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    Winter Camping and Activities
       Where would you go for a week?
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Date/Time: 03/28/2024 07:33AM
Where would you go for a week?

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Previous Messages:
Author Message Text
karola 12/18/2016 05:52PM
quote Minnesotian: "
Wow man, I am jealous. Going by yourself?



If I had a week off I would head up to the Wine Lake, Mesaba Lake area. Just a pretty area.
"



Yeah I'm heading in solo Saturday. I have a buddy hiking in Wednesday that will stay for the rest of the trip.
karola 12/18/2016 05:52PM
quote Minnesotian: "
Wow man, I am jealous. Going by yourself?



If I had a week off I would head up to the Wine Lake, Mesaba Lake area. Just a pretty area.
"



Yeah I'm heading in solo Saturday. I have a buddy hiking in Wednesday that will stay for the rest of the trip.
Minnesotian 12/18/2016 05:16PM

Wow man, I am jealous. Going by yourself?


If I had a week off I would head up to the Wine Lake, Mesaba Lake area. Just a pretty area.
karola 12/18/2016 09:03AM
quote Pinetree: " Moose web cam



Does not look like much at all or any on the lake, I don' know the snow depth in the woods there? "



Thanks! I bet it is all of 1- 1.5' or so in the woods. I was thinking the lakes likely froze over after the last snow storm. So travel shouldn't be too difficult for most of my hike in.
Pinetree 12/18/2016 08:50AM
Moose web cam


Does not look like much at all or any on the lake, I don' know the snow depth in the woods there?
karola 12/18/2016 08:01AM
quote Pinetree: "quote karola: "Update- I'm planning on heading to Wind Bay on Basswood via Moose and Wind Lakes. I head in next Saturday for 8 days. I'll primarily be spearing pike but might hike up to American Point and try for lakers, we will see. Have fun out on your winter adventures!"



Good area,be prepared for cold weather. I have been that way in the winter,but like in March. I don't know if it gets much early year use. May be breaking trail?"



Is there much snow on the ice up there right now? I'm hoping I don't have to break trail, worse case scenario I base camp on Wind Lake if it's too hard to get to Basswood.
Pinetree 12/17/2016 07:07PM
quote karola: "Update- I'm planning on heading to Wind Bay on Basswood via Moose and Wind Lakes. I head in next Saturday for 8 days. I'll primarily be spearing pike but might hike up to American Point and try for lakers, we will see. Have fun out on your winter adventures!"


Good area,be prepared for cold weather. I have been that way in the winter,but like in March. I don't know if it gets much early year use. May be breaking trail?
karola 12/17/2016 09:11AM
Update- I'm planning on heading to Wind Bay on Basswood via Moose and Wind Lakes. I head in next Saturday for 8 days. I'll primarily be spearing pike but might hike up to American Point and try for lakers, we will see. Have fun out on your winter adventures!
Gadfly 09/29/2016 12:37PM
Awesome thanks for the reply. I will be curious to hear where you end up going. I did a 5 day trip up to wine lake for lakers and it took us a little over a day to get there and less than a day to get back since we had broken trail. We only caught a few lakers but they were all pretty good sized. You could probably spear on Zenith or Frederick for pike.
HappyHuskies 09/29/2016 06:52AM

I'm guessing 4-mile, I don't think dogsleds run through the Wood Lake route- at least I've never seen their tracks through there."


Yep, Four Mile. Nice, easy trail once there is enough snow.
karola 09/28/2016 12:24PM
quote Gadfly: "quote Soledad: "I don't have a lot of ice fishing experience. I have taken a yearly trip up to Hoist bay and have seen lots of nice pike under the ice. Other than that, the only holes I cut in the ice are for drinking water. Getting to Hoist is an easy 2 or 3 hour trek (some years less, some more). The path is usually good because of the dogsled trips that are taken into that and beyond. Even is very slushy conditions, the path is good. Sometimes you do have to get off that path and stand in slush to let dogsleds, but in my mind, it is their trail, and lively hood-they get the right of way.




thats all I got- head up to Knife or rent a fish house from Smittys for lakers."




Do you take the 4 mile portage to get there or do you go through wood lake entrance? "



I'm guessing 4-mile, I don't think dogsleds run through the Wood Lake route- at least I've never seen their tracks through there.
SevenofNine 09/28/2016 08:34AM
You could consider entering at Round lake and camping on Tuscarora for Lakers. You could do this trek in a day although it will be a long trudge from Missing Link to Tuscarora. If you are lucky the trail to Tusc will be packed by other campers but you never know.
Gadfly 09/27/2016 01:11PM
quote Soledad: "I don't have a lot of BWCA ice fishing experience. I have taken a yearly trip up to Hoist bay and have seen lots of nice pike under the ice. Other than that, the only holes I cut in the ice are for drinking water. Getting to Hoist is an easy 2 or 3 hour trek (some years less, some more). The path is usually good because of the dogsled trips that are taken into that area and beyond. Even is very slushy conditions, the path is good. Sometimes you do have to get off that path and stand in slush to let dogsleds, but in my mind, it is their trail, and lively hood-they get the right of way.



thats all I got- head up to Knife or rent a fish house from Smittys for lakers."



Do you take the 4 mile portage to get there or do you go through wood lake entrance?
Soledad 09/27/2016 12:37PM
I don't have a lot of BWCA ice fishing experience. I have taken a yearly trip up to Hoist bay and have seen lots of nice pike under the ice. Other than that, the only holes I cut in the ice are for drinking water. Getting to Hoist is an easy 2 or 3 hour trek (some years less, some more). The path is usually good because of the dogsled trips that are taken into that area and beyond. Even is very slushy conditions, the path is good. Sometimes you do have to get off that path and stand in slush to let dogsleds, but in my mind, it is their trail, and lively hood-they get the right of way.


thats all I got- head up to Knife or rent a fish house from Smittys for lakers.
karola 09/25/2016 07:05PM
I'm planning on taking a week + off from work this winter to go winter camping. I can either pack light and cold tent or pack my 8x8 canvas spike-tent with wood stove. I'm experienced with both set-ups. I'm planning on spearing pike and also fishing lakers (they don't have to be on the same lake). I'm thinking possibly heading up to Basswood....but also thinking cold-camping through the Oyster Lake area. Any thoughts on a good winter route? I know it is all snow/slush dependent on how far I can go, but I can travel 3-5 miles a day under ideal conditions.