I'd like to take my 9-year-old up this summer for his first BWCA trip. The problem is we won't have a lot of time. I just got a new job so I won't have much vacation accrued yet. I was thinking about taking off a Friday and heading up to Ely on Thursday night (live in the cities).

I'd love to be able to go to a lake that wouldn't require a ton of portaging (as I'll be doing most all of it), and has good fishing. I'd like to maximize our time to fish as my son is bonkers about it. Being as the trip would have two travel days and only one full day in the BW, we would only be looking to camp at one site.

So all that said, does anyone have any suggestions on an EP or lake? I'd really appreciate any help you can offer.

Thanks!

Get a tow to Washington Island on Basswood. Then paddle up to US point and camp there. Then paddle back to PP and get a tow from there or paddle back to parking lot. No portaging involved and with the tow you will have more time to fish.

I can't really help with the Ely side, but from the Twin Cities, it is about the same amount of drive time to get to the Gunflint Trail. A trip that I would recommend is entering at East Bearskin Lake, E.P. #64. Paddle the length of the lake and take the short portage into Alder Lake. (Two years ago our party encountered a cow moose and her calf close to this portage). Camp on Alder or take another very short portage into Canoe Lake . We caught an abundance of walleyes from the peninsula campsite #706 on Alder. This is a sweet campsite with two canoe landings (one in front and the other on the east side of the point). If that site occupied, check out #705 directly across the lake from that one.

If you feel adventurous, park your canoe off to the side of the Canoe to Pine Lake portage trail and walk to Johnson Falls. This is an easy trip with little portaging, good fishing and great scenery.

Wood is a good option. One 1/2mile portage that is mostly flat to gentle ups and downs in a few places. Good fishing overall and decent to good campsites.

Similar to Grey Wolf's suggestion, my idea would be to leave from that same E. Bearskin entry point and paddle about 30 minutes to a 95-100 rod portage south into Crocodile Lake. This is essentially a dead end lake so typically is not real busy. But the walleye fishing is very good and about as easy as you will ever find. Also big perch and an occasional pike. The second campsite going west to east is sweet and the 4th down in the narrows is nice too. All are "doable.

Great seclusion, great fishing, good chances for wildlife sightings and you can be in camp a few hours from the car. It has quite a reputation for walleye fishing.
if you have any interest, you would need to book entry point 66 permit, not EP 64. Here is a report from my trip several years ago:



Crocodile Lake

Big Moose or Crocodile would probably be my choices. I got some spots on both that would get you guys some Walleye for the frying pan. Could have your camp set up in time for brunch at either lake if you start early.

I did Crocodile with my older daughter at age 11 two years ago at the end of July into the beginning of August and had the lake to ourselves. It's a good trip with a kid and gives you a quiet lake without much effort. Eater size walleye were pretty easy to catch.

Thanks for the ideas guys. They'll give me something to research.

Wallee, I've been to Big Moose twice and am considering it, but we've been windbound before on that lake and am a little worried about that happening again as my son wouldn't be overly helpful in the bow.

walleyevision: "Thanks for the ideas guys. They'll give me something to research.

Wallee, I've been to Big Moose twice and am considering it, but we've been windbound before on that lake and am a little worried about that happening again as my son wouldn't be overly helpful in the bow."

Indeed, I had two days of wind so bad I couldn’t even leave camp. The weird thing is it blew just as hard at night as it blew in the daytime. Haven’t experienced anything like that since.

I think I was in the same boat you are now for half of my last trips. Only my son and I going. I chose locations close to Ely for cell phone reception, keeping Mom at home appeased with a text now and then. These are the 4 trips that fit that cell phone connection requirement:

My first trip with just the two of us was Wood Lake. Lazily took the first campsite on the left. It was great, when the wind blew toward camp we even caught walleye from shore. Daytripped through Hula, Good, Good Creek into Basswood to see old logging remains and add some fishing adventures.

Little Gabbro to Gabbro was next. Great fishing. Didn't paddle up the fast water out Little Gabbro with him. The entry portage felt similar to Wood, maybe a bit harder.

Fall Lake (drop in entry point) then portage to Ella Hall. If you happen to have portage wheels, this is an easy one and they are allowed on the portage to Ella Hall. It is just an easy flat walk down a railroad bed. (It is long enough that I wish we had wheels.) Caught LM and SM bass depending on the substrate as we drifted across the NW corner. Caught Northern Pike here and there. Visited Ella's grave site on the small island. 2 decent campsites, 1 OK and 1 bad there.

South Kawishiwi River: Entry Portage similar to Little Gabbro but maybe a bit rockier. Barely any current, beautiful place. Caught bass and even crappie.

One option we did when my son was 6 was Slim Lake, which is entry point 6. Dead end, no real trip options, but it was an adventure for both of us. Close to Ely too.

Drove up, slept in a parking lot overnight and got our permit in the morning and went and had some fun.