I'm planning on bringing a couple buddies with me this fall for a week trip, aiming for the last week of sept or so. While they are experienced campers they dont have much paddling experience. Does anyone have any suggestions as far as general areas or specific routes? A lazy loop with opportunities for branching out would be perfect. There will be 3 or 4 of us, and were looking for something with some decent fishing, any species. The more remote the better! I also want to avoid burn areas if i can.The last time i was in the bwca i did a loop from 50 to long island, through frost lake/river, mora, Tuscarora, snipe and back out thru 50. Loved every second of it. Thanks in advance for any suggestions/tips!

Isabella lake, river(west) to Quadgga, to Bald Eagle-Gabbro area. The small lakes north of there for side trips. Scenery great, fishing good.

quote bassnet: "Isabella lake, river(west) to Quadgga, to Bald Eagle-Gabbro area. The small lakes north of there for side trips. Scenery great, fishing good."

That is a great route and trying to find a time but it certainly does not avoid burn areas, especially lakes north of Bald Eagle.

I can think of a lot of great loops that fit your request except not a fisherman will leave to those who do.

Not sure if it is lazy or you have time, but I have enjoyed the loop from Moose to Kekekabic. Lots of variance in terrain and options for day trips if you have time. The only tough portages are from Knife over to Kekekabic with the climb up to Bonnie from Knife. That suggests looping counter-clockwise. Water flow from Thomas back to Ashigan flows west and that time of year levels could be low. You could float down, but likely have to line up some of that area calling for a clockwise route, the one I usually chose that time of year.
I would allow five days to either move only a little way each day, my choice, or do a layover along the way. Six or seven would make this trip really enjoyable.

Mudro-Horse to LBFs, Crooked and down through Moosecamp into Fourtown could be a nice, relaxed route depending on how much time you have. Just a thought.

If you loved the Frost River, try this:

Entry 14 - Little Indian Sioux North - You are going to make a loop inside Lac La Croix. LIttle Indian Sioux to Upper and Lower Pauness then east to Shell, LIttle Shell and Lynx. Continue east through Ruby and Hustler to Oyster. Then turn north through Rocky, Green, Ge-be-on-e-quet to Gebe Creek and Pocket Creek. Turn west through Pocket, Finger, Thumb, Beartrack, LBT, and Steep to North/South Lake. From here depending on your time, you can continue through Section Pond 3 and Slim to Loon OR you can hop out onto LLC and head south to Loon Lake and LIS for your return up the LIS to the entry.

Lots of varied scenery. Good fishing lakes. Some river travel.

quote billconner: "

quote bassnet: "Isabella lake, river(west) to Quadgga, to Bald Eagle-Gabbro area. The small lakes north of there for side trips. Scenery great, fishing good."

I can think of a lot of great loops that fit your request except not a fisherman will leave to those who do.


"

Any suggestions would still be greatly appreciated. Its entirely possible that my obession with fishing could drive my companions crazy so i may end up having to make it a secondary objective. Itll give me an excuse to go back next spring to get some real fishing done :D

quote Michwall2: "If you loved the Frost River, try this:


Entry 14 - Little Indian Sioux North - You are going to make a loop inside Lac La Croix. LIttle Indian Sioux to Upper and Lower Pauness then east to Shell, LIttle Shell and Lynx. Continue east through Ruby and Hustler to Oyster. Then turn north through Rocky, Green, Ge-be-on-e-quet to Gebe Creek and Pocket Creek. Turn west through Pocket, Finger, Thumb, Beartrack, LBT, and Steep to North/South Lake. From here depending on your time, you can continue through Section Pond 3 and Slim to Loon OR you can hop out onto LLC and head south to Loon Lake and LIS for your return up the LIS to the entry.


Lots of varied scenery. Good fishing NCg lakes. Some river travel. "

That route looks great, thank you! So we would be paddling upstream on lis on our way back to 14? How fast does it flow? I wanna make sure the new to paddling guys on the trip can make it relatively easily

You won't even notice it. Especially in the Fall.

Quaddga is a small lake off the river. We had only fair fishing, although supposed to be a good walleye lake. On Bald Eagle, the whole NW corner is a huge 5-10ft flat, weedy. In summer it is simply alive with pike.. in fall the decaying weeds still hold pike and walleye. Large, mid depth spinnerbaits, and large, near bottom swimbaits are the ticket. While the lake is noted for having a fine population of small to medium walleyed, any walleye hanging out in the weeds with pike are not dinks! Don't fish the shore! Wander around in the middle of the flat. Away from shore. Gabbros has many fine stands of Birch, that are a brilliant yellow by the first of October, very scenic. The western basin of the lake will be full of roving schools of adequate eater walleyes, and "almost" slab crappies! 10-12 inch were the norm on the 3 trips in the fall for me. We simply trolled across the basin, Shad Raps down 10-12 ft., and another at 15-16 ft. Little Gabbro is fine for pike and a few walleyes in current, but does see some fishing pressure. Many fine campsites on Gabbro. The Isabella river portion is also very scenic, and on the portage to Quadgga is an old growth stand of pine.

quote EyDerBeb: "

quote Michwall2: "If you loved the Frost River, try this:



Entry 14 - Little Indian Sioux North - You are going to make a loop inside Lac La Croix. LIttle Indian Sioux to Upper and Lower Pauness then east to Shell, LIttle Shell and Lynx. Continue east through Ruby and Hustler to Oyster. Then turn north through Rocky, Green, Ge-be-on-e-quet to Gebe Creek and Pocket Creek. Turn west through Pocket, Finger, Thumb, Beartrack, LBT, and Steep to North/South Lake. From here depending on your time, you can continue through Section Pond 3 and Slim to Loon OR you can hop out onto LLC and head south to Loon Lake and LIS for your return up the LIS to the entry.



Lots of varied scenery. Good fishing NCg lakes. Some river travel. "

That route looks great, thank you! So we would be paddling upstream on lis on our way back to 14? How fast does it flow? I wanna make sure the new to paddling guys on the trip can make it relatively easily"

We were there start of July. It was a wet year. Water was flowing everywhere. Our experience was probably more like mid-spring. There was very little to no current downstream of the Devil's Cascade. There was some current upstream of the Pauness Lakes. But nothing we could not easily handle.

This is not a "lazy route" at all. It's a great route but a lot of portaging which means less time fishing and a lot less daylight.

quote Michwall2: "

quote EyDerBeb: "

quote Michwall2: "If you loved the Frost River, try this:



Entry 14 - Little Indian Sioux North - You are going to make a loop inside Lac La Croix. LIttle Indian Sioux to Upper and Lower Pauness then east to Shell, LIttle Shell and Lynx. Continue east through Ruby and Hustler to Oyster. Then turn north through Rocky, Green, Ge-be-on-e-quet to Gebe Creek and Pocket Creek. Turn west through Pocket, Finger, Thumb, Beartrack, LBT, and Steep to North/South Lake. From here depending on your time, you can continue through Section Pond 3 and Slim to Loon OR you can hop out onto LLC and head south to Loon Lake and LIS for your return up the LIS to the entry.



Lots of varied scenery. Good fishing NCg lakes. Some river travel. "

That route looks great, thank you! So we would be paddling upstream on lis on our way back to 14? How fast does it flow? I wanna make sure the new to paddling guys on the trip can make it relatively easily"

We were there start of July. It was a wet year. Water was flowing everywhere. Our experience was probably more like mid-spring. There was very little to no current downstream of the Devil's Cascade. There was some current upstream of the Pauness Lakes. But nothing we could not easily handle. "

I put in at ep14 in may. No issues paddling up stream. But we saw a lot of beaver dams under the water maybe a foot or so and if the water was lower it would be a lot more work going over them. Idk what the depth is like in early Oct.

quote Michwall2: "If you loved the Frost River, try this:


Entry 14 - Little Indian Sioux North - You are going to make a loop inside Lac La Croix. LIttle Indian Sioux to Upper and Lower Pauness then east to Shell, LIttle Shell and Lynx. Continue east through Ruby and Hustler to Oyster. Then turn north through Rocky, Green, Ge-be-on-e-quet to Gebe Creek and Pocket Creek. Turn west through Pocket, Finger, Thumb, Beartrack, LBT, and Steep to North/South Lake. From here depending on your time, you can continue through Section Pond 3 and Slim to Loon OR you can hop out onto LLC and head south to Loon Lake and LIS for your return up the LIS to the entry.


Lots of varied scenery. Good fishing lakes. Some river travel. "

Did that loop clockwise in September a couple years ago. No issues with water levels, but thick veg on the SE end of Upper Pauness, especially heading to the short portage to Lower Pauness, and at the mouth of GeBe Creek. It's one of the best routes I've paddled, although as Birdknowsbest said, it is not a lazy route.