This may get flagged as off topic, but -- I'm curious about paddling trips that would be similar to a Quetico paddling trip, but not inside the park.

Specifically, I'm wondering about big-lake trips that wouldn't require much portaging (because I'm using a kayak). In an ideal world, 2 or 3 big lakes connected by short portages, with great fishing. One can dream. :)

Has anyone paddled and camped on White Otter Lake, for instance? Is there motorized traffic and fishing pressure there? It looks like you could drive right up to Clearwater West lake and then do a tiny portage onto White Otter.

That said, I just visited a site that said Turtle River provincial park is closed. Hope that is temporary -- and hope similar closure won't apply to Quetico again.

Turtle River PP is non-operational, not closed. You can still travel in the area, but if you are not a resident of Canada, you will need to purchase camping permits or rent equipment from a Canadian outfitter. Even with a permit, there are areas where non residents are not allowed to camp known as green zones.

I would suggest using the services of an outfitter for route guidance and to pay the proper fees, if required.

Please be aware I am not the expert on this as I have not paddled in this area in decades. I am going through the same planning process and my understanding of some of the logistics of travel in this area may be incorrect.

Hope this is of some help.
Don

Luckee: "This may get flagged as off topic, but -- I'm curious about paddling trips that would be similar to a Quetico paddling trip, but not inside the park.

Specifically, I'm wondering about big-lake trips that wouldn't require much portaging (because I'm using a kayak). In an ideal world, 2 or 3 big lakes connected by short portages, with great fishing. One can dream. :)

Has anyone paddled and camped on White Otter Lake, for instance? Is there motorized traffic and fishing pressure there? It looks like you could drive right up to Clearwater West lake and then do a tiny portage onto White Otter.

That said, I just visited a site that said Turtle River provincial park is closed. Hope that is temporary -- and hope similar closure won't apply to Quetico again."

Wabakimi is only 2 hours further drive than Atikoken. Has many different route options. Incredible fishing.

Clearwater and White Otter in the TRPP area do fit your bill. Note that White Otter Lake itself is one of those places with a delayed fishing opener in mid-June (the other lakes open at the regular time). That said...great fishing, including world-class lakers on Clearwater.

There's a resort - Brown's Clearwater West Lodge - where you could probably pay a modest fee to park. No idea if they rent equipment. They used to also offer water shuttle services, including all the way up to White Otter Castle. Again, not sure of the current lay of the land.

Indeed, easy portage from Clearwater to White Otter. They also run a mechanical (truck) portage for motors.

You would likely see some powerboats; we saw none after Clearwater but were there before the delayed opener on White Otter.

There is also a point where you can access Clearwater via a short portage (100 meters) on the east side. Park along Clearwater West (get as far over as you can; logging trucks likely cruise past) & the portage drops you into that channel that is obvious on the maps.

And - there is a rougher access road directly to White Otter, off of Clearwater West Rd. It's unmarked (or was), 14 or 15 Km from the turn at Hwy 622. You'd want a vehicle with higher clearance (grocery-getter SUV is probably fine). And as I discovered in the first few days of June some years back...a saw might be handy if you are the first one in that year (think I cleared a dozen deadfalls). Surprisingly big parking area and launch at the end of that road gets you into the Southeast part of White Otter.

Finally, I called the Park Superintendent, and he sent me a nice map with campsites and portages. Useful, though not greatly detailed.

I'm a fan.

This Doesn’t matter for summer and canoe tripping but I know a snowmobile trail system gets to White Otter Castle. I’ve seen footage of sleds going into it during the winter. I also watched video of a Northern Tier crew paddling into White Otter in the summer. I was surprised by that and can’t imagine why they wouldn’t have gone to Quetico from Northern Tier Atikokan. I do think it would be neat to see the White Otter Castle though.

Wabikimi is on my future list for sure. Forest fires mostly missed them last year.

I’m going to give Woodland Caribou a trip at some point. I want to give that a few years after so much of it burned last year.

Ryan

Great thoughts and responses as always from the folks on this forum -- thanks!

I'm leaning pretty hard toward a trip to White Otter, which looks like it has as many lobes and backwaters as Quetico (unless I just end up going to Quetico via Beaverhouse again), with a possible portage into Nora lake (anyone know about the fishing in there?). However, after an honest attempt to find the special regulations online, I'm coming up empty-handed (full disclosure: I have been working for Google for nearly ten years). Does the season start on the 15th at White Otter?

Not sure if Wabakimi existed back then, but a buddy and I visited that area back when I was 19. We drove a Corolla from Mt. Desert Isle Maine to Lake Nipigon with a canoe on top with the plan to get our program flown into some great fishing. It worked! We did a cabin deal where the outfitter had a motorboat and endless walleye hookups. This was before my kayaking and fly fishing days, but it sure was fun. I actually landed a 2+ foot long pike that had seized my hooked walleye and would not let go -- it fought for almost ten minutes without actually being hooked, and we netted it. I can't even remember the lake's name, though it was somewhere in the "Albany river region" if I recall right.

I also recall, on the long drive back which we did overnight, seeing the most amazing Northern lights of my lifetime. I've seen them a few more times in the 35 years since, but nothing comes anywhere near close. If the civil war that people talk about down here actually happens, I'm escaping to only one place: Ontario.

Luckee: "Does the season start on the 15th at White Otter?"

I believe the answer is yes...

White Otter is a designated fish sanctuary in fisheries management zone 5. Here’s a link to the regulations for that zone. There’s not much information, but maybe you can click around there and find more. https://www.ontario.ca/page/fisheries-management-zone-5-fmz-5

In 2009, I went to Pekagoning Lake, which is part of TRPP. There was a small gravel parking area on 622 where it crosses the river just northwest of Pekagoning. We were using Grumman Sport Boats with small motors so, assuming the motor regulations are the same, you’d encounter some motorboats in the area. However, there look to be many great offshoots for kayaks in the area. The walleye fishing was outstanding.

Pekagoning Lake
https://goo.gl/maps/NbRsS7QQx68RY1Yq5

Oh yup, there it is, down at the bottom of this document: https://www.ontario.ca/document/ontario-fishing-regulations-summary/fisheries-management-zone-5

Closed through June 14, so sns was right. Also noticed that nonresidents are required to follow conservation license rules, which is the way I go anyway. One fish a day for dinner is my limit, and I always pick a walleye when possible :)

Simply out of curiosity, where is Nora Lake? I can’t find it on any of my maps.

jdddl8: "Simply out of curiosity, where is Nora Lake? I can’t find it on any of my maps. "

Nora is just NE of the NW arm of White Otter Lake, pretty close to the castle. Decent sized lake. Part in, part out of the park.

Have you done a portage over into Nora sns? Looks like it's close enough, and I thiiink I see a portage trail on Google Earth -- not along the stream, but a bit further West.

I have not portaged to Nora. Google is not your friend for that part of the park: low-res images.
Try Bing maps aerials & Ontario Fish ON-Line aerials. Both show the portage very clearly so it is likely to be wide-open; my maps says it is 370m.