BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
December 11 2024
Entry Point 60 - Duncan Lake
Number of Permits per Day: 2
Elevation: 1432 feet
Latitude: 48.0709
Longitude: -90.4517
Duncan Lake - 60
1st Winter Trip
Entry Date:
March 14, 2020
Entry Point:
Daniels Lake
Number of Days:
3
Group Size:
1
I arrived at the parking area off Hungry Jack road in the early afternoon. It was warm, clear and calm. The hike across Hungry Jack was easy, despite the heavy sled I was towing. In soft snow conditions, I would have needed to shuttle smaller loads using snowshoes. The portage to Daniels was also very easy, and travel conditions worsened only slightly on Daniels. I made my way east about 1/3rd of a mile to a point on the south shore. I drilled a hole in about 40 feet of water, set a tip-up with a live minnow and drilled my way toward shore. I found a steeper break and set up a small Otter hub shelter in about 28'. Weather was great but fishing was tough, with only 1 fish marked before I called it a night. 
I was up early to fish today, and it was not long before the lakers began biting. The hub shelter was very comfortable to sleep in, and I was able to wake up and begin fishing in heated comfort almost immediately. This was crucial, as the mid-day and afternoon bite was very slow. Fishing was steady from 6:30-11, and slow after that. I caught a few fish on a slip bobber rigged with a glow demon and live fathead, but the Lindy rattlin' flyer tipped with a small fathead was getting bit every time I marked a fish. This was the first time I was had ever targeted lake trout, and they were great fun. I would love to battle a 20lb+ fish. Most were very aggressive and arrived in groups. The largest fish was probably 16-18", with most fish closer to 14". As fishing slowed in the afternoon, I enjoyed a hike into the narrow area of the lake. I checked out a campsite near the small island and saw a set of wolf tracks on the north shore. Walking on the lake was easy, and the scenery was beautiful. Fishing in the evening was very slow. 
