I'm sure its hard to go wrong, but I'm looking for an entry point so I can plan a route. I have never been to BWCA before, but I have experience backpacking and canoeing. I'm planning on an early October adventure spanning 4-5 days. Does anyone have any particular advice, or favorite locations.

I'm never really sure where to begin with these posts. Let's start with some things you probably already know and some questions to narrow the options down. You can click on the Planning tab at the top and learn the rules and regulations and get some other basic information. You can also read some trip reports from entries that might interest you.

If you enter after the end of Sept., you won't need a quota permit, only a self-issued entry permit. In early October, days are short and weather is unpredictable. Short days limit travel time and weather, especially wind, can limit or prevent travel. An over-aggressive plan and bad weather may delay your exit a day or two.

What do you want out of the trip? Scenery, solitude, fishing, photography, relaxation, travel?

Do you have a preference for Ely/Echo Trail on the west end, Sawbill Trail, or Gunflint/Arrowhead Trail on the east end?

Do you want to go in, base camp, and return the same way?

Do you want to travel a route? Out-and-back? Loop? Point-to point with shuttle/bike/walk/run?

If you want to travel, how far/how long each day? How many days? Will you double portage or single portage?

Examples for Kawishiwi Lake, EP #37: Go up to Polly Lake, camp, relax, fish, day trip, return to entry. It's a half day of travel (4 hours double portage) to north end (9 miles double portage).

Go on from Polly to Malberg (another 2 hours), loop around from west to east on the river, come back out. You can extend this trip several ways if interested.

Have Sawbill Outfitters shuttle you to Kawishiwi, leave your car at Sawbill, go across the Lady Chain to Alton and Sawbill (32 miles double portage).

Welcome to the board!
If you are using an outfitter for canoes, gear or shuttle, they will have good options.
In October you will find much less traffic and most routes are available. You can do a route that would be too busy in mid-summer. ?Ely or Gunflint?

A nice starter trip is, Magnetic Lake to Granite River/lakes to Saganaga, then to Red Rock, Alpine Lakes, and take out at Seagull Lake. Tuscarora or some other outfitter can help with a shuttle. Not too long and you see a nice selection of Lakes. This is written about in Beymer's and other books.

I've been contemplating a some solos (since I don't yet have a partner) first three weeks of September, so high on my list (for minimizing portaging) is the Kawishiwi Triangle from Lake One entry point;

Or Cross River entry point down to Long Island Lake (and explore); or possibly continue East through chain of lakes to Poplar Lake takeout point. The portages on that route don't look that hard, except for the one that crosses the Laurentian Divide.

Seagull into Ogishkemuncie and back is also nice.

Boonie's suggestions are good too!

Dave and Cayers-

The Cross Bay to Poplar trip is one I did in 2012 (see trip report). It's a nice little trip and you are basically right about the portages. The long one you are talking about is the Muskeg-Kiskadinna portage, which has a very steep portion sometimes known as "the wall". The Long Island to Muskeg portage was a real boulder field with a couple of down trees at that time. The Muskeg end was flooded by a beaver dam, which made for an awkward entry there. The Muskeg-Kiskadinna portage is followed by a short portage to Omega, which begins with a steep awkward ascent. Other than those the portages are fairly easy and straightforward. There is some nice country through there. I especially liked Omega. I went straight through to Horseshoe, but there are options extend it a little if wanted. There are some pictures in my album on shutterfly (I think there's a link with the trip report; if not, just ask).