We'll be heading up to Ely in about two weeks and the plan is to use the Horse River to get up to Lower Basswood Falls. I have read on this forum that the river can get really shallow this time of year. Has anyone been on it recently that could give a report on high/ low water?

It's going to be tough going. We opted to come out from Quetico via Friday Bay rather than via the Horse River because we observed very low water and dry conditions in the area. Even in high water, the Horse River isn't just super easy to get through.

Was on it on 8/12. One rapids we walked the canoe through and the other ones we had to portage. Wasn't bad. I wouldn't avoid it. Sure beats the portage from Fourtown into Mudro not to mention the mile long one coming out of The little lakes after Friday bay.

I turned on my GPS to track that mile long portage and the elevation changes are pretty tough. It goes up about 800 feet then back down 800 and back up again in very short distance and then gradually goes back down. While not the worst thing I've ever done I would take the horse river over this combined with the portages out of Fourtown.

That mile-long portage rise is 80 feet according to your GPS, not 800. My InReach Explorer+ shows ~170 feet of total rise from Wagosh to the midpoint, followed by ~130 feet of total drop to Gun. Regardless, it's a smooth, wide trail, and it's really quite an easy portage.

I agree that the Fourtown-Mudro portages are rough; we went Fourtown to Horse Lake, then out through Tin Can Mike, Sandpit, Mudro, to avoid them and take in some extra scenery. It depends on how much time you have, and how you feel about portaging. Personally, I enjoy a good portage, and I think the portages I just described are good portages. Obviously between Basswood Falls and Mudro you'll take less time using the Horse River (it's a much shorter trip overall), but it's going to be rough in low water.

Going down the Horse River to LBF area shouldn't be much of an issue. Coming back up it may have several challenges . You may want to entertain the idea of doing the loop (as others have mentioned) and coming back through Wagosh /Gun /Fairy / Boot to Fourtown.

Heading through there 9/28 and making the loop through Friday bay, been through there once, didn't think any of the portages were bad at all.