I researched maps, guidebooks and of course the forum as much as I could before we headed in and found quite a bit of conflicting information regarding sites, including: 1) there are three sites, all on the north shore. This is what the latest Fisher and MacKenzie maps show 2) there are four sites, including one not marked on any maps on the southwest shore 3) there were four sites in the past, but the one on the southwest shore was closed by the Forest Service several years ago 4) the sites on the north shore were all burned out by the Pagami Creek fire and are basically uninhabitable

The outfitter from whom we picked up our permit could only confirm #1, but said, regarding the rumored site on the southwest shore, "if there's a fire grate and a pit toilet you're good!"

So with less-than-certain knowledge we headed in early Saturday AM and hoped for the best.

Entry Road - The entry point road off State Forest Road 377 is well-marked. After driving down the fairly potholed and overgrown road for roughly a 1/4-mile, our first wish was granted as the parking lot was completely empty.

Portage - The portage trail is fairly overgrown and was very wet from the previous day’s rain, pants and boots were soaked before long. The second half is also fairly rugged with some steep and slippery uphills and a few downed trees to navigate around/under.

Site - After our usual double-portage and getting the canoe loaded up, we headed straight to the southwest shore. After a 10-minute paddle, sure enough - we found the unoccupied, rumored site complete with fire grate and pit toilet. Given the fire damage on the north shore, it was obvious this would be the best site so we grabbed it. The site is not large and did not have great tent sites. We finally decided on a flat spot just north of the landing where unfortunately some previous visitors had dumped their fish guts just offshore. The site is wooded with plenty of trees for a tarp, clothesline, etc. Unfortunately the mosquitoes were pretty bad, in part given its proximity to a bog.

Lakes and Other Sites - The next couple days were spent exploring the lake and fishing. Some items of note:

Other sites - The only other designated site we found was the western-most one on the north shore. It would be a rough place to set up camp though due to no trees and lack of a decent tent site. The one in the middle seems to have been closed by the Forest Service, it’s obvious where it used to be but no grate or toilet could be found. Too bad as it was probably a nice site at one time, lots of shore area. The third site to the east we never found. In hindsight I might have been looking in the wrong place but it sure was not apparent from the water.

The beach on the east shore is a great place to take a break and go for a swim. There were enough overhanging trees to provide shade in a few spots too,

Fishing - We caught a bunch of small 8-12” walleyes using artificial bait. Not big enough for a meal but enough to make it fun.

A couple resident loons were calling all hours of the day and night. So wonderful to hear them after hearing hardly any the last couple trips.

Summary - If you’re looking for some wonderful solitude and not a lot of adventure, Bog Lake might work for you. We didn’t see a single other person for four days. Just hope there’s no one else on the lake when you arrive or you may get a less-than-ideal site.