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March 19 2024

Entry Point 55 - Saganaga Lake

Saganaga Lake entry point allows overnight paddle or motor (25 HP max). This entry point is supported by Gunflint Ranger Station near the city of Grand Marais, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 55 miles. No motors (use or possession) west of American Point. Access to Canada (the Crown land and Quetico Park). Large lake with many campsites and easy access. This area was affected by blowdown in 1999.

Number of Permits per Day: 15
Elevation: 1184 feet
Latitude: 48.1716
Longitude: -90.8868
Saganaga Lake - 55

sag-alpini-ogish-seagull

by Fishslayer89
Trip Report

Entry Date: June 19, 2005
Entry Point: Saganaga Lake Only
Number of Days: 6
Group Size: 4

Trip Introduction:

Report


Well, Im back from my trip and all I can say is, damn. I wish I could go back right now. Anyways, we got the tow from Seagull outfitters ( a first rate operation ) into red rock. We had a miniscule potage and paddled into alpine and were just about to portage into jasper when we decidded to try for walleyes by the falls. We took the site closest by the jasper inlet, it sucked!It was realy rocky and had no shade. Anyways, after picking up about a dozen smallies after we set camp we ate dinner and rigged up for walleyes. Around eight we paddled the shore and casted poppers to it, my dad missed a real nice one as soon as his bait hit the water. I hooked up with a three pounder and released her. It was starting to get dark so we headed to the falls. I pitched a floating lindy rig into the hole below the falls and was organizing my tackle when the rod doubled over, fish missed. Anyways I went on to bag a nice walleye and sadly two smallies that were gut hooked. The next day was Ogish and it had a wonderful campsite on the north shore, the first one you come across coming from kingfisher. We again proceeding to slaughter the smallies but could not catch any northerns, which we wanted for a meal. Anyhow, I ate my walleye sauteed in onions and mushrooms with some wild rice for lunch and it was fantastic. We had two smallies in the sack and we did not want them to go bad so we decided to keep anything to make a meal. That night we portaged into skindance and tried for northerns, seagull said it had good pike. It did not but we found good smallmouth action and we took three from there in short order and headed back to camp. That night we tried for walleyes right off our site with lighted slip floats and landing one 12 in cigar which we threw in the sack 'cause we wanted a full meal. The next day produced more smallies on ogish and another walleye at night. The meal was great and consisted of fried walleyes and smallies, sautee'd onions, stovetop stuffing and pudding. The next day we camped on the bay in seagull and finally landed a northern the next morning who, imho, was better than the walleye, perhaps not as mild but much more firm. The last night gave us storms and good walleye action but, no fish caght because of difficult bite detection. I had at least a six pound walleye on who got off ten feet away form me. In conclusion, the samllmouth action was good, pike were almost non existant and walleyes were spotty at best. Overall fishing was ok, with bronzebacks saving the trip. The bugs were not bad about a six on a scale of 1 to 10 and weather was pleasant. Oh yes, stickbaits are the best bwca bait in my mind now ( both this trip and my last one) the only other tackle you'll need are poppers, paddletials in white, pink jigs, and livebait stuff ( lindy rigs mostly, could have caught more eyes on ogish if I used them.) maybe some trolling plugs but that is all I'm bringing next time so I don't run out again.

 


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