Boundary Waters, Message Board, Forum, BWCA, BWCAW, Quetico Park
Chat Rooms (0 Chatting)  |  Search  |   Login/Join
* For the benefit of the community, commercial posting is not allowed.
 Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
    Winter Camping and Activities
       Saganaga
          Reply
Date/Time: 03/28/2024 05:01AM
Saganaga

* Help stop spam. Please enter the lake name you see over the flying moose.

  

Previous Messages:
Author Message Text
morky 08/07/2016 05:04PM
Now, if I snowmobile to the Canadian side, do I need a permit to camp in Canada?
Wetlander 02/24/2011 10:48AM
That was on our list of places to consider also, but we are trying to get away from the snowmobiles. Goodluck!
Skoog 02/24/2011 10:44AM
Thanks for the help. If things don't come together, my back up plan is Guntflint Lake since it's outside the BWCA. Either way we'll have decent Laker fishing.
Erik
walleye_hunter 02/24/2011 10:35AM
Skoog/Erik- The US side of Sag is in the Boundary Waters. All of the rules and regulations of the BWCA apply. You cannot use a power auger, no cans or glass, etc. The one exception is you can use your snowmobile on the corridor. On some maps that is the red line that runs from the landing up past Horseshoe Island, then heads past Bradley Island to Canada. It is a well used trail and easy to follow. Don't take your sleds off that trail. Shortly after you leave the landing the snowmobile trail will lead you through the woods for a short stretch on what is called the 'winter portage'. You will want to use that as the narrows will have some open water.
Wetlander 02/24/2011 09:37AM
The Fallowing is copy and pasted from canoecountry.com:


"Motor-Powered Watercraft Regulations
Motor-powered watercraft are permitted only on the following designated lakes. All other lakes or portions of lakes within the BWCAW are paddle only. Motors may not be used or be in possession on any paddle-only lake. No other motorized or mechanized equipment (including pontoon boats, sailboats, sailboards) is allowed.
Lakes With 10 Horsepower Limit
On these lakes, the possession of one additional motor no greater than 6 horsepower is permitted, as long as motors in use do not exceed 10 horsepower. - Clearwater, North Fowl, South Fowl, Seagull (no motors generally west of Three Mile Island), sections of Island River within the BWCAW.


Lakes With 25 Horsepower Limit
On these lakes or portions of these lakes, the possession of one additional motor no greater than 10 horsepower is permitted, as long as motors in use do not exceed 25 horsepower:
- Basswood (except that portion north of Jackfish Bay and Washington Island), Saganaga (except that portion west of American Point), Fall, Newton, Moose, Newfound, Sucker, Snowbank, East Bearskin, South Farm, Trout.
Lakes With No Horsepower Limits
- Little Vermilion, Loon, Lac La Croix (not beyond the south end of Snow Bay in the U.S.A.), Loon River. "



To me, this reads in reference to "Motor Powered Watercraft" and makes no mention of Ice augers... I'm still looking for the snowmobile paragraph.
Wetlander 02/24/2011 09:21AM
I was planning this trip back in December. I have since abandon it for a Trip to Rose instead. I'm not sure about the gas augers but snowmobiles are only allowed on the Cooridor. The cooridor will be marked on your map and runs from the access to the Canada border. Once you are in Canada you can run all over with your sled... given that you have a Remote Area Border Crossing permit and a Passport. In any case, the effort to carry or drag in a gas auger would likely me more work than drilling a couple holes with a sharp hand auger depending on how far you plan on walking from your snowmobile.


Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I am pretty sure the motor exception on Sag is specifically for Snowmobile and outboard motor use. I know I read about it somewhere...
Skoog 02/23/2011 10:54PM
I think this is a great thread since I'm totally confused as to what I can do on my fishing trip to Sag in March. I thought you could drive a sled and use a power auger anywhere they allow motorized boats(Nothing past American Point), so I'm wrong? I can use a sled but I have to stay on the marked road?


Does anyone know where I can get the specifics about this cuz I'm not finding a lot of info.


Thanks for the help.
Erik
walleye_hunter 12/07/2010 09:48AM
Most people park their sleds on the corridor and just fish for the day. I have a spot that I like to fish on Sag but I snowmobile to the Canadian side of the lake and then go down the border for a few miles. I park my sled and walk back a couple of miles into U.S. waters. There are a lot of places to fish on Sag but without a snowmobile it can be a long walk from spot to spot. If you have snowmobiles it is a fun lake to fish. If you don't want to be around snowmobiles Daniels and Tuscarora are both good lakes for small lake trout but not much for multi-species angling. Tuscarora is a good pike lake but not sure where you would catch them in March. If you still want to go to Sag I can give you a couple of spots to get you started for fishing, with or without snowmobiles. If you have questions about any other lakes along the Gunflint just ask. Someone will know.
Wetlander 12/07/2010 09:02AM
Do people leave snowmobiles parked off to the side of the corridor (overnight) and then hike to fishing spots from there? Just trying to see what my options are. My back up plan is Rose, but I've fished it before with little succuess.
Tryg 12/06/2010 07:53PM
Walleye Hunter pretty much explained it.


You can use a snowmobile to travel up the Sag corridor north to Canada. It's a marked trail, it gets a lot of traffic but it's not that busy. It's easy to walk on.


Both public landings are plowed, you can start from either one. Just hike up the corridor on the snowmobile pack, over the winter portage, and then you can go wherever you want.


It's a long hike to get up there, I would recommend going somewhere else.
walleye_hunter 12/06/2010 05:59PM
There are a lot of cabins and a resort or two on the Canadian side of Sag. The corridor allows people to get themselves and supplies from the parking lot to their place. Someone else such as trygve or TGO might know more about the history of the deal.
Cedarboy 12/06/2010 05:16PM
May have something to do with outboards motors also allowed on Sag.
CB
Wetlander 12/06/2010 03:26PM
I wasn't aware that snowmobiles were alowed on the BW side of Sag?! Why the exception for this corridor?
walleye_hunter 12/06/2010 02:49PM
Sag is a good trout lake and because of that it gets fished pretty heavily in the winter. The road is plowed and there is a lot of snowmobile traffic on the corridor. If you have snowmobiles you have to keep them on the corridor and walk to your fishing spots. If you don't have snowmobiles you will have to walk a few miles before you are in lake trout water. There are a few places to catch walleyes in March on Sag. Good luck! It's a big gorgeous lake and can be productive.
Wetlander 12/06/2010 01:37PM
I am hoping to get in a winter Ice Fishing trip this year and have Saganaga in my sites for multiple reasons:
A) we are planning on going during spring break in march as a few of the people coming with are teachers/work at schools/are students. Because Sag is a border water we can fish our 3 main species (Lakers, Wallys, and Northerns)leagally that late in the season.
B)its a lake that actually has all 3 species and can be reached in a day
C)I can stay at a buddies place near the Gunflint the night before we go in to the BW.

BUT, it seems there is not a whole lot of info about Sag on this site... especially in the winter. Why is that?
Is the road not plowed?
Does the fishing stink?
Are there snowmobiles racing up and down the Canada side of the lake?
Is it more dangerous than other lakes in the winter do to ice conditions (springs or pressure ridges)?

What gives?