BWCA Mudro/Sandpit/Tin Can Mike, VS. Snowbank, Parent, Dissapointment Boundary Waters Trip Planning Forum
Chat Rooms (0 Chatting)  |  Search  |   Login/Join
* For the benefit of the community, commercial posting is not allowed.
Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
   Trip Planning Forum
      Mudro/Sandpit/Tin Can Mike, VS. Snowbank, Parent, Dissapointment     
 Forum Sponsor

Author

Text

12/20/2017 07:32PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Planning our 2018 trip, and we're planning on taking things easier this year/not as much travel.

For those of you familiar with the Ely area... (cos this trip will be DEFINITELY out of Ely... )

1.) Mudro/Sandpit/Tin Can Mike
2.) Snowbank/Parent/Disappointment
3.) S. Hegman over to Little Bass

We're up for fishing anything that bites really and have had luck with sunnies on Mudro in the past... (we like those).

If we're up for cozy and small lakes, nice campsites - with some fishing that might entertain where would you go between these three?

We're up for SMALL lakes w/o tons of travel, so no LIS N to the lakes N of Loon...

Ready: Go!

 
Reply    Reply with Quote    Print Top Bottom Previous Next
schweady
distinguished member(8071)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
12/20/2017 08:36PM  
I might suggest
Little Gabbro-Gabbro-Bald Eagle
or
Ojibway-Triangle-North Kawishiwi River

Excellent walleye fishing, all. Fairly small-sized lakes/wide river. Not exactly isolated areas, but low permit numbers per day at both EPs.
12/20/2017 10:07PM  
I've heard little Gabbro, Gabbro is as busy as Lake Minnetonka... True or not true?
I've had my eye on Gabbro a few times actually!

I like the consideration!
Bdubr
distinguished member (190)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
12/21/2017 08:28AM  
I too like the idea of heading to Little Gabbro/Gabbro/Bald Eagle. Very easy trip with good fishing and decent scenery. Yes, this area can get “busy”, but it depends a lot on time of year and what day of the week you enter. There are plenty of campsites available, so finding a nice spot to pitch a tent shouldn’t be an issue. You could also do a day trip up to Kawishiwi River, or do a loop from Bald Eagle through Gull, Clearwater, and Turtle. Pretty good fishing in those lakes as well...

If I were to choose from your stated routes above, I would enter via Mudro. This is a very popular area as well (same as Snowbank and Disappointment) but there are some good sites and good fishing all over. The portages to Fourtown aren’t super easy due to rocks and frequent load/unload of canoe, but still very doable.
If you headed east through sandpit, tin can mike and into Horse, this route also offers good day trips and good fishing. The Portage from Mudro to Sandpit will really wake you up. It’s a mountain goat trail....
12/21/2017 02:53PM  
I've been to all of the places you mentioned. Here's some potage info.The Portage from Snowbank to Disappointment is pretty mellow. Don't let the length deter you. Snowbank can get windy. Get on there in the morning. The Portage from Mudro to Sandpit is a bit rocky in some parts but not really bad. The long portage from Sandpit to Tin Can Mike lake is flat and easy. You'll have one long portage to Little Gabro, then lots of options from there. It was in the early 90s when I was there. I don't recall it being too bad
schweady
distinguished member(8071)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
12/21/2017 08:22PM  
BasecampMom: "I've heard little Gabbro, Gabbro is as busy as Lake Minnetonka... True or not true?..."

Not true. My wife and I were there last July and the majority of the people we saw were in the late morning/early afternoon, paddling by our camp in the rain, looking to see if our site (maybe the best on the lake) was open. I didn't sense a panic over an overly-crowded lake with no sites left, just disappointment that this one was taken and more wet paddling ahead. While out collecting firewood or doing some fishing on our 4 day basecamp, I don't recall seeing any other people on the water. Two occupied sites that we noticed. We heard one group at a nearby site, but nothing bad. Even on that long entry portage, it was maybe one group met each day, entering and leaving.

The one thing that had bothered me on Gabbro in recent years is hearing that constant banging from the drilling of test cores for the copper mine. That seems to have subsided, but if operations begin there again (it's only a mile away, maybe) Gabbro might no longer be much of a good choice.

Gabbro is one of those dependable BWCA lakes that I can say I have never been skunked when out after walleye. Jinx!

12/21/2017 08:48PM  
I should preface by saying we've done Mudro up to Gun
Last year we did Crab lake a 420 rod so distance doesn't really deter us
We've done LIS to Lynx
Snowbank to Parent (in the winter)
and Poplar to Horseshoe down to Vista.

Man! Now I'm really interested in Gabbro! I almost did this trip last year, and ended up pulling the trigger on Crab... so yeah... Gabbro it is! We usually camp in the "Shoulder Months" so I'm thinking we'll be OKAY... any specific sites you'd recommend for a base camp?

How is Gabbro for Hammock Camping? Or should we bring the tent?
pastorjsackett
distinguished member(1204)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
12/22/2017 07:05AM  
I know others may disagree but Snowbank is my least favorite entry. The lake is big and I've never had great fishing over there on those lakes. But I'm sure that's my fault!

Given your interest in smaller lakes, I would choose Mudro but then turn up and go to Boot, Gun, Gull, Fairy area. It's a bit of a dead end chain with less traffic and the fishing is pretty good up there. Lots of options.

Good luck!
 
Reply    Reply with Quote    Print Top Bottom Previous Next