BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
September 18 2025
Entry Point 38 - Sawbill Lake
Number of Permits per Day: 11
Elevation: 1802 feet
Latitude: 47.8699
Longitude: -90.8858
Sawbill Lake - 38
Kawishiwi to Malberg and back
Entry Date:
August 30, 2022
Entry Point:
Kawishiwi Lake
Number of Days:
6
Group Size:
1
The landing to this campsite is adequate, but I think a better landing is all that site is missing. 
After checking the site out, decided to spend the night. However, it did look like there was a woodchuck here trying to find out how much wood it could chuck! Also there was lots of green brush piled up. After setting up camp and eating some chicken alfredo with Tyson chicken, I did the best I could to clean up the wood chips and brush, getting a good warm fire going and basically raking with my fingers. 
Later that evening, I just enjoyed being outside, taking pictures, and finally decided to try some shore fishing. Thought it would be a good idea to climb down to the shore, about 4 feet, but I started to slip and ended up face planting on the rocks. After the initial shock, I checked to see if everything was OK, then reflected on the risk of solo travel in the wilderness. Mental note to self, be careful, be intentional, be aware! I found the following in my notes “The days are long and one starts thinking about what to do. I am starting to see how traveling and getting into a routine is a good thing” An eagle flew by and I got a couple pictures. I really enjoyed the night and decided I would spend another night here. 
On my second day, I made it to Malberg and stayed for two nights. The campsite was the one just east of the T intersection on the north shore. Great site! Generous landing areas, good kitchen, one perfect tent pad back up the hill about 20 yards and sheltered with lots of trees. Also several other decent tent pads. The site is near the start of the channel, so breezes are accessible from the southwest, west, and east, and the channel makes for a cozy view and protection from most strong winds. I also caught a nice SMB from shore that evening. 
Today was a layover day. In the morning, I fished the eastern arm of Malberg from my site to the far end and back. No luck. I paddled to the NW bay that evening to fish and also check out a few campsites. The one on the east shore is spectacular! A wide sandy beach has room for probably 20 canoes, has 3-4 good tent pads and one perfect tent pad, 4-square log seating around the fire grate, and a nice view to the west. If your group is 6 or more, this would be a perfect site, and great for kids because of the easy swimming in the beach area. I had Malberg to myself at least one night, maybe both. I think lots of parties either base camp at Polly or pass through Malberg on the way to other lakes.
Fishing for me that night in the NW bay was excellent. I worked the east shoreline back toward my campsite and caught a nice SMB but lost it just as I was about to net it. Then I caught a 20" incher (estimated) about 10 minutes later. Working the curve where the shore heads east, I caught maybe a 4-lb northern some 10 minutes after that. For me, 3 fish in 30 minutes is great results. 
After my layover day, I headed back to Polly. The only other weather issue on my trip was a short thunderstorm that morning, which delayed my departure from Malberg by 45 minutes. Didn't cause me to miss out on my chosen site on Polly, so all was well.
Polly was about half full as I paddled south toward my eventual campsite, and a few groups came across the portage into Polly as I set up camp. I landed on the far southern site on the west shore within view of the portage to Koma. Another great site.
The landing is not spacious but shallow gravel with some flat rocks. Nice kitchen area with elevated fire grate (so much easier on old backs not to have to crouch or kneel so low to build a fire. One perfect tent pad back in the woods and totally sheltered. Several other decent tent pads make this another good site for larger groups. Plenty of trees for tarping options. The only negative is the kitchen faces straight east, so the morning sun glaring into your eyes is a minor annoyance. Also, this site sees a lot of traffic to and from the portage. But most canoes stay far away from the campsite shore and don't create a big ruckus. 
The next day, Saturday, was quite busy with groups coming in. And going out on Sunday I encountered groups coming and going (it was the day before Labor Day, after all). I expected it to be more crowded the entire trip, so I was pleased I had essentially 3 nights of solitude (I'm pretty sure I had Kawaschong to myself on Tuesday night, Aug. 30).
Polly makes a great base camp lake, as does Malberg. I fished and collected shore wood for campfires on this layover day. Had zero luck in the bay just to the north of my site, but that evening I caught in quick succession a small walleye, SMB, and northern on the east side of the point that divides the southern end of the lake into two bays. Once again, I was shore casting toward structure and the edge of reed beds. That was the secret to my success in Malberg--all fish were caught right on the deep edge of a bed of reeds or in the shallows near some sort of structure like a sunken tree.
After my two-bug infested trips in 2021, I was blown away by the lack of bugs despite the wet summer. Only used my head net once for a short time on my first night on Polly. Otherwise, the short burst of mosquitos on Kawaschong was the only other time I noticed the little nasties. I was able to sit in short sleeves by the fire every evening and not worry about getting bitten. The skies were clear each night, so the stargazing was superb. I wish I could've stayed up later until it got pitch dark to see the Milky Way in its full glory, but one must trust one's inner clock to know when rest is needed. I've usually overdone my solo trips and regretted the aches, pains, and exhaustion. This trip was just about right. A short entry day (albeit taxing paddling into the gale), then a modest distance the next, a rest day, a modest return distance, another rest day, and a modest final day exit.
Temps were 70s down to 50s the first three nights, then Friday and Saturday, Sept. 2 & 3, dropped to 60s for highs and 40s lows. 
Woke at 6 am to near-freezing cold and dense fog covering Lake Polly. When I returned my rental gear to the outfitters Sunday afternoon, the 4th, they told me there had been frost warnings in the Finland area. I believed it because my nose told me early Sunday morning that my tent was a lot colder than 40 degrees.
I also rose to dense fog that morning. Couldn't see 100 yds across the lake. Eerie! Sadly, I missed Saturday night's Northern Light show because this old man turned in too early (9:30, and I guess the show started about 10:30). After an easy, pleasant 3 1/2 hr paddle, I eased onto shore at the EP with temps in the 60s and a gentle south breeze.
I highly recommend this trip for an easier, less crowded alternative to the routes out of Sawbill (Cherokee and beyond, for example) that offers a nice variety of small and medium lakes, river travel, beaver dams, decent fishing, stark reminders of what forest fires can do, and more solitude than you might expect, even during one of the busier weeks of the season. 
