Heading up through EP 62 on 8/1 until 8/4 and will want to basecamp on one lake with day trips possibly to others. We will be doing a lot of fishing and would like to catch walleye but know smallmouth is the most common on most area lakes. Someone suggested staying on one of the eastern Clearwater campsites but does Clearwater have good fishing? There will be six of us so we need a decent campsite to so if these sites are taken what other sites on nearby lakes do you recommend? Though about West Pike too. Thanks!

No walleyes in Clearwater but it is a gorgeous lake. Watap and Rove are fantastic smallmouth lakes and also have some walleyes. It is a tough, steep portage to those lakes from Clearwater. You could also take a day trip to the south into Caribou for some walleyes.

You'd be better off portaging into Caribou and base camping there if you want walleyes.

Thanks for the advice guys. Doesn't Caribou see a lot of canoe traffic? Any suggestions on good campsites with medium/large tent pads?

All of those lakes in that part of the bwca see a significant amount of canoe traffic. Clearwater even has motorboat traffic (up to 10 HP). Check out the maps section of this forum. Clicking on the campsites will display any reviews written about them. Have fun on your trip.

Clearwater has lots of small bass. I have been fishing it for 50 years and sadly have watched the size drop dramatically. The other comments about Clearwater's beauty are still valid. The other lakes mentioned still produce nice bass and walleyes.

quote walleye_hunter: "No walleyes in Clearwater but it is a gorgeous lake. Watap and Rove are fantastic smallmouth lakes and also have some walleyes. It is a tough, steep portage to those lakes from Clearwater. You could also take a day trip to the south into Caribou for some walleyes."

+1

quote georgelesley: "Clearwater has lots of small bass. I have been fishing it for 50 years and sadly have watched the size drop dramatically. The other comments about Clearwater's beauty are still valid. The other lakes mentioned still produce nice bass and walleyes."

Just curious,was smallmouth present all those 50 years,also when like many lakes when first introduced they have like a vaacuum and grow faster than normal with the numbers still low.
Also I know many years ago they use to take some really big lake trout consistently out of that lake,but than I think fishing pressure got to be to much.

I wonder how far back we or you with your personnel knowledge of that lake can trace smallmouth being present?

I know they were there in the eighties.

quote PINETREE: "

quote georgelesley: "Clearwater has lots of small bass. I have been fishing it for 50 years and sadly have watched the size drop dramatically. The other comments about Clearwater's beauty are still valid. The other lakes mentioned still produce nice bass and walleyes."

Just curious,was smallmouth present all those 50 years,also when like many lakes when first introduced they have like a vaacuum and grow faster than normal with the numbers still low.
Also I know many years ago they use to take some really big lake trout consistently out of that lake,but than I think fishing pressure got to be to much.


I wonder how far back we or you with your personnel knowledge of that lake can trace smallmouth being present?"

The bass were huge and plentiful in the 50's.

Thanks,
I see like in Basswood lake at the other end smallmouth bass were stocked as early as 1941. By 1946 at least 17 lakes in Quetico had them.

quote PINETREE: "Thanks,
I see like in Basswood lake at the other end smallmouth bass were stocked as early as 1941. By 1946 at least 17 lakes in Quetico had them."

from what i've read that sounds about right for knife lake stocking also.