BWCA Craig Lake State Park Boundary Waters Trip Planning Forum
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MarshallPrime
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03/23/2018 11:28AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Hello all, We are planning a trip mid July to Craig Lake State Park after our Quetico trip to Kawnipi in early June. This trip will be for the kids. 8-11 year olds, 4 total. I read a few posts on here about Craig Lake but they are older posts and I'm looking for some more info. We want to put the kids on fish so probably mostly Crappie and Pike fishing. That is what I have read are the most common fish in Craig Lake. Adults will focus more on walleye when we have time.
1. Which campsites should we try to get? I think we will try to stay on Craig lake and then do a day trip to Crooked lake.
2. Where do we need to enter the park? I assume we park in the southern parking lot near campsites 11 and 12.
3. What other lakes should we try to fish? Sounded like Claire lake is really good but that is a ways at the other end of the lake. We will have 8-11 year old kids so that might be to far to travel.
4. Any areas you had some success fishing you are willing to share?
5. Any more details you would be willing to share?

thanks for your time
-Matt
 
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OldFingers57
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03/23/2018 05:22PM  
Campsites 2 and 20 up on the NW side are nice and down on the water. The ones over on the SE side are way up on a hill and the climb up from the lake is rather steep. The ones right where you cone in 10 and 12 are nice but are more like a regular campground campsite with nice grass and wide open.
03/24/2018 07:00AM  
I've been here a couple of times and the canoeing is very nice. Easy portages to Clair and Crooked Lakes.
1. I have camped on site 9 and it is pretty good. Plenty of room, but not a real good landing.
2. You enter the park off Hwy US 41. It is about 7 miles to the parking lot. The road was hard to spot, but the Park sign was made larger a few years back... but watch closely for it. The road has been improved, but I would not recommend a car on it. Plenty of parking space at the lot and a downhill portage on closed road to the lake.
3. Go to both lakes on day trips to check them out. Both are nice. I camped at site 14 and it didn't seem used much at all.
4. Fishing success was poor. It was October and walleyes seemed to be about 6". Muskies are rumored.
5. The two cabins are available to rent and look very nice. Plenty of room, rustic. The rocky shore areas, lakes and campsites are very similar to Quetico Park.

Be prepared for MOSQUITOS in July. Lots of them. Big ones!
MarshallPrime
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03/28/2018 02:08PM  
Anyone else been there or have any info about the park?

Thanks to those of you who have shared.
03/28/2018 03:17PM  
I’ve been there once with my wife. When we arrived at the parking lot it was in the afternoon and a storm was just about to beat down on us. There was not a single place to park; the parking lot was overflowing with vehicles. I got frustrated and turned back. We ended up spending the night in Marquette (Cedar Motor Inn) and had breakfast (Sweetwater Café!) before heading back to the parking lot. I think the storm must have convinced some people to pack it up in the morning. We found a parking spot and passed a bunch of people walking up to the parking lot. On the water we saw a few occupied campsites so we portaged over to Crooked Lake. The campsite(s) at the other end of the portage were occupied. We paddled around Crooked Lake and bushwacked a campsite on the point to the west of the “L” of “Crooked Lake” on the DNR map. We did a little fishing and did pretty well for crappie and a few pike. The next morning we packed and went back over to Craig Lake. We decided to stop at an empty campsite to the north of the portage and make lunch. Looking at the map I don’t think it was a #’ed site. At first landing there were several large walleye carcasses in the water. It peaked my interest but it was also not very “leave no trace”. When we entered the camp there was a fire smoking away in the pit. The pit was full of burning trash. To say it was dry and breezy would be an understatement. We put out the fire, said “F this place”, and left. I haven’t been back and it’s only around 2 hours from home. I think it is probably a wonderful place when it’s not being overrun. Maybe I’ll try a fall or spring trip some time. I still haven’t been to a few other places in the area… Sylvania, Big Island Wilderness, or the McCormick tract.
Hex
 
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