I am planning a Quetico trip for late July, 2019. I'll be entering at French Lake and heading south on Baptism Creek, ultimately to Wet Lake. I am interested in hearing others' feedback on paddling Baptism Creek and Cache River, particularly in the middle of summer.

When going up the French River it is easy to miss Baptism Creek. If you notice you are going east you missed it. It is just a little past the second bridge. I don’t know what you’re traveling speed is but my travel speed puts me at the start of the portage into Cache with not enough time to finish that day. The last time I went that way when I got to the portage I filled up on water and started the portage. A little over a mile down the portage there was a dry wooded hill top where I hung my hammock about 30 feet off the path. Cooked my supper on a camp stove in the middle of the trail. Moose walked by in the middle of the night. Next morning I finished the portage. I have gone that way several times and that was the easiest way to do it for me. The river crossing has been made easier now with the trail going straight across rather than at an angle. Don’t plan on getting drinking water out of the river! Much of both of the Cache Lake portages are still marked with blazes.

Thanks for the input, MagicPaddler. Drinking water is an important consideration! Is Baptism Creek generally navigable in a canoe or should I anticipate a lot of trudging through marshes? Trudging through marshes tacks on a lot more time...

The creek is navigable your canoe will rarely touch bottom. The last time I went that way there was a tree fallen just before one of the portages. That required a 20 foot muddy portage.

MagicPaddler: "Don’t plan on getting drinking water out of the river!"

I know this thread is pretty old, but can I ask why this is? Is the water not safe to drink even if it's filtered? Or is getting it there just inconvenient due to it being dry/marshy/some other reason?