At least mine.
Over the years I have had some terrible strong winds while canoeing and fishing. But have been blessed with the dead earie calm winds that I love to slice the water with while canoeing. Also at times lake trout fishing we get a mayfly hatch and you can see the dimples on the surface made by trout,tullibee or a whitefish coming to the surface and grabbing them.
Many a times I could cast over there and get a fish. Great fishing for whitefish fishing on Canadian Agnes once on a dead calm 90 degree day in early June when the water was still cold.
Too get lucky and paddle in cruise mode on a calm day makes the trip complete in itself. Sometimes you can look behind your canoe and see a little bubble trail as far as you can see.

In 2001 I was solo and did the mile long Horse portage around the rapids on Basswood. I was really concerned about paddling the length of Basswood to Prairie Portage. It turned out to be dead calm conditions. I remember it being uncomfortably hot and seeing a "sun dog". I'll take that over wind any day.

I think it is extra special when I solo and calm and so peaceful. Just you-your canoe and your paddle dipping into the water.

Pinetree,you said that perfectly! I soloed once on crystal lake and departed for home at 430am on a glass surface and a sliver of a moon. Silent except drips off the paddle. A special content feeling. Have a good evening everyone! Marc

it is magical when the water is so calm... Lake Superior at Grand Marais a couple weeks ago..

quote walllee: " it is magical when the water is so calm... Lake Superior at Grand Marais a couple weeks ago.."

I canoed lake Superior by Tettachoue(sp) park one time and I thought it was dead calm but it still had those undualating(sp) slow waves only a lake it size could have. What was weird to me was here I am in like 40 feet of water and the water is so clear it felt like I was on top of a clean clear glass panel. It felt so weird and like my balance wasn't quite right.

Aug. 19, 2014, about 3:00pm Telescope Lake WCPP ... Magical paddle on glass

quote jcavenagh: "Aug. 19, 2014, about 3:00pm Telescope Lake WCPP ... Magical paddle on glass


"

Awesome and love the reflection of the trees in the water.

Russell Lake

Quiet waters everywhere have the same magical effect. This is in the Snake River
Canyon just downstream from Lewiston Idaho. It was very disorienting. I felt like I was about to fall out of the canoe.

quote Pinetree: "

quote walllee: " it is magical when the water is so calm... Lake Superior at Grand Marais a couple weeks ago.."

I canoed lake Superior by Tettachoue(sp) park one time and I thought it was dead calm but it still had those undualating(sp) slow waves only a lake it size could have. What was weird to me was here I am in like 40 feet of water and the water is so clear it felt like I was on top of a clean clear glass panel. It felt so weird and like my balance wasn't quite right."

Superior's clarity also unsettles me. It looks like it's four feet deep when it's forty and understanding that makes me feel like I'm flying...in a canoe, which is unnatural.

quote crumpman: "
Russell Lake"

Whoa, Crumpman! That's crazy smooth.

To have perfect calm waters, you need to have no wind. Often in the early AM, late evening PM or overnight. To get that during the day, you are likely in the center of a high pressure system. often shown on weather maps as a "H" standing for "high".

On my first BW trip which was with a scout group in 1989, we paddled the Q Agnes Lake from the Silence portage area starting at around 3:00 AM in August. Full moon, northern lights, and "glass" to paddle on. Everything was reflected perfectly. Sun up later to boot.

Even Saganaga can calm down sometimes! About 9 AM in 2014, near Munker Narrows

Here's another from the same trip, maybe 6:30 AM, from Englishman Island.

Headed up a good stretch of Sturgeon on our way to Oliphant one morning. It was magical and Kip caught the mood with this photo. I believe that is Blueberry Island.

crocodile lake

Basswood Lake during the Pagami Creek fire in 2011. Dead calm and smelled like smoke.

Had few of them during my life a joy for sure.

I really life fishing the clam before dark always enjoyable.

I fear the wind in the woods and on the water more than anything else out there.

What did you catch the whitefish on?

quote QueticoMike: "I fear the wind in the woods and on the water more than anything else out there.


What did you catch the whitefish on?"

Caught them on a panther martin spinner,either black or yellow. It would of been awesome if I had a fly rod and flies.

They actually tasted very good.

East Bearskin, 8/9/17

Love those reflection pictures. Just can't get enough of them.

quote nojobro: "East Bearskin, 8/9/17


"

That is one of the few lakes in the BWCA haven't been to yet. Beautiful.

another reflection one for pinetree

Those are some awesome pictures!

quote DanCooke: "





"

If that whole gear making thing doesn't work out looks like you might make a decent, understatement, photographer. Awesome.

Maybe another thread should be what you had to find your way through to get those very calm days.

Stayed at a friends cabin on Ely island on Lake Vermilion this weekend. Had a nice calm paddle from Stuntz bay to the island Friday night, and a calm paddle from the island back to Stuntz bay Sunday morning.

What a blessing to have calm waters all weekend on such a big lake.

quote IceColdGold: "Stayed at a friends cabin on Ely island on Lake Vermilion this weekend. Had a nice calm paddle from Stuntz bay to the island Friday night, and a calm paddle from the island back to Stuntz bay Sunday morning.


What a blessing to have calm waters all weekend on such a big lake."

This last three weeks in my Brainerd area there has been almost zero wind. That is a long stretch.

quote DanCooke: "Maybe another thread should be what you had to find your way through to get those very calm days.
"

But I don't take pics then; too busy paddlin'

:)

i've traveled seagull many times and seen it like glass twice when entering from rog or alpine and of course by the time we got to the east landing we were in 2' white caps, go figure ;) ,,, it can change very fast in canoe country :( ,,, 1 time i even mentioned to my group i've only seen seagull like this once before , so we better get going right away , and they were like why , well they found out why .

quote shock: "i've traveled seagull many times and seen it like glass twice when entering from rog or alpine and of course by the time we got to the east landing we were in 2' white caps, go figure ;) ,,, it can change very fast in canoe country :( ,,, 1 time i even mentioned to my group i've only seen seagull like this once before , so we better get going right away , and they were like why , well they found out why ."

That happened to me on Basswood,we came out of North bay in Canada and it was super dead calm,got to Washington bay of Basswood and the wind came up so strong all at once we had to stop behind a very small Island and wait till dark to move on.

Love those pictures of dead calm and paddling. It is so neat when you have a efficient paddle stroke and you can see the canoe cut through the water and just coast.
Lets see some of those reflection pictures of the water paddling away or just nice reflection pictures. West end of Rose lake.


Yes nice calm waters edge campsite pictures also. I am not fussy.

sorry, couldn’t help myself

Caught these two paddling the mighty miss this morning...
Very calm but good current because of a storm we had last night.

You very seldom see Basswood like this.

nctry: "



Caught these two paddling the mighty miss this morning...
Very calm but good current because of a storm we had last night."

by
I just love to see the little wakes created behind a canoe.

moosedoggie: "


You very seldom see Basswood like this."

No more than once I had to pull the canoe off the water in the Washington arm of Basswood.
You get a calm day of leisure paddling or dragging a lure behind on a day like that. Life doesn't get any better. Except you throw in fall colors and a few leaves floating around.

Had a calm day on Burntside a few years back with just a slow gentle swell on the way in. Of course on the way out a few days later it was far different.

And to think I was just a few miles away going to Mexican Hat.

And to think I was just a few miles away going to Mexican Hat.

Sounds like bliss.

Pinetree: "

quote walllee: " it is magical when the water is so calm... Lake Superior at Grand Marais a couple weeks ago.."

I canoed lake Superior by Tettachoue(sp) park one time and I thought it was dead calm but it still had those undualating(sp) slow waves only a lake it size could have. What was weird to me was here I am in like 40 feet of water and the water is so clear it felt like I was on top of a clean clear glass panel. It felt so weird and like my balance wasn't quite right."

Sounds like heaven.

Pinetree: "

nctry: "




Caught these two paddling the mighty miss this morning...
Very calm but good current because of a storm we had last night."

by
I just love to see the little wakes created behind a canoe."

These two were like they were training for a race or something. Looked very familiar.

Man, such cool photos. Thanks all for sharing. Makes me think I should start bringing a camera.

August of 1989: Scouts were located on S chain in the Q. We were directly in the center of the "H" of a large high pressure center. The absolute calm we were under was not to be forgotten soon. We left camp on Lake Agnes at 3:00 AM in those conditions and wide glass surface of the lake which reflected the tree line across the lake and we had the benefit of a full moon which had eclipsed just after sundown. Add to that a very nice viewing of the northern lights until near daybreak and this is unequalled since then for me. Breakfast at Louisa Falls.

Too amazing to be true? Check it out in weather or lunar history or possibly someone here was in this high pressure system also.

rtallent: " "

Looks like a little fog there,very nice. Looks like big water?
I think it is very neat to paddle on a dead calm day in the morning where the fog is so thick maybe you can see a few feet and hope your going the right direction. Something mystic about that.

A couple views from my canoe on glass water:

(The four photos are two views taken at different times on consecutive days.)

KarlBAndersen1: "A couple views from my canoe on glass water:

(The four photos are two views taken at different times on consecutive days.)











"

Very nice,
The treeline reflection reminds me of trolling in one of my favorite lakes just about on the edge or tip of the pine tree reflection in the water. Very neat and it seems like the whole natural world is relaxed at peace with itself.

Calm at dawn and dusk are fairly common but a calm day in the BWCA is one to be treasured, except maybe if its 94 and humid:).

MN is a fairly windy state, 11th windiest if I remember correctly (White Wolf?)

Have you ever gotten in the watter when it is like this? Put your eyes at the surface you can see all the way across the lake. It is an awe inspiring sight. Even seeing it I have a hard time grasping how flat and level it is.