I want to plan a trip to the BWCA for June, July or August of next summer to reunite some old friends from around the country -- mostly from Arizona.

Some of my initial thoughts are to:
1) Set up base camp far enough in to get away from the crowds.
2) Find some good smally and walleye fishing. Would not be against having to travel from base camp for the fishing.
3) Set up base camp on a river. Although, I would like to hear advantages and disadvantages of camping on a river bank.

Any ideas for a 3 night, 4 day trip out of Ely?

How do I pick what time of year:
1) When is the fishing good?
2) When are the bugs less prevalent?
3) When is the water warm enough to swim in?
4) What is the rainy season?

Thanks in advance!

I can't really give you any feedback on river side camping, other than to say you might consider checking out the Namakagen in Wisconsin (upper St.Croix). It's not boundary waters, but it's river canoeing/camping and beautiful.

As for your other questions:

How do I pick what time of year:
1) When is the fishing good?

Fishing tends to be better in May and June, especially for walleyes/lakers. Smallies/pike are caught all summer, and might even be a little bit better in warmer water.

2) When are the bugs less prevalent?

Many folks go in May or October to avoid the bugs altogether. But both can be cold, and October has much shorter daylight hours. Bugs especially mosquitos usually start getting bad sometime in early June. Most years mosquitos start tailing off a bit when it gets hot and dry in July and August (but they'll still buzz you pretty good right before dark). But it depends alot on the weather. last summer we had a stretch of cooler damp weather and it brought the mosquitos out in force. Bugs can vary quite a bit from one lake to the next, or even one campsite to the next. Swampy areas are going to hold more mosquitos than drier rocky areas. If you find yourself getting eaten alive in a campsite with not much air circulation, sometimes moving just a few hundred yards, to a wind swept campsite, will help alot. The skeeters like the shade.

3) When is the water warm enough to swim in?

That varies from year to year. But you'll tend to find it more comfortable in July and August.

4) What is the rainy season?

That depends alot too. The weather tends to be more volatile in May and June, and stabilizes a little bit more after the 4th of July. We used to go mid July all the time for better weather. It still rains in July and August, but it's a warm rain, and happens more often after dark, when I'm in the tent, and not as often during the day, when I'm trying to fish, paddle, cook, etc. But I've been up there for 18 days in August, and it rained all or part of every day. So you really just don't know.

This is from Highplainsdrifter in another thread, and exemplifies the tradeoffs...

05/01/2014 02:07PM

Spring (early June):
* plenty of daylight
* the forest is alive and birds calls get you singing along
* leaves just coming out (pretty greens)
* can be cold, but can be hot
* precipitation probably rain, but could see flakes
* ample supply of ticks (treat your clothes)
* black flies could be spotty or terrible (take a head net)
* water is cold
* fishing good
* less people than summer
* trails can be a muddy mess
* plenty of water to float a canoe
* rapids are fun to watch
* fire danger usually low

Fall (late September)
* day length is short
* forest is quiet
* leaves turning (pretty colors)
* can be cold, but can be hot
* precipitation probably rain, but snow sleet or ice pellets common
* very few ticks
* very few black flies
* water is warmish
* fishing so so
* less people than summer
* trails usually dry
* rock gardens are plentiful
* rapids are usually a trickle
* fire danger could be high

This was a comparison between Sept and June. If you are comparing Say Mid July or August to June, it will be similar. Days won't be much shorter, but there will be more people. Families that have kids in sports, often have to wait until the end of July for baseball/softball to be over, and school sports crank back up end of August, so there is a 3 or 4 week stretch there, that tends to be busier people wise.

First off welcome to the site.

My first thoughts would be end of June or 1st part of July.
Or end of August.

The only reason I say those times are your saying friends are mostly from Arizona. the water temps are better for wet footing and swimming
I like early June myself but you can have water temps in the 40's
and ice in the coffee pot.

I grew up in AZ and that's a big shock to the system if their not
geared for it. Just something to think about.

If that's not a issue anytime. It's all good Just have a good time and take lots of pic's.

One warning the BWCA is addicting it could become a annual event.

Darcyn

1)May, June
2)August, September
3)July, August
4)Continental climates do not have a rainy season per se. There may be a better chance of rainy days in May and June than in August and September, but it can rain at anytime from spring to fall. Precipitation usually falls as snow in winter.

One idea out of Ely that could fit your trip description would be to visit the Kawishiwi Triangle area. Entry points to this area include 29, 30, 32, and 33. The Kawishiwi River has perceivable current only at areas of rapids you can portage around.

Any ideas for a 3 night, 4 day trip out of Ely? Snowbank or Lake One EPs are easy for a short trip. They both provide flexibility for in-trip route decisions, and good diversity of scenery.

How do I pick what time of year:

1) When is the fishing good?
I'll leave this to others.

2) When are the bugs less prevalent?
September-October

3) When is the water warm enough to swim in?
July-August

4) What is the rainy season?
I would expect rain. It always does. Then you always dry off after.

quote Jeemon: "
4) What is the rainy season?
I would expect rain. It always does. Then you always dry off after."

Funny, very funny actually -- and true.

Thanks for all the tips, we have plenty of input now and can kick all of them around to see what works best for us.

"How do I pick what time of year:
1) When is the fishing good?
2) When are the bugs less prevalent?
3) When is the water warm enough to swim in?
4) What is the rainy season?"

It reminds me of the contractor choice:

High quality, fast, inexpensive - pick 2 out of 3.

I don't fish. Bugs taper off towards September. I have swum in Quetico from mid-June to mid-October. It almost never rains when I go. (And if that's not the kiss of death for a great run...)

Agree with all of the above posts.

I generally go to the BWCA mid-August and later to avoid the bugs. I've been there in early August and there were no skeeters and, I've been there at the same time when I've been eaten alive by the buggers.

Water, of course, is warmest in August but swimmable in September.

The Boundary Waters does not have a "rainy season" like what you get in Arizona. Instead, expect rain (or sleet or snow) year around. But, as somebody said, you dry off.