I am making my first BWCA winter trip this coming week and am really getting pumped!

The plan is to leave my wife at the Harbor Inn, Grand Marais, Thursday morning and drive to the Round Lake entry with Tuscarora as my 2-night destination.

I am looking for advise on winter camp sites, wood availability (hot tent) and lake trout fishing. My main goal of the trip is to catch a laker thru the ice.

I have a lake contour map and am thinking the island site might be a good area to start. Wood could be sparse there?

Do I need to be fishing the deep west side of the lake? Or would the shallower east end hold lake trout? Will I see other fishermen's leftover holes?

Thanks in advance for any info... back to packing!

Sorry no fishing advice but don't forget your camera. The portage to Tuscarora from Missing Link is beautiful. What a nice portage in the winter.

I walked by the island site and it would be suitable to set up a hot tent at. However, you'll be hauling wood a distance back to the site. Bobber is correct. The Tusc portage is beautiful. I was through there in January. Stayed on Crooked.

be ready for a one mile hike from where you park to the round lake landing. that road is not plowed in the winter, just an area right where you turn onto the forest road off the country road (just past the ham lake landing).

quote landoftheskytintedwater: "I walked by the island site and it would be suitable to set up a hot tent at. However, you'll be hauling wood a distance back to the site. Bobber is correct. The Tusc portage is beautiful. I was through there in January. Stayed on Crooked."

How long (time) did you take to trek from where you parked to Crooked Lake? I am wondering how long to get to Tuscarora.

Mocha - thanks for the heads-up on getting to the Round Lake entry!

I would be conservative and calculate 1 mile per hour. You definitely don't want to rush and get all tired and sweaty.

Update: I did a quick check of the distance to the island site on Tusc from the portage put in and the distance is 6.8 miles. It will take you a while.

Two things:

Round Lake-You could unload your gear at Tuscarora Lodge and then go drop your car off at the turnoff to the public access. Then you only have to walk 1/4 mile back to your gear and leave from there.

As for time, it's misleading because we were meeting up with a group that was already set up so we were only hauling about 30-40 pounds each. We were on snowshoes. Took 3.5 hours to get to Crooked, same on the way out.

quote landoftheskytintedwater: "Two things:

Round Lake-You could unload your gear at Tuscarora Lodge and then go drop your car off at the turnoff to the public access. Then you only have to walk 1/4 mile back to your gear and leave from there.

One thing concerning unloading at Tuscarora, this is private property and as winter campers we should always get permission before we use someone's place to start a trip from.

bobber... be prepared for some bitter cold windchills tomorrow. chance of snow this weekend.

quote Mocha: "bobber... be prepared for some bitter cold windchills tomorrow. chance of snow this weekend."

Wkend looks awesome!!

Tuscarora forecast

quote Mocha: "bobber... be prepared for some bitter cold windchills tomorrow. chance of snow this weekend."

Thanks for the heads-up. Traveling Thursday to Grand Marais. Trekking into Tuscarora on Friday... better weather predicted! Last minute packing tonight.

I was there about a week prior to your planned trip. This advice will come too late, unfortunately, as you may be on your way out already.
We had some luck with tip-ups baited with Ciscoes near the bottom in about 60 feet of water near the anvil-shaped point close to the Missing Link portage. Much more appealing than the fishing was the scenery, however, and as others have said, the Missing Link to Tuscarora portage is stunningly beautiful at this time of year. I hope we packed down a good trail for you!

I camped on the anvil shaped point just west from the Missing Link portage... thanks for the firewood you left behind. I cut and left some for the next trekker.

I fished out from the point in about 30' of water and jigged with a tube jig tipped with minnow. Caught two lake trout which was the goal of my trip.

I had great sunshine at the campsite, but terrible wind out on the lake. All in all, a good outing!

Glad you had a good time!

This was a rugged trip due to the travel distance, tough "Tusc Portage" and windy conditions. Temperatures were mild but wind chills not so good. It made fishing difficult, but I was able to catch two lake trout. I brought too much gear and the weight made pulling the toboggan difficult, especially on the exit from Tuscarora Lake. I had to unload the sled and make several trips uphill and then reload and secure gear at the top. Also, for the work to get there a winter trekker really needs to spend extra time. The campsite I had was great. It faced the south and was out of the wind so it was easy to enjoy the sunny weather. All camping aspects worked fine… tent, stove, sleep system, etc. Packed too much food as usual. There was
a lot of learning and new experiences on this trip. I found the portage trails well traveled and easy to follow. Lake travel was a little more difficult, especially when you got off the float.


I traveled up the Gunflint Trail early Friday morning headed for the Round Lake Entry.


Here is the trail from the parking area headed to the entry point.


At the Round Lake entry point, a self-registration kiosk.






Here is my toboggan on Round Lake... I had to return to the kiosk to pick up my hat and gloves.


On the portage from Round Lake to Missing Link Lake you pass into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.


Follow the trail on Missing Link Lake. I got passed up by a younger group of 4 on skis.






Here is a look back at Missing Link Lake from the Tuscarora Portage


This is early on the "Tusc" Portage. It is a mile long, but well used.


Here I am at camp on Tuscarora Lake. I was exhausted, but feeling good.


Here is the tent not fully set up yet.






This friendly bird visited a couple times to eat some of my gorp.


I didn't know where to fish, so drilled a hole out from my campsite the next day. A fellow came snowshoeing by and after we talked a while he took my pic for me.


Ten minutes after he left I caught this 17" lake trout. This was my goal of the trip. Mission Accomplished!


Fishing conditions were tough because of the wind and blowing snow. I felt good to catch 2 lakers.






Sunset Saturday night lit up the trees across the lake.


Sunset


Heading out of Tuscarora Lake Sunday morning. The return route was so steep I had to unload the toboggan and shuttle the load uphill piece by piece.






Back at Missing Link Lake feeling a little tired.


Back at the edge of the BWCA feeling more tired and still a mile to the truck!


The final leg back to the truck was all downhill

Thanks for the report, looks like you had a good time.

Thanks for sharing your experience and photos.

My wife & I spent that same weekend at one of Tuscarora Lodges' cabins. She was able to catch her first ever fish through the ice (a lake trout) which provided us with a similar satisfaction and thrill.

Nice reports.

quote TuscaroraBorealis: "Thanks for sharing your experience and photos.


My wife & I spent that same weekend at one of Tuscarora Lodges' cabins. She was able to catch her first ever fish through the ice (a lake trout) which provided us with a similar satisfaction and thrill."

I would think this time of year for everybody at the lodge and customers is more relaxing because of the slower time of year. It would be fun because you get to know each other and visit if you chose too.

Yes. We were able to have a few enjoyable short visits we Andy & Sue.

Some great pics there. Looks like you had some really nice weather. Except for the snow in the one photo you would think that you were there in soft water season sitting in your chair enjoying the sunny day.

Great photos! The place looks familiar. I hope we didn't leave the area excessively-trammeled for you. You put us 20 to 30-something year-olds to shame hauling that sled/hot tent in there all by your self. Some of my crew-mates in their 20's cussed and complained all along the Missing Link to Tuscarora portage, and we had most of our gear in common and a cold tent, all spread out among three sleds. Also, you single-handedly beat us in regards to fishing as well, and we had a Marcum and the option for 6 lines between the three of us.
We also enjoyed the company of a friendly gray jay--- perhaps the very same one you snapped a great photo of.

You left the site in good condition. Thanks for the firewood! Finding that was a real treat.

The trip in and out was tough. I brought too much gear and would travel lighter next time. I had no clue where to fish, so just drilled a hole where I thought was deep enough and got lucky.

It was a great trip.

quote bobbernumber3: "You left the site in good condition. Thanks for the firewood! Finding that was a real treat.


The trip in and out was tough. I brought too much gear and would travel lighter next time. I had no clue where to fish, so just drilled a hole where I thought was deep enough and got lucky.


It was a great trip.
"

The load is always light going downhill.