Hey everyone!

I am so excited to launch my canoe this year, and get adventuring in the BWCA. I am looking for some thoughts by the community:

I went to the Quetico for years, and unfortunately one of my fishing buddies made a mistake and got a DWI here in the states. Now we have been doing the MN side the last few couple years.

I will say, the fishing in the BWCA can be a little more tricky then the Q. Since the Q is less adventured, I can see why that may be. Very easy to catch fish in the Q - (and monster Pike on Red Pine Lake may I add.. ) but its always not as good luck in the BWCA. Here are some tidbits on what we do/where we go.

We have gone in on Mudro, through Ely a couple times. Stayed around lakes by Basswood and smaller lakes. Always have done a loop up through there, trying to get away from the crowd on Basswood, to find more remote areas.

We have a pretty diverse tackle set up. Rapalas, jigs, spoons, everything you name it. Of course I swear by the jig and leach method for about anything, Eyes Small mouth, etc.

Our typical time to go is late May - end of June.

We are thinking maybe of going up through Grand Marais this time, and go through an entry point on the Gun Flint. Anyone have recommendations up through there for mid June?

What I would like to find out is: What are some of the best routes you'd recommend for the BWCA? We are open to anything. We miss the Q very much, but since the BWCA has a lot to offer we know there must be some sweet spots.
We want great fishing, more remote areas/lakes, and great camping experiences. (Theres beauty/scenery everywhere, so I don't have to worry about that!)

Thanks all, and can't wait to kick off the season!!

Justin Lees

Justin,

First, welcome to bwca.com.

Second, Wander through the fishing forum and you'll find lots of great information.

Now for your real question... There is a lot of great fishing in the BWCA. It might be as good as the Q but it is close. Here is how I would approach it:

1. Pick what fish you want to target. If you want Lake trout, look for big, deep lakes. The gunflint side has a lot of those. If you want smallies and walleye, look for shallower lakes. The gunflint side has a lot of those too.

2. Pick your outfitter. I recommend Seagull Outfitters. But there are many good ones. Then, let your outfitter work for you. That is their job and livelihood. And most are very good at it. Tell them what you are looking for and get a few recommendations from them,

3. Research on bwca.com. After you have a couple possible routes from the outfitter, look for trip reports for those routes. See if they sound like what you want. Do bwca.com searches for the lake names given by your outfitter. Read those threads and see if you like what you hear.

4. Think about basecamping. That is to push for a day or two to get to a good lake and then set up camp there. You will catch a lot more fish working and learning a lake than you will paddling your canoe from lake to lake..


All of the above is really part of the fun. Doing the research is what keeps us going during the winter and when we can't be up there...

You're much, much nicer than I am. If/When friends of mine show such a lack of decision-making capabilities, they get to stay home for the Quetico trips. :)

You can do a border trip through Rose/Mountain/Watap, and then loop back west. Good fishing all through the loop. Honestly, in June, it's going to be pretty good most places. Or go in on Seagull or Sag and loop back to your starting point, fishing Knife, Ogish, Eddy, Ottertrack, etc. The fish are everywhere.

Saganaga has the best fishing but it is big water with boat traffic. Knife Lake is a little further out and I've heard there is good fishing there.

Mad_Angler: "Justin,

4. Think about basecamping. That is to push for a day or two to get to a good lake and then set up camp there. You will catch a lot more fish working and learning a lake than you will paddling your canoe from lake to lake..

"

+1

I have only done loops while on fish surveys. It was a terrible amount of work. I really can't imagine leaving a lake with good fishing because I have a schedule to keep. If through some terrible stroke of luck we camp on a fishless lake, it is easier to portage the fishing gear and come back to base camp for dinner. No need to break camp just to fish a new lake.

Sometimes it takes a day to figure out a lake. On one recent trip we could not find a bass to save our life. We had been to this lake before and knew if could produce 18" smallies. Then my dad said, "Could they be spawning right now?"
Sure enough, we changed locations from rocks, to trees over sand and started catching fish on every cast.

Try base camping in a cluster of lakes. You might appreciate the extra fishing time you get, but you will won't have to commit to fishing one lake.

Also, use the MN DNR lake finder website. I have found most of their surveys strangely accurate even when they are really outdated. Their only blindspot is the presence of smallmouth bass. The bass are moving faster than the surveys. If a bass has ever been caught within 5 miles of a lake, they will probably invade it before you get there.