Hello everyone!

My group of friends and I have been going to the BWCA every year for about eight years now. We have spanned the majority of the BWCA including very secluded lakes.

We’re looking for stories and reports of past trips anyone has had and routes.

What are the lakes everyone has bad the best luck for fishing?

Thanks for the input in advance.

Knife is good. :)

I agree. Good all species fishery.

Basswood has some big fish. The 4 biggest fish I ever caught up there, walleye, smallmouth, lake trout and pike have all come out of this lake over the years.

Ssshhhhhhh

We have spent a lot of time on Knife and had some pretty good luck.

What time of year did you go?

You might want to peruse the trip reports on this site, as you'll be able to read about all kinds of people taking all kinds of trips to all kinds of places.

Plus, what do YOU think is the best fishing lake? :)

Not a good idea to post online.

For good fishing I steer clear of the BWCA. No sense going much further north than Grand Rapids as the fishing gets progressively worse heading north. Save the hassle and stay on Mille Lacs or Winny and you'll do much better than the BWCA.

old_salt: "Not a good idea to post online."

Seagull, Knife, Tuscarora, Crooked, Sarah, Gillis, Gabimichigami, Ogishkemuncie, Cherry, Hanson, and Clarke.

Dewey, Cheatum and Howe as well.

CityFisher74: "For good fishing I steer clear of the BWCA. No sense going much further north than Grand Rapids as the fishing gets progressively worse heading north. Save the hassle and stay on Mille Lacs or Winny and you'll do much better than the BWCA."

I agree wholeheartedly. Absolutely no need to go through all of the trouble of the BWCA when the fishing is better outside. :)

Fishin Mitch: "Hello everyone!

My group of friends and I have been going to the BWCA every year for about eight years now. We have spanned the majority of the BWCA including very secluded lakes.

We’re looking for stories and reports of past trips anyone has had and routes.

What are the lakes everyone has bad the best luck for fishing?

Thanks for the input in advance. "

What are your favorite lakes if you've been all over including secluded lakes? Most of my suggestions have already been mentioned

Still haven’t found it but, I’m still looking every year. We’ve been on some great fishing trips on fantastic lakes and yet this year we’re going somewhere new to us. For us, we enjoy some of the adventure, self discovery (good and bad) and enjoyment of back country fishing. Yes, we do research as much as possible the targeted fishing lakes before we decide on a trip plan. If there was One Best lake and it was common knowledge we would need line tickets to portage in. Conversely, we’ve done plenty of fly in and drive in fishing camp trips in Ontario where the fishing was a slam dunk but, we soon discovered the fun is in the adventure. Enjoy the journey. I leave you with this. Big water with good flowage will generally be sustainable fisheries. Small water with limited flow generally lack the biological requirements to be a sustainable fishery with any significant fishing pressure. That said we really dislike camping on big water (wind bound). Good luck.

My favorites so far are lake Thomas, Alice, and knife.

Question for the guys saying that the bwca isn’t worth it... why y’all on the bwca website then if it ain’t worth it!?!? Maybe not to you, but it might be worth it to some. Just a thought

TheMadPaddler: "Question for the guys saying that the bwca isn’t worth it... why y’all on the bwca website then if it ain’t worth it!?!? Maybe not to you, but it might be worth it to some. Just a thought "

So, because the name of the site is bwca, that’s all anyone can discuss here? Why are there forums for anything and everything? Just wondering...

I know of lots of great places to fish, but won’t post them here or anywhere. Sweat equity is the best source of information.

TheMadPaddler: "Question for the guys saying that the bwca isn’t worth it... why y’all on the bwca website then if it ain’t worth it!?!? Maybe not to you, but it might be worth it to some. Just a thought "

They waz jokin, brah! I see your pics... You know where the fish are ;)

-Smallmouth: Kawishiwi River in the Malberg-Fishdance areas, including all of Malberg.
All other species refuse to bite my hooks. ;)

i dont mind sharing BW info like seagull and knife lake are great fisheries (it's really not a secret) , but you wont get much brookie info on here ;) or my local lake, as far as where i fish ;)

mvillasuso: "

TheMadPaddler: "Question for the guys saying that the bwca isn’t worth it... why y’all on the bwca website then if it ain’t worth it!?!? Maybe not to you, but it might be worth it to some. Just a thought "

They waz jokin, brah! I see your pics... You know where the fish are ;)


-Smallmouth: Kawishiwi River in the Malberg-Fishdance areas, including all of Malberg.
All other species refuse to bite my hooks. ;)"

But it is true that Quetico isn't worth fishing anymore. Never going back there again. Too many people and the fish are small and few. Just not worth all of the time and money spent on a Quetico trip. Stay on the American side.

Psa: there are no fish in the bwca. Mine we just needles in a haystack! ??

The best lake is the one you look at on map and say yup let’s try here. When you do catch fish it’s a bonus :) If you find 8” crappies please don’t post the lake name online. It’s more fun when you find that lake by yourself. My 2c.

QueticoMike: "

mvillasuso: "

TheMadPaddler: "Question for the guys saying that the bwca isn’t worth it... why y’all on the bwca website then if it ain’t worth it!?!? Maybe not to you, but it might be worth it to some. Just a thought "

They waz jokin, brah! I see your pics... You know where the fish are ;)



-Smallmouth: Kawishiwi River in the Malberg-Fishdance areas, including all of Malberg.
All other species refuse to bite my hooks. ;)"

But it is true that Quetico isn't worth fishing anymore. Never going back there again. Too many people and the fish are small and few. Just not worth all of the time and money spent on a Quetico trip. Stay on the American side."

Yeah Mike, It's really strange how you cross the border in to Canada and the poor fishing just gets worse. I guess I go up there because I'm just a social guy and hate to be alone on a canoe trip. The noise does tend to keep one up at night. I think Voyagers National Park is the hot fishing spot right now.

mgraber: "

QueticoMike: "

mvillasuso: "

TheMadPaddler: "Question for the guys saying that the bwca isn’t worth it... why y’all on the bwca website then if it ain’t worth it!?!? Maybe not to you, but it might be worth it to some. Just a thought "

They waz jokin, brah! I see your pics... You know where the fish are ;)



-Smallmouth: Kawishiwi River in the Malberg-Fishdance areas, including all of Malberg.
All other species refuse to bite my hooks. ;)"

But it is true that Quetico isn't worth fishing anymore. Never going back there again. Too many people and the fish are small and few. Just not worth all of the time and money spent on a Quetico trip. Stay on the American side."

Yeah Mike, It's really strange how you cross the border in to Canada and the poor fishing just gets worse. I guess I go up there because I'm just a social guy and hate to be alone on a canoe trip. The noise does tend to keep one up at night. I think Voyagers National Park is the hot fishing spot right now."

I heard fishing off of the houseboats can be really good there.

As always, when you fish the shoreline, you turn your back on 90% of the fish.

I like Secluded Lake.

There is fish up there?

As long as you don’t look at the shore.....

I know there's more than 10,000 lakes in Minnesota, but I've read the names of at least 9,800 of them, and still can't find a "Lake X".

From what I've read, Lac LaCroix, while large, is a hell of a fishery.

schweady: "I like Secluded Lake.
"

It's also known as Lake Bliss, but you have to endure the Portage of Suffering to reach it.

analyzer: "From what I've read, Lac LaCroix, while large, is a hell of a fishery."

If you want to find big fish, fish big water.

QueticoMike: "

analyzer: "From what I've read, Lac LaCroix, while large, is a hell of a fishery."

If you want to find big fish, fish big water."

true but some smaller lakes with the right make up , meaning depth/cool water-oxygen-forage base can be sleepers.

QueticoMike: "

analyzer: "From what I've read, Lac LaCroix, while large, is a hell of a fishery."

If you want to find big fish, fish big water."

Well, sorta, kinda. I caught my first 40-plus inch pike in a near pond and that tiny lake produced other pike in the mid-thirty inch range in just one afternoon of fishing.

I have caught big fish in small waters in the past, but on average the biggest fish I encounter on each trip come from the larger lakes.

Once again for affect. Big water with good flowage will generally be sustainable fisheries. Small water with limited flow generally lack the biological requirements to be a sustainable fishery with any significant fishing pressure. Straight from a Ontario MNR fishery biologist. My trips, time and money are based on this axiom. Hasn't let me down.

I haven't fished many of the best spots but I've done some research. Feel free to add to my list if you know something I don't.

1. Basswood - World Class Smallmouth fishery, Giant Pike, Some trophy walleye, good numbers of eaters. I've heard of big crappies and sunfish and even decent Largemouth Bass. to the North there are some Lakers.

2. Saganaga - Known mostly for Trophy Walleye, Some big pike, good lake trout and decent smallmouth fishing.

3. Crooked - Big Pike, great Smallmouth fishing, and decent walleye and lake Trout.

4. Lac La Croix - Has some monster Lake Trout, and some big pike. and good smallmouth.

5. Sea Gull - Another Trophy walleye lake with good fishing all the way around.

QueticoMike: "I have caught big fish in small waters in the past, but on average the biggest fish I encounter on each trip come from the larger lakes."

Eh, what would I know? I avoid the big lakes because planes can land on them and the wind can preclude fishing. This pike was caught on a little lake and I've caught plenty of other pike its size on even smaller lakes, but there might be 48-inchers in the big lakes I just won't fish because I'm fraidy.

CityFisher74: "For good fishing I steer clear of the BWCA. No sense going much further north than Grand Rapids as the fishing gets progressively worse heading north. Save the hassle and stay on Mille Lacs or Winny and you'll do much better than the BWCA."

2 thumbs up. I like your strategy.

missmolly: "

QueticoMike: "I have caught big fish in small waters in the past, but on average the biggest fish I encounter on each trip come from the larger lakes."

Eh, what would I know? I avoid the big lakes because planes can land on them and the wind can preclude fishing. This pike was caught on a little lake and I've caught plenty of other pike its size on even smaller lakes, but there might be 48-inchers in the big lakes I just won't fish because I'm fraidy.

"

The biggest pike out of Basswood Lake is 45 pounds 12 oz. That would be fun pulling one of those into a canoe :)

Been to many.... Poohba still is at the top of the list , and I think will be forever. It’s a Quetico lake , so not necessarily bwca.

QueticoMike: "

missmolly: "

QueticoMike: "I have caught big fish in small waters in the past, but on average the biggest fish I encounter on each trip come from the larger lakes."

Eh, what would I know? I avoid the big lakes because planes can land on them and the wind can preclude fishing. This pike was caught on a little lake and I've caught plenty of other pike its size on even smaller lakes, but there might be 48-inchers in the big lakes I just won't fish because I'm fraidy.


"

The biggest pike out of Basswood Lake is 45 pounds 12 oz. That would be fun pulling one of those into a canoe :)"

yes in 1929 , on a bassoreno , a long standing record. who knows how true to weight it really was back in 1929 ? but it's not going to change.

QueticoMike: "

missmolly: "

QueticoMike: "I have caught big fish in small waters in the past, but on average the biggest fish I encounter on each trip come from the larger lakes."

Eh, what would I know? I avoid the big lakes because planes can land on them and the wind can preclude fishing. This pike was caught on a little lake and I've caught plenty of other pike its size on even smaller lakes, but there might be 48-inchers in the big lakes I just won't fish because I'm fraidy.


"

The biggest pike out of Basswood Lake is 45 pounds 12 oz. That would be fun pulling one of those into a canoe :)"

yes in 1929 , on a bassoreno , a long standing record. who knows how true to weight it really was back in 1929 ? but it's not going to change, and probably never be broken.

double post

shock: "i dont mind sharing BW info like seagull and knife lake are great fisheries (it's really not a secret) , but you wont get much brookie info on here ;) or my local lake, as far as where i fish ;) "

+1