We are thinking of exploring some new lakes in a generally familiar area. If anyone has information they want to share about campsites, portages, or anything else of interest about these lakes, I'd appreciate it. Heading out this Saturday if all goes according to plan.

1) Poacher (between Inlet Bay and Sunday)

2) The group of lakes between the north end of Agnes and the Kahshahpiwi chain, namely - Reid, Woodside, Hurlburt, Trant, Payne, Williams, Keewatin, and all the Unnameds in that area. We will probably go in and out via Agnes and/or Silence, so probably won't do the portage from Trant to Kahsh, but you never know (it's all alway tentative with us). I am particularly interested in info about these lakes.

3) East and Jeff, leading from Agnes to West Lake

4) Anchor Lake and the series of four portages that go from North Bay to Sunday via Anchor.

Thanks in advance!

I used to go into Poacher a couple of times a summer to fish Lake Trout. Don't remember much about the campsites, but the laker fishing was phenomenal. Seems to me that there was a decent campsite on the south shore that we would stop and have shore lunch, but it has been almost 20 years since I have been in there!

Went through the usual route to Kash in fall of 2012 and to Trant, across Trant and small water to Silence and down S chain. Only difficult part was finding portage from Kash - endless marsh and beaver dams. Not sure we ever found landing but did pick up trail soon after landing. Would be easy coming other way.

It was a cloudy day and threatening rain. Looked like (and have read of) one very nice site on Trant - big grassy meadow. Sorry we didn't look for picto. Just made it to a site on Silence before the sky opened.

This is where I learned portages change often and you need latest Chrismar map. I think two or three of four portages from Trant to Silence had switched which side of the creek they were on from my edition. Bought the new one at ranger station on way out.

I think this would be a great area to explore. So many lakes and so little time.

Thanks guys! Any more info is appreciated! I should add that if you prefer, you can email me, link is at the mail icon by my name

East was a true bummer. Spent an entire day there a few years ago and not a single fish. So sad.

The string of little lakes between Silence and Trant is one of my favorites in the park, as is the route through Hurlburt, Payne, and Williams to Keewatin. Nice and quiet, and lightly traveled. Old growth white pines west of Silence. I took my then 13 year old son through there a few years ago on his first Quetico trip.

Portages are rocky and fairly brushy in the area, and campsites tend to be small and a bit scarce, which is fine by me.

I haven't been through Reid or Woodside.

We did Reid, Woodside, Trant, to Kash a few years ago. I don't remember the portages much which usually means they weren't easy but weren't terrible either.

Nice camp on Trant



Woodside had a previously nice camp on the bigger southern Island--it was little used so not sure what shape it is in now--would work for your group though.

I liked the route. Good break up form Agnes--smaller more intimate, less traveled lakes.

T

quote timatkn: "We did Reid, Woodside, Trant, to Kash a few years ago. I don't remember the portages much which usually means they weren't easy but weren't terrible either.


Nice camp on Trant




Woodside had a previously nice camp on the bigger southern Island--it was little used so not sure what shape it is in now--would work for your group though.


I liked the route. Good break up form Agnes--smaller more intimate, less traveled lakes.


T"

Woodside nice route,except in Mosquito season,they are thick there.

Poacher: Just fished did not camp. Laker fishing was good. I like this as a shortcut to Sunday and agnes area.

East and Jeff: East was partially burned at some point and didn't have much appeal. Jeff lake was very pretty and had pretty darn good laker and smallie fishing. Some of the lakers we caught there were on the large size. **** there was an unnamed lake between east and jeff that had pretty good fishing as well***

Anchor: I like this lake and it had what would appear to be 1 really good site. Fishing was good as well.

Good point PINETREE. I was there in a dry hot August....

T

Thanks guys. Not too worried about skeeters in the next two weeks! We also aren't fishing, but it's interesting to hear about trout lakes - I would have guessed Poacher was too shallow. What would that be based on? Nothing! But I usually have a preconception of what a lake will be like before I get there, and then it's often nothing like I imagined.

TimA, which part of Trant was that site on?

More info is welcome until we depart first thing Saturday!

The site on Trant cannot be missed. Look for a lawn the size of baseball infield.

Canadian Agnes is one of the last lakes to usually lose ice.

I took the Keewatin, Payne, Hurlburt, Trant and over to Silence and Agnes route twice last year. The first time with the young guys from work we went from north to south on a very nice day. Gosh, those lakes are nice looking.
I took a solo through there last fall going from south to north in cold and wet weather. Funny, the lakes were not quite as attractive.
I do remember on both trips commenting on the lack of nice campsites. On my solo I camped on a small spit on the east shore of Hurlburt that was not a good site at all. Of course it rained all evening as I sat and read under the tarp. I checked out a couple of other sites some others have mentioned on other posts but did not find anything that I cared for. Perhaps I am just too picky but campsites are important to me.
In the future I will always plan to paddle through this chain of lakes because they are really quite nice, but will try to avoid camping there.
I am envious. Stay safe in this cold water.

quote GraniteCliffs: "I took the Keewatin, Payne, Hurlburt, Trant and over to Silence and Agnes route twice last year. The first time with the young guys from work we went from north to south on a very nice day. Gosh, those lakes are nice looking.
I took a solo through there last fall going from south to north in cold and wet weather. Funny, the lakes were not quite as attractive.
I do remember on both trips commenting on the lack of nice campsites. On my solo I camped on a small spit on the east shore of Hurlburt that was not a good site at all. Of course it rained all evening as I sat and read under the tarp. I checked out a couple of other sites some others have mentioned on other posts but did not find anything that I cared for. Perhaps I am just too picky but campsites are important to me.
In the future I will always plan to paddle through this chain of lakes because they are really quite nice, but will try to avoid camping there.
I am envious. Stay safe in this cold water."

Campsites I kind of agree with you,also like you I think it is like the heart or middle of the wilderness. It seems really wild going thru there.

HoHO--Banksiana is right---but as you go east to west on Trant it is on the last northern point as go through the narrows. Going form memory not marked on my map. Should be in the PCD.

T

Paddling in rain it was quit obvious. Not quit located right in pcd but close enough.

Thanks for the info and insights, everyone! Off in the morning . . . . :)

Have a great trip!

T

May the sun shine on you and the wind stay away on your trip.

So we came out today 5 days early because our Piwi pup got sick. Talked to the vet tonight and she should be fine, so that is a relief. Went to Poacher the first day, Agnes narrows the second, were headed up to the Trant/Reid area on Agnes the third day, but when we got to the north end of the narrows, we decided the wind was too much for the paddle on the open part of Agnes to the Silence portage with water temps still near freezing. So we turned south through East and Jeff with the idea of looping through the S chain to get up to those lakes north of Silence. Spent last night on Shade, then this morning with the sick pup, decided to paddle out 21 miles to Moose. It was a great trip while it lasted, and it was sad to cut it short, but you have to have priorities and we couldn't see going deeper into the wilderness with our dog sick. Thanks for the input, it will be useful in the future!