Headed out in less than 1 week and do not yet have a permit booked.
These 3 options are on the table: Polly, South Temperance, Pine

- 10+/- miles of paddling (each way), is enough for this group.
- base camp
- walleye & smallie fishing
- maybe a day trip

Looking for recommendations from comparison standpoints.
Recommendations from anyone who has taken multiple of these routes?

We are heading to South Temperance tomorrow.

I was just on a trip through Polly in early June. We passed thru on our way in and stayed one night on it on our way out. Fairly busy, has had a problem bear report earlier, we found good fishing in one spot. It took us 3 hours to get there and 2.5 to get out from there single portaging. Haven't been to the others. The burn area is cool to see on the way in if you haven't before. All portages are well used/maintained as you'd expect out of a main EP.

Some thoughts...Polly is a beautiful but very busy lake and is currently a subject of reported bear activity. A few portages, not terrible but some length, and possibly some beaver dam pullovers on the way. Probably some decent fishing but not known as a great fishing lake.

Pine is an awfully big lake. Traversing it from east to west could be an adventure if the wind is blowing. And getting out to fish could also be an adventure if the wind is blowing. Thats the word I would worry about on Pine, wind. Good fishing.

South Temperancce is a gorgeous lake, one of the prettiest in the BWCA IMO. Points, bays, islands and good fishing. You would have to cross Brule which has the same wind issues as Pine but at least you wouldn't be staying on it, just have to get across it. Portaging not an issue on this route. If you go, check out the campsite in the NW corner of the lake. Very nice site and the most secluded on the lake. This would be my vote.







View from that site

lindylair: " Pine is an awfully big lake. Traversing it from east to west could be an adventure if the wind is blowing. And getting out to fish could also be an adventure if the wind is blowing. Thats the word I would worry about on Pine, wind. Good fishing. "

Spot on, except; looking into Pine, ep1, in the vermilion area.
This point is much like the other lakes I am selecting between.

lindylair: "South Temperancce is a gorgeous lake, good fishing. Portaging not an issue"

Almost turned off by the lack of portaging this trip would require.
Figured the 4 sure would always be filled, due to easy of access.
But....
Sounds like Temperance has your vote in every category.
Easy portaging, No bear, Less crowded, Beauty, Fishing.

Get to South Temperance early, I spent Monday nite there last week and all 4 sites were taken by 6:30 pm.

Not sure what the permit situation is, but if you want some portaging and pretty little paddles, enter S. Temp from Baker. The last portage is the long one but it is flat and a good path. You could day trip easily to Brule and the Cones for fishing.

cowdoc: "Not sure what the permit situation is, but if you want some portaging and pretty little paddles, enter S. Temp from Baker. The last portage is the long one but it is flat and a good path. You could day trip easily to Brule and the Cones for fishing."

cowdoc, I had looked into that. Despite me feeling that a trip without portaging is "missing something", I do not know that I could convince anyone to go out of their way to portage. We would likely just take more adventurous day trips.

I imagine we would backtrack into NW Brule for a day trip. Pending wind weather. Looks like the 'rockslide' is worth seeing.

Would you recommend fishing Brule & Cones over South Temperance?

cyclones30: "I was just on a trip through Polly in early June. Fairly busy, problem bear, we found good fishing in one spot, burn area is cool"

Thanks for the input. I think that Polly will get visited either way! But maybe we will wait until the crowds are less thick(thinned out by the bears). Possibly a fall trip. I have a hard time base camping, but for this group I make it work.

The Pine Lake off of Trout lake is a beautiful lake with a good Walleye population. Nice campsites. I would recommend getting a tow from Vermilion.

walllee: "The Pine Lake off of Trout lake is a beautiful lake with a good Walleye population. Nice campsites. I would recommend getting a tow from Vermilion."

Why the tow? Just to get across the bigger water easily? I've heard the walleye population is healthy. How about size?

LindenTree3: "Get to South Temperance early, I spent Monday nite there last week and all 4 sites were taken by 6:30 pm."

You nailed my biggest fear about South Temperance. Early would not be the issue.. Likely to the lake around 11am-12noon

never been to polly or the pine ep1. have been to s. temp. this also has my vote. if you are bored with basecamping and fishing just take a day trip to the portage to n. temperance and up to the next portage. you'll get a good workout.

Mocha: " if you are bored with basecamping and fishing just take a day trip to the portage to n. temperance and up to the next portage. you'll get a good workout."

Deal! I think my wife would enjoy that! Thanks for the direct recommendation! Do you/have you fished the area you recommend?

lindylair: "Some thoughts...Polly is a beautiful but very busy lake and is currently a subject of reported bear activity. A few portages, not terrible but some length, and possibly some beaver dam pullovers on the way. Probably some decent fishing but not known as a great fishing lake.


Pine is an awfully big lake. Traversing it from east to west could be an adventure if the wind is blowing. And getting out to fish could also be an adventure if the wind is blowing. Thats the word I would worry about on Pine, wind. Good fishing.


South Temperancce is a gorgeous lake, one of the prettiest in the BWCA IMO. Points, bays, islands and good fishing. You would have to cross Brule which has the same wind issues as Pine but at least you wouldn't be staying on it, just have to get across it. Portaging not an issue on this route. If you go, check out the campsite in the NW corner of the lake. Very nice site and the most secluded on the lake. This would be my vote.







View from that site"

+1

halvorsonchristopher: "

walllee: "The Pine Lake off of Trout lake is a beautiful lake with a good Walleye population. Nice campsites. I would recommend getting a tow from Vermilion."

Why the tow? Just to get across the bigger water easily? I've heard the walleye population is healthy. How about size?"

Getting to Trout Lake from Vermilion can be a challenge if there is wind. There is some big water, along with quite a bit of boat traffic sometimes. I have never caught any trophy’s in Pine, but there are some quality Walleye. I think my buddy caught a 7 or 8 pounder a few years back. That area has some of the best Walleye fishing I have experienced in the BWCA, Buck and Western Lakes were phenomenal last time I was there, but that was at least 10 years ago.

halvorsonchristopher: "

Mocha: " if you are bored with basecamping and fishing just take a day trip to the portage to n. temperance and up to the next portage. you'll get a good workout."

Deal! I think my wife would enjoy that! Thanks for the direct recommendation! Do you/have you fished the area you recommend?"

i was in that area just prior to fishing opener 2017. was on cherokee for opener and the trout fishing was fabulous.

Pine is a nice lake, caught all the fish we cared to. Paddled up buck creek to buck. Was there for 30 mins, 5 minutes on the water and caught 2 nice walleyes. Paddled back down to pine before dark hit. I dont know if you could go up buck creek with all your gear, it would certainly take longer than the 1.5 hr it did for us to get up it. Other option is to go thru Chad lake. Those portages are long though. Definitely get the tow to trout. Call shamrock marine and ask him for his guy that does some towing for him. He towed us for $75 each way. Well worth it. Never been to the other 2 options, but I would not hesitate to go back to pine, or buck. Wish we would have had time to stay on buck longer.

Did Baker 39 to S Temp for 4 days a few weeks ago, and it is a beautiful paddle. Not terribly long to get to S Temp. We likewise stayed in NW campsite and liked it a lot. Good smallie fishing on lake including W side, but had a tough time with eyes....only catching a couple on E side in narrows and around islands in N Temp Portage area. I'm thinking a result of the weather turn around that happened day before we showed up. If I'd go again, I'd troll and jig the narrows to Brule more. All 4 campsites looked good on the lake. Beautiful lake and river paddle.

So many great viewpoints.
Definitely taking all 3 trips soon.

For now, we will be headed to South Temperance.
I'd love to continue this thread and ask for more advice on the lake.

- Campsites, ranked? (only 4)
- Is N. Temperance worth a visit? Or should we day trip to NW Brule?
- anything else note worthy about ST ?

halvorsonchristopher: "So many great viewpoints.
Definitely taking all 3 trips soon.


For now, we will be headed to South Temperance.
I'd love to continue this thread and ask for more advice on the lake.


- Campsites, ranked? (only 4)
- Is N. Temperance worth a visit? Or should we day trip to NW Brule?
- anything else note worthy about ST ? "

N Temperance is a nice lake, I spent a nite on it and was the only one there last week.
I was going to go to Brule but the wind was iffy.

I stayed on North Temperance an early Spring trip. It is a nice lake and worth the trip. The island site is located on the east side of the island not as marked on the map. I stayed at the second site as you come in from South Temperance. It is a very big site but lake views are limited.

SevenofNine: "I stayed on North Temperance an early Spring "

Thanks, If ST is full we will likely head up to NT

Bumstead: Good smallie fishing on lake including W side, but had a tough time with eyes....only catching a couple on E side in narrows and around islands in N Temp Portage area. "

Did you run any live bait?

LindenTree3 "N Temperance is a nice lake, I spent a nite on it and was the only one there last week."

Any input on the NT campsites?

halvorsonchristopher: "

Bumstead: Good smallie fishing on lake including W side, but had a tough time with eyes....only catching a couple on E side in narrows and around islands in N Temp Portage area. "

Did you run any live bait?"

Yes, most fish were caught on leeches, either with #8 hook and a bullet splitshot or under a slip bobber. Some fish taken with lures, but we hit the leeches hard trying to locate a walleye spot. Figuring I should have done more jigging or trolling through a little deeper water when we were there. They were evidently a little deeper than what I usually find during first week of June (6 - 8 FOW) due to weather conditions a few days before we went in.

Would love to hear back from you regarding fishing success. Have a great time.

Southern site on ST is a nice one. Big area for tents. Nice fire pit area overlooking lake. Tarp hanging may be a little tough. Look for the nicer canoe landing around the backside to the NE.
Never fished NT but always thought it was a very pretty little lake. I think the island and the SE site are the sought after ones.
South Temp site views

Bumstead: Figuring I should have done more jigging or trolling through a little deeper water when we were there. They were evidently a little deeper than what I usually find during first week of June (6 - 8 FOW) due to weather."

I was north of this area, for that exact time period. Right after the bad weather. We had our way with the lakes we were on. Wind blown shorelines. Trolling. Jig/cast/retrieve.

I'll let you know how we do, and where.

cowdoc: "Southern site on ST is a nice one. Big area for tents. Nice fire pit area overlooking lake. Tarp hanging may be a little tough. Look for the nicer canoe landing around the backside to the NE.
Never fished NT but always thought it was a very pretty little lake. I think the island and the SE site are the sought after ones.
South Temp site views
"

Doc, looks like that's the site to shoot for.
Can you rank the other 3 on the lake?
I'm thinking it goes clockwise, starting at the southern site.

clockwise...south site I think is nicest....tad open...but nice. NW site....decent...most secluded probably (back in the woods a little more and back in a bay ) Top middle....again, decent, but pretty open. Sun and wind beat on it. Far east....decent but no views, might be a little tight and may not get wind to knock bugs down.

halvorsonchristopher: "So many great viewpoints.
Definitely taking all 3 trips soon.


For now, we will be headed to South Temperance.
I'd love to continue this thread and ask for more advice on the lake.


- Campsites, ranked? (only 4)
- Is N. Temperance worth a visit? Or should we day trip to NW Brule?
- anything else note worthy about ST ? "

I've only stayed on the nw site and the southern most site. I love the big south site, it's up high, good hammock spots, great long views. The nw site is more secluded, smaller. There is a site with a big rock that slopes to the water that looks nice but has always been full when I've been through. The site closest to Brûlé I've never looked at, it must be nice though because it's always taken.

My wife and I stayed on NT a couple September’s ago. We came from Cherokee and decided to try ST. We paddled the entire lake to find all of the sites full and back tracked to NT and stayed on the northern island site. We really loved the site even though it didn’t have the best view of the lake. We personally felt like NT was a prettier lake. We didn’t fish so I can’t comment on that.

Just got back from South Temperance. Had the lake to ourselves Monday night. Tuesday, one other camp site was taken and Wednesday night three of the sites were taken. Was able to catch and release over a limit of walleyes every night. Mayfly hatch was just starting. A very pretty lake. Day trip to Brule to the rock slide. My kids made it to the top and found out they had cell service up there.

You should probably give me a 1 day head start on the fishing.... ??
Shoot me an email. halvorson.christopher@gmail.com

It won't take me more than a day to get a read on the water, but it would be nice to not waste a night bite trying to figure it out.
Anything coming on lures?
All live bait?
Any obvious color preference?
Timing of bite?

So great to hear that the lake was not packed when you were there.
The Brule EP still had many permits available, so I'm hoping that is a sign.
What camp did you select?

We also hope to day trip to the rockslide!

halvorsonchristopher: "You should probably give me a 1 day head start on the fishing.... ??
Shoot me an email. halvorson.christopher@gmail.com


It won't take me more than a day to get a read on the water, but it would be nice to not waste a night bite trying to figure it out.
Anything coming on lures?
All live bait?
Any obvious color preference?
Timing of bite?


So great to hear that the lake was not packed when you were there.
The Brule EP still had many permits available, so I'm hoping that is a sign.
What camp did you select?


We also hope to day trip to the rockslide! "

How was your trip?

Shot you an email today or yesterday!

Trip was nice. Moose, Walleye, beautiful views.
We had the lake to ourselves. Until the day we left.
Encountered a pretty bad storm on the way out while we were on Brule.