BWCA Little Indian Sioux River South Boundary Waters Trip Planning Forum
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RoundRiver
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12/30/2018 09:54PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I have wanted to paddle the Little Indian Sioux River from Otter Lake (adjacent to Cummings Lake) up to the Echo Trail for a number of years, and think 2019 may be the year. Is this river generally flat water, or are there some riffles and class 1s or 2s? How late in the year, in a typical year can one expect to paddle it before it is too low? Is all of June on a typical year a safe bet? What is a good flow rate to paddle that section of the river? Thank you for any help you can provide.
 
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marsonite
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01/01/2019 04:08PM  
It's been a few years (well, actually quite a bit more than a few) but I have done a few trips on LIS south. Never been upstream of the portage to Little Trout either, so I can't speak to that.

The LIS for the most part winds a lot with very little current. I remember once paddling on it on a very windy day and having the wind at our back half the time and battling a headwind the other half. The banks are quite swampy. There are a few rapids, which as far as I remember must be portaged in practically all water levels, but otherwise it is essentially flatwater.

I know I paddled it once in a hot spell in mid August, and I don't recall a problem with water levels. If anything, the portage landings might be a bit more difficult with low water.

I know you need to plan carefully because there are really limited options for camping on the river, even desperation bushwhack campsites, and the distances are fairly long. Leaving Otter, you would either have to take the long portage to Little Trout or continue to Bootleg which is over 15 miles with a number of portages. Not that it is such a long distance, but you would need to get an early start off of Otter.

RoundRiver
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01/01/2019 11:29PM  
Thank you!
 
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