Boundary Waters Trip Reports, Blog, BWCA, BWCAW, Quetico Park

BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog

December 11 2024

Entry Point 25 - Moose Lake

Moose Lake entry point allows overnight paddle or motor (25 HP max). This entry point is supported by Kawishiwi Ranger Station near the city of Ely, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 21 miles. Access is an boat landing or canoe launch at Moose Lake. Many trip options for paddlers with additional portages. This area was affected by blowdown in 1999.

Number of Permits per Day: 27
Elevation: 1356 feet
Latitude: 47.9877
Longitude: -91.4997
Labor day weekend 2024.
Entry point was 25-Moose lake. Went north, and then west onto Ensign Lake. Camped on eastern end of Ensign lake. Very busy and lucky to get a campsite. Day 2, went to Cattyman Falls and on down to Disappointment Lake. All sites full. Had to get off the water due to inclement storm. Ended up on Parent Lake on day 3, western camp site. Beautiful site. Exited from Snowbank lake on day 4. Overall fishing was poor. Some small mouth bass on Parent lake.
Nothing elsewhere. Approximately 20 miles of paddling/portaging. 11 portages in total. Already planning for 2025.

1st trip to BWCA

by PikeLover
Trip Report

Entry Date: August 25, 2011
Entry Point: Moose Lake
Number of Days: 5
Group Size: 4

Trip Introduction:

Day 1 of 5


Thursday, August 25, 2011 Was Punched out of work and in the car by 12am. It was everyone's first trip to BWCA so we real didn't know how much to pack so it end up being a tight fit with 4 people and gear in 1 car. Pulled into CBO on Moose lake at about 5:30am we tried to sleep till 7 but ended up just walking around too excited to sit in car.

 



Day 2 of 5


Friday, August 26, 2011 After being towed to splash lake our group hit Ensign by about 8:30am I was so excited have been waiting for this trip for 2yrs now. Wanted to get a campsite on east end then not even to the narrows yet and my wife starts to say she's out of gas and wants to start looking for a campsite. Now I would never hit my wife but after hearing she was tired and asking about bout that site 4 or 5 times(even though the site and campers already) I start to wonder if I could reach the back of her head with my paddle. It was also about that time I realized a map that had campsites marked on it would have came in nice. After a lot of drifting and paddling we finally made it to the south east end of lake and the first open site we found on the lake. Had camp set up and started fishing from shore by around 11am after a couple hour of fishing from shore and the only thing to show for it was a small pike and smallie and dave and steph had caught decided to try and get a little nap in now that we were around 30hr of no sleep. By this time our tents are baking in the sun and it is way to hot to sleep in them or anywhere for that matter except under the shade from the tarp but while laying there half dead we got our first taste of the flies. It was the worst nap ever. After dinner we tried fishing till 8 with no luck and all decided sleep sounded best.

 



Day 3 of 5


Saturday, August 27, 2011 I was up and on the lake by 7am while everyone was still in bed but being the early bird today didn't help my luck 2hrs and not even a bite. So I headed back to camp to make everyone some breakfast and head back out as a group. Dave and steph decided to try south of our camp site while linz and I went to the far north bay and do some casting. While it was too hard for both of us to cast due to wind I decided that I would troll so she could cast, I must have paddled 4miles before she finally got a fish on but it was all worth it. She started screaming and getting all excited then she got it up to where we could see it and that's when she started yelling for the net. I told her that I didn't need the net just to bring the fish towards me and I would hand land it. She kept insisting that its was too big for that and to use the net. After it had made 3 runs I got her to swing it my way and pulled out a 17" smallie the biggest fish she had ever caught and boy was she proud of it(made me smile too). Decided to head back to camp for a late lunch and found out that Dave and Steph had managed 3 smallies of there own(biggest being 16-17") After we had lunch fished the rest of the day and night with no other fish except to small pike. But at least we had a fish dinner which was great.  

 



Day 4 of 5


Sunday, August 28, 2011 After another slow morning of fishing decided to eat breakfast and move camp to the west end of the lake to make tomorrows trip out a little shorter. Right after we got camp up and started casting Dave caught a walleye and a few casts later I had a eater pike. After a little more walking shoreline and casting I came into a cove where I saw largemouth and smallmouth swimming around ran back to get Dave and we headed in with our boats we each to a side and started fishing. Half way around back Linz and I found big bass swimming around a downed tree so I started casting a buzz bait and right away got a 3lb largemouth few casts later got a 2lbs smallie even though they are the only 2 I kept let a few smaller ones go and had 4 more bigger bass spit me when they jumped. I don't care what anyone says topwater fishing for Bass/Pike is the most exciting way to fish. After all that fun got to eat a pike/smallie/largemouth/walleye dinner.

 



Day 5 of 5


Monday, August 29, 2011 Woke up early ate and headed out for the longest paddle any of us have ever done but before we got off the lake we had one more surprise. Either a Wolf or a large cat( It looked brown to cream color couldn't get close enough to know for sure) Stalked us down the shore for a few miles. But this is where the fun stops. By the time we get to Moose lake the wind picks up and we have to paddle straight into white caps the whole way back.I found it alot less troubling then the rest of my group as I feel like I can paddle for a full day and not get tired, but after 3hrs of paddling and 2 20mn breaks we finally make the docks and CBO.

 


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