BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
April 19 2024
Entry Point 70 - North Fowl Lake *
Number of Permits per Day: 2
Elevation: 1256 feet
Latitude: 48.0543
Longitude: -90.0540
North Fowl Lake * - 70
Nym lake
Entry Date:
August 06, 2022
Entry Point:
From CANADA
Number of Days:
3
Group Size:
1
i wanted to scout the entry at nym lake this year to see if it might be something the wife and i could do together next season.
i could not get a decent sleep the night before leaving so i got a late start.
picked up my permit at dawson trail and clarified where to park once at nym.
the nym lake turn is well marked on the highway (less than 20 min west from dawson) and the lot is only a few minutes down the gravel road. be sure to watch for the sign to turn left to use the proper parking lot. if you go straight it takes you to the lot / boat ramp used by the campers on nym. the backcountry lot has an information area, a covered seating area, and toilets. i went in on a saturday and there was at least 30 vehicles parked there.
there is a short downhill carry to the water where a floating rubber dock is avail to use. make note of the large green sign on shore marking the spot for the way back. on a clear day you can see the sign from a very long way off.
i had an pretty easy paddle across nym and could not miss the portage due to the number of canoes coming my way. haha i must have come across 15 canoes heading out that day and only one going in that evening.
there are two portages into batchewaung apparently but the east one is the one i am told everyone uses. the trail was wide and well cleared. it was less then 1km long (maybe a half mile?). had some ups and downs. some rocky and muddy sections. but was not overly difficult in this old man's opinion. nym lake of course is not within the park. the boundary sign is part way up the trail.
the put in at batch is very shallow and rocky. so if you are trying to stay dry you will risk damaging your canoe for sure. the wind had picked up quite a bit by the time i was ready to go and was blowing straight at the portage. i decided to put a few small items and paddles in the canoe, carry both packs, and then carry the canoe by the gunwales into the water. then i loaded both packs into the floating canoe. not sure how others would do it but it worked out ok.
after a short time a realized there was no way i could paddle directly across the lake so i had to follow the north and west shore. it was pretty gruelling and took about an hour and a half to cross. luckily i did find a nice calm spot to rest and have lunch once out of the wind.
i took the first nice spot i found. right on the end of the point beside the narrown section leading to the south end of the lake. nice rock fire pit and a few tent pad options. very well cleared and lots of wood avail.
tried some fishing that evening close to camp. no luck.
the next day i explored the south end of the lake and a few of the nicer camp sites. fishing was good. a few small pike, a half dozen smallies, and even got two really nice walleye (about 4lbs each) which is extremely rare for me.
on the way back to camp i decided to try the short portage that connects the north part of the lake to the south. it is very short and was quite muddy. pretty easy though. i am not sure if using that is any faster or easier than paddling through the narrow part. maybe someone with more experience on that lake could give their opinion. i guess it would depend on wind direction.
the last day, instead of heading directly out, i decided to return to where i caught the nice wallye since i was in no rush. what a change from the day before. not one bite at any spot i tried. and i lost my nicest spinner. (insert sad face here haha)
it was a much better paddle out with the wind basically behind me. it was a beautifl day. i met a large group of young fellas heading in for 12 days and a father and son pair heading out after 12 days. turns out they rented their gear from my old high school teacher. haha small world. the father had come over from scotland to meet up with his son who flew in from NY. pretty awesome.
i really enjoyed my short trip. but i did note how very busy that section of the park was. and i also noticed there was nowhere near the wildlife i see on french, east pickerel, or on my trip into baptism. other than a few squirrels and the tiniest little chipmunk, there was not much else. not even many birds singing. i assume it is due to the high number of visitors to this area??
i would def do a solo trip back and maybe stay in the south end of batch to explore that end more, but the wife could not safely do that portage into batch.
next on the list is to do a recon trip thru stanton bay. just gotta figure out the best way to do it. paying for a shuttle as a solo traveller gets a bit pricey. and from what i hear, my small suv may not survive the 1/2 hr drive in there.
thx rick