what has been your favorite base camp? I am looking for a base camp that I could paddle to in one day with plenty of opportunities for day trips and good fishing. Thanks

Back in 2011 we spent a lot of our week at 628 on Gaskin Lake (Used Lizz entry 47 from Poplar lake) I think it took us right at 4 hours, maybe 4.5 hours to get there and it was an really good site. Lots of good tent pads and hammock areas, good fire pit and the "throne" was a reasonable walk down the trail. We have this one marked as a top pick for another trip up the Gunflint this coming June. Got some awesome photos from this location as well. So, not knowing where you want to enter - that would be one suggestion. It's a beautiful area.

Thanks,
I'm open to enter anywhere. I will check it out!

Number lakes, Perent Lake -entry in Hog Creek, Snowbank to Ima, Moose lake to Ensign

Thomas Lake and Western are two of my favorites.

In 2015 we base camped on South Temperance. Came in at Baker Lake EP39. Great campsite on the south end and some decent fishing. I wouldn't mind going back.

IndyScouters: "Back in 2011 we spent a lot of our week at 628 on Gaskin Lake (Used Lizz entry 47 from Poplar lake) I think it took us right at 4 hours, maybe 4.5 hours to get there and it was an really good site. Lots of good tent pads and hammock areas, good fire pit and the "throne" was a reasonable walk down the trail. We have this one marked as a top pick for another trip up the Gunflint this coming June. Got some awesome photos from this location as well. So, not knowing where you want to enter - that would be one suggestion. It's a beautiful area.


"

+1

Knife. Take an early tow and you'll be near Dorothy' s Island by noon and weather permitting to the South Arm by 2. Finding a campsite can be tough but once your set up the opportunities are plentiful. As far as multi species and the chance for a trophy fish any cast Knife makes a very short list of BW lakes.

16 up to LLC....Tiger or Boulder Bay areas. Lots to see and places to fish. Day trips to Iron or Curtain Falls. Other choice would be Insula.

Love that area! Been there the last two years

cowdoc: "16 up to LLC....Tiger or Boulder Bay areas. Lots to see and places to fish. Day trips to Iron or Curtain Falls. Other choice would be Insula."

+1 great idea

Saganaga fits your bill with many possibilities, if you don't mind a big lake and a couple motorboats and watch the wind. The south site of Englishman Island was a good one for us, as was the island just outside Saganaga Falls. Probably the best was outside of the motor zone on the 2nd bay which opened up opportunities for day trips to Zephyr, Ottertrack, and Ester Lakes. We struggled fishing but did catch some good bass and a few northern. I think the ultimate problem there was the fisherman and not the fish!

We really enjoyed staying on Fourtown out of Mudro. Lots of day trip options out of there!

Trout Lake into Pine is easy with good fishing.

North end of Agnes, with day trip option to LLC's pictographs.
...BTW: Is Agnes still dealing with a higher-than-usual frequency of bear encounters? Seems like a few stories have centered there during the past couple of years.

My choices have been listed. But if you can, the further you can get in the better. Ensign was a favorite back when Dorothy was on knife. It was a treat to day trip from ensign for that bottle of root beer.

nctry: "My choices have been listed. But if you can, the further you can get in the better. Ensign was a favorite back when Dorothy was on knife. It was a treat to day trip from ensign for that bottle of root beer."

Yes,and a couple options N and a couple South. Easy first day setting up and days to Ashigan,Boot,Vera or NNW to ?Trident> maybe.

schweady: "North end of Agnes, with day trip option to LLC's pictographs.
...BTW: Is Agnes still dealing with a higher-than-usual frequency of bear encounters? Seems like a few stories have centered there during the past couple of years.
"

Dad and I stayed there a night once. Nice, pretty area, good fishing, gem of a site/1803.

Enjoyed base-camping on Alpine on the Gunflint side in 2016...you can go north a 40 rod portage into Red Rock, a decent fishing lake, then a short 7 rod portage into Red Rock Bay.

You can also go East , a 100 rod portage into Seagull and some bigger water.

Also can go south into Jasper, Kingfisher and Ogish. About 50% of this trip was in a burn area, and 50% unaffected by fire, so you can see the differences in the areas. All these are decent fishing lakes.

Last year I stayed at the campsite on the north end of Vernon located next to the steam and it had a path to the waterfall. Very nice spot where you can listen to the water flow all night long. We had a clear night and lucked out with a meteor shower, tiny ones you probably wouldn't be able to see in a city. We went out on the rocks in the middle of the stream and sat with our feet in the water smoking cigars, drinking brandy, and stared at the stars. I would go there again.

Waterfall is also a sweet area to explore. Boulders the size of houses on the up hill side.