I'm going to be going up to Quetico in a couple of weeks with some others. I was wondering what the conditions have been in the way of wet portages, lake water levels and of course the ever present mosquitos and assorted varieties of flies?

Highest water I've ever seen in Beaverhouse to Burntside area. Portages very wet. Bugs not bad. (This was 6/11-6/18.) Should be more normal -- I would think -- in your timeframe. --Goose

We're going to be up in Batch, Pickeral, Down thru Jesse, Maria ending up down in Sturgeon, Chatterton Keats and back. So hopefully a little more drier up that way.

I'm also heading to that area (Sturgeon/Russell) in two weeks from this Tuesday via the Pickerel Narrows route (on down through Maria, Jesse, Walter, Lonely...). Hoping for a week of great fishing, exploring, and good weather!

In general the lake water levels have been high throughout "southern" Quetico so far this year. Of course, it varies among different lakes. Basswood has been the highest the rangers can recollect, and that was before the 7-10" of rain that was predicted over the holiday weekend (don't know what they ended up with on Basswood, but we had a heck of a lot on Emerald).

Typically muddy portages have been extremely muddy so far this year. Carp to Emerald had boot-sucking mud up to 6" deep and pooled water over a foot deep in some sections. The snakes and toads appeared happy on the portage. Mosquitoes and various biting flies were very bad in June, but those conditions have improved somewhat in July, and the dragonflies are gorging on mosquitoes now. Looks like this dry stretch is good timing for your upcoming trip. Enjoy!

Aren't the conditions always good? :)

I suspect water levels are getting back towards normal levels, but it's tough to imagine them going up much from where they were this June.