BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
July 15 2025
Entry Point 24 - Fall Lake
Number of Permits per Day: 14
Elevation: 1324 feet
Latitude: 47.9527
Longitude: -91.7213
"This trip will be taking off from Fall Lake up through Newton Falls portage onto Pipestone Bay campsites. 3 day, 2 night trip into the wilderness.
South Arm Knife June 2013
Entry Date:
June 11, 2013
Entry Point:
Moose Lake
Exit Point:
Moose Lake (25)
Number of Days:
6
Group Size:
6
We started our morning by meeting Laura and Greg at Britton’s for breakfast at 5:00. On entry days we usually get moving early and don’t stop for much of a lunch and push on to get camp set up then eat. After a great breakfast we stopped back at VNO to get our gear from the bunkhouse and then off to meet our tow on Moose at 7:00. After getting our gear and canoes onto tow boats we were off at 7:00 and were unloaded and ready to paddle on Birch at 7:45. We were on Knife before we knew it and planned on stopping on either end of Dorothy’s Island to grab a quick pb&j tortilla for Dalen. Both sites were full so we paddled past and stopped at the next island on a rock to grab some food and take a minute to tie up our fishing poles so we could troll for lakers while we traveled to the South Arm. We didn’t go far before I was hooked my first BWCA laker, what a rush! I caught another laker just past Thunder Point and Scott caught a very nice laker just as we left the narrows leading to the South Arm. We pulled into site 1431 about 2:00 and started to settle down before we noticed that the wind blew us all the way from Dorothy’s Island to the South Arm and that we maybe should have had some sun screen on. After a quick lunch we set up camp, collected some wood, and just took a break. Made lake trout for supper and were in the tent and sleeping about 10:00. 
The whole group slept in a little later than we wanted but that’s what vacations are for. We got things going with a breakfast of blueberry muffins in the reflector oven and cappuccino. Then it was off to show the new trippers some of the beauties of the BW. We first went to Eddy falls, carried the canoes across and then came back down the portage to see the falls up close. Then it was off to fish Eddy for a few hours where we have caught some pike in the past but this year turned up only 2 smaller fish in about 2 hours. Scott, Greg and Laura did see a cow moose in the bay on the sw corner of the lake so all was not lost. We left Eddy, stopped back by camp for a quick lunch and then headed for the north shore of the lake for some top water smallie action. One canoe went west and I went east, planning to meet somewhere in the middle. The lake was still pretty calm and the action was incredible! We caught fish after fish for hours, all on top water. We had a hearty supper of Bear Creek chili and grilled cheese with a chocolate chip cookie in the reflector oven for dessert. After supper we fished around camp till dark with limited action before turning in for the night. 
As a group we were undecided if we should spend another day on Knife or move back toward our exit at Ensign. We decided to move back toward Ensign so it was up at 5:00 and on the water by 7:00 after an oatmeal breakfast and packing up camp. It wasn’t until we were halfway to Thunder Point when I noticed the weather was once again cooperating as it was pushing us back west across Knife, not to mention once again sunny and 65. The portage to Vera went pretty good, Scott and I double tripped while the rest of the group caught their breath and had a snack at the Vera end of the portage. Once everyone was across we paddled to site 1243 and set up camp at 11:00 for the next 3 nights. Everyone took a nap and relaxed for a few hours. Supper was biscuits in the reflector oven topped with gravy and pork sausage and chocolate pudding for dessert. We tried fishing from camp at dark as we had good success the previous year but we only caught a few 18” walleyes. Still no bugs or wood ticks as we watched the stars before moving to the tent for the night. 
Camel Lake to Shortcut stream to Veron Lake, Delahey Lake, Conmee Lake first southeast bay.
Day 4 we got to an early start breaking down camp. The sky still appeared to threaten rain but it wasn’t raining yet. Early in the morning, just as I was getting up, two of the group members ventured on to check out a possible alternative rout off of Camel. Instead of taking the long portage down to Veron, we decided the stream to the east might be an option to travel by way of bushwack. About the time camp was broken down and people were fed the two scouts returned and gave it the thumbs up… they saw an existing “trail”.
We made our way to the start of the stream which we were determined to follow and unloaded the canoes right next to a cool little shoot/falls/waterslide where the stream entered the lake. At the beginning of the bushwack the “trail” wasn’t all that bad especially after the first three canoes had all ready cleared out a pretty good path. This stream proved to be a nice alternative to the portage because there was a lot of canoeable water and all the portages were short and relatively easy for bushwhacking terms. We might have even seen some wildlife as we slid through the swamp had we been able to bushwack a little quieter but that wasn’t the case… by far! Although it took a little more time than the portage would have, I’d take that rout again in a heartbeat. By the time we made it through the worst of it the clouds had broken and the sun was starting to shine. We were all ready for some sunshine by that point!
Once through the stream and down onto Veron the bite was on as one of the other boats pulled in a smallmouth. We started casting then and caught ourselves lunch within a matter of minutes with some hot smallmouth action. I was using a jointed black and gold rapala that’s about 4 inches long. We paddled down into Veron a short distance till we found a good rocky outcropping on an island and had lunch, made water, and dressed for sun. We then packed up the canoes and headed over to Delahey. Just as we were getting to the portage we saw a canoe, which is the first we saw for day 4.
Then we paddled across Delahey to our doom… known as the Conmee Death march (to us) which is a grueling set of 195 rod, then 290 rod, and a 141 rod portages… with a couple puddles in between. About halfway across the portage the group stopped and took a break to eat an orange. It was a much needed stop and a good chance to pick off the ticks we accumulated. We finished the final leg of the portage and onto an unnamed lake before long. By this time the wind was settled and the water was as smooth as glass. It was so calm, in fact, that it was one of those opportunities to take a picture with such a reflection that you might turn the picture upside down and not know which way was right. I haven’t developed my film so I’m not sure how mine turned out yet. One more 14-rod portage and we were finally on Conmee Lake.
We stopped briefly to rest up on Conmee and fish at the base of the rapids but the bite was slow and only a couple of pike were caught…. and released. We started to paddle down the lake in hopes to find the perfect site but when we reached the island we thought would be good, it was all ready occupied by some others… that’s 2 canoes spotted for this day… so we headed south. Another day of exhaustion was upon us. One thing I have to get used to are the campsites in Quetico are not usually marked on the maps so you’ve got to find them. As we searched we passed a couple small sites that didn’t look like we could find a flat spot for four tents so paddled on. At the end of the day with little daylight left, patience wearing thin, and hunger pressing us to find a spot… we reached another point were some of us were not the happiest of campers… At the same time, with the sun setting on the bay we were in, the rocks on shore reflected a brilliant white glow and the glass calm water with perfect reflections making it hard to distinguish any detail on the shore, even more powerful were the lavender colored clouds spread across a sky with a blue to orange sky backdrop… I didn’t really have a care in the world…. I reached my Zen. I can’t believe it took me 4 days to melt a years worth of stress, but at this very point it all washed away.
We managed to find a camp shortly there after that suited whatever people needed to call it a camp, setup the tents, ate some Conmee Lake soup, and enjoyed the calm of the night. This night the full, or close enough to it, moon was beaming down on us enough to cause noticeable shadows. This was also the first night that it was calm enough to hear the sounds of the night…. Loons, frogs, etc…. I slept well that night.
Day 5 we awoke to a dead calm lake that was covered with fog that made for pretty relaxing morning watching the sunrise. After breakfast we headed back across the portage to Knife to fish for smallies again as the action had been so good just a few days ago. We caught a bunch of smallies, some pike and another laker. The wind was not blowing at all so made a slow trip up to Dorothy’s Island and this time it was unoccupied so we checked it out. What a life it must have been there on that island in the middle of such a beautiful place! After our little tour we headed back to Vera for a late lunch and one last chance to relax before heading out the next day. Scott and I headed out fishing before supper and stumbled onto a productive pattern and caught a few walleyes which we released before heading back for a spaghetti supper. After getting supper and a few thing around camp cleaned up we headed out for one last round of fishing. We returned to where we were before supper and the fish were still there and still biting. We caught and released a bunch of walleyes as we watched the sunset and the stars come out and then headed to camp for the night. 
Our last day everyone except Dalen was up at 5 and starting to pack and getting canoes loaded for our trip back to civilization. We had a quick breakfast of toast and coffee and we were moving a little before 7:00. The weather was once again beautiful and even a little hot as the portage to Ensign will get the blood moving a little bit. Once on Ensign we encountered for the first time during our trip a wind in our face but it wasn’t too bad and we made pretty good time crossing the lake. Our tow pickup was set up for the Birch portage so we left Ensign and made a leisurely paddle up to Birch and arrived at 10:15 for our 11:00 tow. After a half hour wait while we looked at some of our pictures and talked about the trip our tow showed up and we were on our way back to Ely. A quick shower and burgers at the Ely Steakhouse and we were on our way home. This trip was my 13th to the BW, by far the best yet.
We had clear skies and 65 degrees with no wind every day of the trip. The only time the wind blew over 10 mph it was pushing us in / out of Knife and the morning and evenings were dead calm. The bugs were basically nonexistent, no flies and very few mosquitoes in the evenings. We are by no means die hard anglers, but spent a fair amount of time fishing and we caught fish every time we went out. To top it off I got to trip with my closest family members which made for an awesome trip! 
