls, Baudette or Pembina. Here’s what each person needs to bring, what you can pack in the truck, what to leave at home, and how to get your fish back into the US.
Worth the drive: the dock at Sydney Lake
Passport
or passport card, NEXUS or EDL
Every adult needs one to get back into the US.
No app
ArriveCAN isn’t needed
It’s optional, and only used at some airports.
24/7
three crossings near Kenora
International Falls, Baudette and Pembina.
DUI?
check before you book
An impaired driving record can keep you out of Canada.
Border checklist
Canada decides who comes in, and the US decides who comes home. The safest choice for everyone, kids included, is a valid passport. Here’s what each side accepts at a land crossing for US citizens.
| Who | Going into Canada | Coming back to the US |
|---|---|---|
| Adults | Passport (recommended), passport card, NEXUS card or enhanced driver’s licence | Passport, passport card, NEXUS card or enhanced driver’s licence |
| Kids under 16 | Passport recommended. A birth certificate is usually accepted as proof of citizenship. | Birth certificate (original or copy) or passport |
| Teens 16 and 17 | Same as adults | Same as adults |
| A minor not travelling with both parents | Their ID, plus a consent letter from the parent who isn’t there, with that parent’s full name, address and phone number. A notarized letter helps. Bring custody papers if they apply. | Their ID |
| Green card holders | Passport from your country, plus your green card | Green card and passport |
Where to cross
All three are open 24 hours. Which one you use depends on where you start; the drive planner on our Getting to Kenora page picks the fastest for your town.
Minneapolis, Duluth, Iowa, Wisconsin, Chicago
Most of our guests cross here
US 53 north to International Falls, over the Rainy River bridge into Fort Frances, then Highways 11 and 71 to Kenora. It’s the busiest crossing in the area and a single-lane bridge, so it can back up on holiday weekends.
Bemidji, Grand Forks
Often the quickest line
Highway 11 across the bridge at Baudette into Rainy River, then Highway 71 north to Kenora. A good backup when Fort Frances is busy.
Fargo, Sioux Falls, Omaha, Kansas City
Via Winnipeg
I-29 north into Manitoba at Emerson, Highway 75 to Winnipeg, then east on the Trans-Canada, which becomes Highway 17 at the Ontario line.
Before you leave
Live times for Fort Frances and Emerson
Canada posts live wait times for Fort Frances and Emerson on its border wait times page and in the CanBorder app. Holiday weekends like Canada Day, the Fourth of July and Labour Day are the busiest.
DUI and criminal records
This is the one that turns people around at the border. Canada treats impaired driving as a serious crime, so a DUI or DWI on your record, even an old one, can make you inadmissible. Other convictions can too. The border officer decides on the spot, and there’s nothing we can do from the lodge once you’re turned away.
If it applies to anyone in your group, look into it months ahead. There are three ways in, and an immigration lawyer can tell you which one fits.
| Option | When it applies |
|---|---|
| Deemed rehabilitation | Automatic, no application. Usually only for a single older offence where 10+ years have passed since the sentence ended. A DUI on or after December 18, 2018 doesn’t qualify. |
| Individual rehabilitation | A permanent fix you apply for once at least 5 years have passed since your sentence and probation ended. Applications can take over a year. |
| Temporary resident permit | Permission for one trip or a set period, if it’s been less than 5 years or you’re still waiting on rehabilitation. An officer weighs your reason for coming. |
Going into Canada
Our packages are self-catered, so most groups pack a cooler. Here’s what Canada allows each person to bring for their own use. Declare everything when the officer asks; it’s failing to declare that gets people fined.
| What | The rule | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| Meat and poultry | Store-bought, in its retail package, labelled “Product of USA.” Nothing from a farm, roadside stand or backyard flock. | 20 kg (44 lb) |
| Eggs | Store-bought in the carton, labelled “Product of USA.” No farm eggs. | 5 dozen |
| Cheese, milk, butter | Allowed | 20 kg |
| Fresh fruit and vegetables | Most are allowed. Potatoes must be commercially packed and graded US No. 1. | 20 kg each |
| Bread, snacks, canned and frozen food | Allowed | 20 kg |
| Beer, wine or liquor | Duty-free for anyone of legal drinking age (19 in Ontario, 18 entering at Emerson, Manitoba). You can bring more if you pay duty and taxes at the border. | ONE of: 24 cans of beer (8.5 L), 2 bottles of wine (1.5 L) or 1 large bottle of liquor (1.14 L) |
| Cigarettes and cigars | Duty-free for anyone 18 or older | 200 cigarettes and 50 cigars |
| Fishing gear | Rods, tackle, coolers and electronics come in as personal gear. Declare them and take them home. | No limit |
| Cash | Report it if you carry CA$10,000 or more (or the same in US dollars). | Report $10,000+ |
Leave at home
You can’t bring minnows, leeches, crayfish or salamanders into Ontario. Buy bait in Kenora and keep the receipt.
Leave at home
It’s illegal to take cannabis, including edibles and CBD, across the border in either direction, even though it’s legal in Canada and in many states.
Declare it
Pepper spray and mace aren’t allowed into Canada. Bear spray is OK only if it’s labelled for use on animals. Firearms must be declared and have strict rules of their own.
Pack smart
Keep prescriptions in their original labelled bottles and bring only what you need for the trip.
Tip: many groups bring the basics and buy the rest in Kenora, which has a Safeway, No Frills, Walmart, Wholesale Club, an LCBO and a Beer Store. See the Kenora map →
Coming home
The trip home is usually quicker. Have the same ID ready, and know what’s in the cooler.
At the booth
Official sources
Border rules change. These are the official pages we check to keep this page current.
Page checked against official sources in November 2026. If anything here differs from the official rules, the official rules win.
FAQ
You need a passport, passport card, NEXUS card or enhanced driver’s licence to get back into the US by land, and Canada recommends a passport. Kids under 16 can use a birth certificate to come home, though a passport is easiest.
Maybe not. Canada treats impaired driving as serious criminality, so a DUI can make you inadmissible. Depending on how long ago it was, you may need individual rehabilitation or a temporary resident permit. Apply well before your trip.
No. ArriveCAN is optional, and its advance declaration is only used at certain Canadian airports. You answer the officer’s questions at the booth.
Duty-free, each adult of legal drinking age can bring one of: 24 cans of beer (8.5 litres), 1.5 litres of wine or 1.14 litres of liquor. You can bring more if you pay duty and taxes at the border.
Yes, for personal use. Meat and poultry must be store-bought, in the retail package and labelled “Product of USA,” up to 20 kg per person. Eggs are limited to 5 dozen. Potatoes must be commercially packed and graded US No. 1.
No. It’s illegal to bring live bait into Ontario. Buy it in Kenora and keep the receipt.
Yes. Declare them at the US border, keep them packed so they can be counted and identified, and stay within your Ontario possession limit: one day’s limit per angler.
From the Twin Cities, Iowa, Wisconsin and Chicago it’s usually International Falls–Fort Frances. From Bemidji and Grand Forks it’s Baudette–Rainy River, and from Fargo and points south-west it’s Pembina–Emerson via Winnipeg. All three are open 24 hours.
If a child under 18 is travelling without both parents, bring a consent letter from the parent who isn’t there, with their full name, address and phone number. A notarized letter can save time.
Almost there
From the border it’s about two to four hours to Kenora, then a night in town and a 30-minute floatplane flight to Sydney Lake in the morning. Your Ontario fishing licence is included in your package. Tell me when you’d like to come and I’ll let you know what’s open. — Jeb
Check dates →Plan your trip: Getting to Kenora · Ontario fishing licence · Northwest Ontario fishing · Packages & rates
