will low water levels in the BWCA area affect a person much on going this route? Is it usually pretty good? Just wondering with many lakes possibly low this summer? That is a unknown still?

The Horse River was exceptionally low last September. We had 5 portages through rocky fields before we got to the 1st marked portage on the map. Once we got to the boggy area where the river empties into Basswood there were a few spots that we bottomed out & twice had to get one or both people out of the boat so it would float.

Winter was fairly dry up there, right? I'd wonder how passable Picket Creek would be just to get to Mudro. In the week we were gone people had started to blaze a new trail farther out into the prairie past the current 'temporary' put in just to get to deep enough water.

You could go up through Fourtown, Boot, Fairy and Gun.

There's no sites there anyway

quote Mustangt125: "There's no sites there anyway"

There are a lot of sites there! Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday Bays have at least 29 combined sites between them.

I went the Horse route from Mudro in October a couple of years back. There were a couple of spots where I had to walk the canoe through, but it was a blast!

i've done both papoose creek and the beartrap in very low water, last time mid oct 2010. both were very passable. i've also paddled the horse river in low water, it's doable but expect mud.

This is the last time I paddled the Horse River.

When was that, oldgentleman? Looks kind of like when we were there in August '09.

quote PINETREE: "will low water levels in the BWCA area affect a person much on going this route? Is it usually pretty good? Just wondering with many lakes possibly low this summer? That is a unknown still?"

Pinetree, when are you planning on going? Low water levels will affect more people in July & August than in May, for example.

Its July. I'm just not familiar with that route. I know CROOKED lake area is a Gem. Been to Fourtown area.
To be honest nobody knows what is in store for rains etc.. Plus you can just portage a little more or maybe walk the canoe thru. That's part of the whole trip. I like a little challenge now and than.
Thanks for the info.

Maybe I'm lookingin the wrong area but on the google earth map there's no red dots for campsites on Crooked Lake or Saturday bay really.

Mustang, try this on for size - Voyageur Maps

There are 3 sites on Saturday Bay, all in the mouth of the bay & not inside it proper.

This was our 2011 Mid Aug trip in Horse river heading to Mudro. Though it was low, it made for a more adventurous trip every one had fun.

Always like to look at the rocks and see where the high or normal water mark usually is.

quote schweady: "When was that, oldgentleman? Looks kind of like when we were there in August '09.
"

That was September 2006

quote PINETREE: "Always like to look at the rocks and see where the high or normal water mark usually is."

i like doing that too. seems to me the high water marks have been very visible the last few years.

Lets just say they are not covered up lately.
It amazes me just a couple of years ago basswood lake was super high. In a short time it has went the other way.
Glad my canoe drafts only a couple of inches.

You'll have a lot more portages than are marked on the map. It has been very dry all winter, and so far, we really haven't had any rain to speak of.