I've been to the Boundary Waters six times in areas spanning from Sawbill to Loon Lake. With that said, I have not yet ventured into the Basswood area, primarily because of the 25 hp motor allowance. I guess I like my nature in it's truest form.

With that being said, I'd still like to check out the Basswood area because I prefer to daycamp vs. travel a big loop and Basswood looks like it has much to offer.

My questions are simple: Are there typically many motors buzzing in the background and how crazy busy is this area in June and/or July?

Our group has done the Basswood basecamp trip five times due to health issues that prevent too much portaging. We got a tow to Washington Island from LaTourells outfitters on Moose Lake each time. We paddled a few miles and set up camp on the US side. We really didn't notice too much boat motor noise during our early June trips unless we were fishing near Washington Island.

The fishing was outstanding with big walleye, smallmouth and northerns. We also got into the lake trout the last couple years trolling purpledescent Rapala Taildancers. We are really looking forward to our next trip here health permitting.

There is significant motorboat traffic from the canoe shuttles all day long from Moose Lake to Prairie Portage. Most of the rest is fairly quiet.

I have been on Basswood just once, going in at Fall Lake. We base camped on Pipestone Bay. There were boats mostly in the morning and again in the evening. Occasionally there would be shuttle boats, but most often they were fisher people on day trips. For the most part, they were gone by 5 or 6 PM.

Although I would prefer that they were not there, they were never so much of an annoyance that I wanted to leave. We camped on the west shore of the bay and the boats were all going in closer to the east shore. And of course if you travel farther north beyond the narrows on the northeast end of Jackfish Bay, you get into the on mother zone.

Thanks for your replies! That helps confirm my hopes that the small motors aren't too much of a noise hindrance.

I've paddled from Prairie Portage to Basswood Falks at least three times and have never been bothered by major boat traffic. I loved it every time.

Are there typically many motors buzzing in the background and how crazy busy is this area in June and/or July?"

I went up for my first ever trip this year in mid-June. I didn't feel it was that bad and we noticed most of the traffic in the morning and before sundown. By traffic, I mean one to three boats. One morning, we watched three head up Pipestone, but they never returned unless they snuck by, but we stayed on Pipestone so we would have heard them.

I have to admit that after the first couple hours paddling and the soreness set in and we realized we overpacked, I would have given about anything for a tow, but I am older and wiser now.

I don't want to rain on the parade but........it is not unusual to see three boats on Basswood in the short 30-40 minute paddle from Prairie to the Sunday or Burke portages. The boats are virtually always headed due west down Basswood. I have made that paddle dozens and dozens of times and feel glad to turn north each time to avoid the boats. Perhaps it is just my bad luck. Or more likely I have a greater aversion to boats than most folks.

From the other perspective, I've only been on Basswood once and it was in a motorboat. (Granted, > 20 years ago). By no means was it a Minocqua or Wisconsin Dells. While there were other motorized boats, it was just a handful and most of us drifted or anchored somewhere and fished. This was before I'd done a canoe camping trip and it seemed so wild and quiet to me. We went in at PP and only ventured west a little past Wind Bay. Had great smallie fishing. Had to get back with the boat so we were gone off Basswood by 5-6pm.

I wouldn't avoid Basswood for a canoe trip because of motor traffic. I'm more likely to go elsewhere just because of the big water (in our boat with a little 15hp, we got pretty wet) but it was a beautiful lake. I'm sure you can still find some quiet seclusion. I assume that, like us, most of the boats were out there on fishing day trips... though I could be wrong.

Thanks Howard! It's good to get perspective from the boating side. It's not that the hum of small motors bothers me that much. It's just that I am traveling ten hours to get to the Boundary Waters so I like to plan with everything in mind.

It sounds to me like the engine sound is minimal enough that I can cope with it and enjoy the Basswood Lake area without any internal complaints.

Hear Hear.

Basswood is a BUSY lake. It is easily accessible due to the motor portage at Prairie. A great deal of activity is day use but can also be busy with overnight stays as well. June/July is peak permit time so expect to see a good may fishermen and boaters.

Bear87: "Basswood is a BUSY lake. It is easily accessible due to the motor portage at Prairie. A great deal of activity is day use but can also be busy with overnight stays as well. June/July is peak permit time so expect to see a good may fishermen and boaters."

Rather exaggerated, there are far fewer motor permits than paddle, and Basswood is a very large lake with much of it in the non motor zone. (The Canadian side is totally non motor!) Much of the motor use on Moose/Newfound/ and Sucker lakes are towboats dispersing canoeists heading for Basswood, Canada, or the knife Lake area.

I agree TGO. If those motor boat tows count toward the fishing boat permits, I say I'm sorry. Eliminate those tow boat permits and add fishing boat permits... wow, that should open a can of worms.

To the tow boat operators... I'm sorry. I understand the making a living thing.

And come to think of it... If you canoeists want to get out past the motor areas, you are actually adding one more boat on the water than is actually needed. Make that two trips - out and back.

Yogi, I understand your concerns but it was a blessing for me to still be able to experience a Boundary Waters type of experience even with physical limitations. The tow to Washington Island made it possible.

BEAR RAID. I do understand your point.I now fish out of a boat due to physical limitations portageing on rocks is not in my best interest.
I propose a happy medium,where most are happy.

Ya can't make em all happy.
The boats that I see up there didn't bother me one bit.try boating on the Mississippi over the 4th of july.

Yogi, That sounds good to me. Thanks

You will most likely see or hear a few boats, particularly near PP. But the majority of the time I suspect you will have peace and quiet. I always have, and I have been through Basswood quite a few times. There are plenty of places to get away from the majority of it. If just seeing a motorboat or hearing one in the distance will ruin your trip as it does for some, then you may not like it. When I want that kind of seclusion, and I sometimes do, I go deep in to Quetico for a couple of weeks. I still very much enjoy Basswood, a very special lake, especially the fishing.

Went to a campsite North of Washington Island and camped on the island East of the falls if I heard any boats I don't remember it. Also camped pretty close to the back bay portage and don't remember boats being an issue.
Stayed on Campers Island on Big Sag and the boats were very irritating, seems that they were going by all day long. Not quite as bad as the Mississippi on labor day however.