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BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog

October 03 2025

Entry Point 38 - Sawbill Lake

Sawbill Lake entry point allows overnight paddle only. This entry point is supported by Tofte Ranger Station near the city of Tofte, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 25 miles. Access is a boat landing at Sawbill Lake. This area was affected by blowdown in 1999.

Number of Permits per Day: 11
Elevation: 1802 feet
Latitude: 47.8699
Longitude: -90.8858
Sawbill Lake - 38

Kayaking Baker Lake to Temperance River

by Northernroots
Trip Report

Entry Date: October 01, 2025
Entry Point: Baker Lake
Number of Days: 1
Group Size: 2

Trip Introduction:
Kayaking Day Trip from Baker Lake to the end of Temperance.

Report


~Baker Lake, Peterson Lake, Kelly Lake Husband and I prefer day trips in our two Pelican Mustang kayaks. Nice flat landing at the entry point, with a quick paddle to the first portage from Baker to Peterson. Baker is quite small and beautiful. There is a creek to the right of the landing, you can go into a small area that might be good for fishing (we don't fish) but it was not navigable beyond that.

Baker to Peterson portage: The Baker side landing is rocky and not an easy spot to disembark. The Peterson side is a flat, gradual landing. The portage is short, a bit rocky but wide.

Peterson to Kelly 'portage': this consisted of getting out and dragging our kayaks about 5 feet over a flat rock. The water seemed a bit low so we wondered if it was higher if you'd be able to just paddle over it. There was a portage path too, maybe it would be necessary in higher water, it was very short as well.

On the way back we didn't portage at all and went down through the 'rapids' it wasn't smooth and we got momentarily stuck several times and had to scoot ourselves through but made it.

The Temperance river is fairly wide and more an extension of the lake than a river. We went to the end of the river and did not do the portage into Jack Lake. We had the wind with us on the way in, and we like to go slow, it took us about 2.5 hours. The way back the wind was against us and had picked up, it required a bit more steady and strong paddling than we prefer but we still made good time.

We didn't see anyone on the way in but on the way back one site was setting camp and someone was fishing on Baker.

 

Lakes Traveled:   Baker Lake, Peterson Lake, Kelly Lake,

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