Hey all, I'm doing a Fall Lake trip this fall and was looking for a little advice. I've read through the forms and it sounds like most people are portaging a 14' boat and a 10/15 HP motor. I was wondering what your thoughts on a 16' boat and 25 HP motor using portage wheels? There will be 3 of us in our late 20's in good shape. I realize how gear we bring will play a factor as well. Is it doable? Have any of you done this before? How much gas would you bring for a 6 day trip? Thanks!

I use this portage every year. I'm assuming you are going into Basswood? You can use motors up to 25hp to get in.

Most common boats I see are 14 or 16 foot plain/basic aluminum boats to save on weight. Some of the regular day trippers use boats with folding wheels and some wood floors but not many. They get to be too heavy with gear.

There are also a mix of sport boats and Grumman square sterns as well. Those guys are up and over those portages in no time. The larger the boat and motor, the more you have to push across. There are a couple of pretty good hills too. One in particular is at the end of the portage into Pipestone Bay. You can walk the gear in the boat down to the water. Coming back the other way (uphill), you need to hike your gear to the top of the hill and take the boat up empty, then re-load at the top. If you do it the other way full of gear, you'll hate yourself for it, trust me. 20's or not, it's still not the smart way to do it.

I would pack like you're taking your gear in a canoe and paddling it. Keep it simple and light and you'll have a better trip. You need to haul extra gas too so that is another reason to keep it light. I use a sport boat with a 6hp motor with 3 gal tank. I go all the way up to the narrows and near the no motor zone north of Jackfish. We base camp, explore and fish in that area. I bring in 10.5 gallons. One 3 gal fuel tank, one 5 gallon spare jug and a 2.5 gallon jug in reserve. I burn a full 3 gallon tank just going in and out (1.5 each way). While in there, I easily burn thru another 3 gallon tank running around over a 5 day trip. I troll a lot and like to cruise around checking stuff out. I always keep an extra 2.5 gallon jug of fuel as my emergency reserve, it's non-negotiable. It's only to be used to get me home. It's more than I need but you never know what might happen. You might have an emergency or bad weather or a fuel spill, etc. Your results may vary based on your boat, motor and weight. My sport boat is pretty light (119 lbs). It also depends on how much running around you are doing. You may have to take it easy in there on your first trip.

Thanks Ole!

Very helpful info Ole! Planning first adventure in the GSB/6hp and you come along with answers to the fuel question. MUCH APPRECIATED!

I wonder how much gas the 16/25hp have to plan for.