My sons and I planned on doing Iron this year. My daughter would like to do this year's trip with us now. It would be her 1st and she is 11. Clearly we are going to try to avoid the Crooked and Iron areas now due to more extensive portaging.

I am now leaning towards Insula. I am very unfamiliar with the area but I understand a few things about it from reports.

1. Crowds thin after numbered lakes.
2. Fishing is not easy. Fewer varmint smallies.
3. This is now recovering burn area.

I am going to be posting a variety of questions in the days to come.

I have no info on Insula, but why avoid Iron? Do a layup on Agnes and you will be fine. That was my first trip at 11, and my daughter’s at 12. Crooked through Horse River is easier than that.

I agree with Wables. I would stick to original plan. Adding one 11 year old won't add that much more gear. Get/rent a smaller pack for her to carry or maybe she can carry the food pack. Besides it doesn't thin out that much after the numbers lakes. I've seen it crowded all the way through Alice lake on multiple occasions. I have seen way younger than 11 year olds on Iron and Crooked.

Wables: "I have no info on Insula, but why avoid Iron? Do a layup on Agnes and you will be fine. That was my first trip at 11, and my daughter’s at 12. Crooked through Horse River is easier than that. "

Plus one. Super trip with kids

You are not picking an easier trip by heading to Insula. I would head to Iron/Crooked well before Insula for fishing!

As far as the kiddos go, I took my son to Iron when he was 7 and never had a regret. There are many ways to get there.

I've been to Insula, but it was back in 2001 and loved it. It was first week of June and there were more people on the number lakes than what we saw in Insula, but was not crowded in my opinion. I can only remember two portages that had another group there the same time as ours.

This trip was the first for my group of five. We were pretty unorganized and not the best paddlers, but still made it to Insula in one day with plenty of time to get to the northeast corner of the lake set up camp and go out and fish for the evening. It was a long first day for sure and could have been done much quicker if we had known what we doing a little more.

The fishing was fantastic, I couldn't even guess at the number of walleye we caught, but it was as many we wanted every day. We tried for smallies but didnt catch a single one the whole week, plenty of pike also.

I'm taking my 14 year old daughter on her first trip this summer and was planning on Insula but because of the burn area through the number lakes, we are entering Snowbank instead and heading for Ima. From what I've seen it looks like the north side of the number lakes and the north side of Insula was not burned but pretty much everything on the south side was. I think it would be neat to pass through the area and see the regrowth but not knowing how far we'll make it i didnt want to end up getting stuck in a burn area for our whole trip.

"or maybe she can carry the food pack. "
:) On group trips I've taken the food pack is the heaviest pack, at least at the beginning.

I agree with the others. Iron over Insula. Light loads for your daughter.

Richwon4: "My sons and I planned on doing Iron this year. My daughter would like to do this year's trip with us now. It would be her 1st and she is 11. Clearly we are going to try to avoid the Crooked and Iron areas now due to more extensive portaging.

I am now leaning towards Insula. I am very unfamiliar with the area but I understand a few things about it from reports.

1. Crowds thin after numbered lakes.
2. Fishing is not easy. Fewer varmint smallies.
3. This is now recovering burn area.

I am going to be posting a variety of questions in the days to come.

"

Is there something else you are not sharing about your daughter, ie a specific handicap? Or, does adding her require adding a second canoe? If not, I wouldn't change your original plan. At 11 she should have to problem walking the portage and carrying what ever additional weight you'll bring because she joined the trip.

When we have four we go from one canoe to two. This is really about portaging two canoes more than anything. My issue is that I cannot portage two canoes especially South out of Friday Bay for Crooked or the many portages in and out of Iron. My sons are 13 and 11. They are both fit and athletic but not large and strong yet. This was my primary concern, the portaging of two canoes. It is all I can do with my back to endure as many portages as a typical trip with good fishing will require. Like I said, I am inquiring because I am not familiar with the Insula Route. The long water miles does not bother me much.

The 13-year-old can portage a canoe - we made Boy Scouts that age do it. :) Heck, that's assuming an aluminum canoe. If you can finagle one of them being Kevlar, then give that to an 11-year-old and chuck the food pack on the 13.

Yes that is something to consider. The last time we went up the 13 year old was a very scrawny 11 year old. He was a bit more faint of heart at the time.

Richwon, you know yourself and your kids better than anyone. Don't be pushed into taking a route you are not comfortable with or that might push the limits. Creating a good experience for your kids so that they want to return, and a trip that doesn't physically overburden them or yourself should be the primary consideration. The numbered lakes to Insula is a very scenic trip and offers some good fishing and Insula, of course, is one of the classic BWCA lakes. I don't know how this could be a bad option. If they love the experience and aren't pushed to unhappiness by the trip being too much, you will have lots of time to take more ambitious trips in the future.

just my thoughts.

IMO you roll the dice with getting a site on Iron. There are 43 on Insula. I caught a 4 lb. smallmouth and 27 inch walleye there in 2006.

1. Crowds thin after numbered lakes. Yes quite a bit
2. Fishing is not easy. Fewer varmint smallies. I thought the fishing was very good, plenty of smallies, northern, walleyes.
3. This is now recovering burn area. Yes...I don’t have any current info on that.

I did Insula last year, and I am taking my son and my brother(and his son) through Iron this summer. I published a trip report on Insula, link below. This will be my first time through Iron and Crooked.

There was high traffic of course through the number lakes, and we pushed it hard to get to Insula the first day, then paddled around for awhile trying to find a nice campsite above the burn. We were definitely spent trying to do it all in one day with a big group and some folks with little experience. If you don't want to do that, I'd camp on Lake 3 or 4 to break up the trip, or north of Hudson in that little bay. We found fishing to be decent in Insula, but not spectacular. Insula was fun, and beautiful. We broke up the return trip by camping on the furthest west site on Four on the way back, and were glad we did. If you look at Google Maps on Satellite mode you can see where the burn area is. Have fun, whatever you choose!

Lake One to Insula, basecamping with the family

I was at Insula two years ago with my adult daughter at the end of June. It was a horrible travel day with hard rain and I still did the heavy portaging. There are two campsites just before you leave Lake Four you might consider because the next campsites are in mid to upper Insula. When you leave Lake Four there are three back to back portages and a steep 90 rod portage from Hudson to Insula. I have always done Insula in one day but I do suggest you consider grabbing a campsite on Lake Four. Insula is a fantastic lake for fishing. I have used leeches on a 1/8 or 1/4 jigs. Walleyes are usually 15 to 20 feet of water and I usually pickup smb drifting out from the shallows. Sunrise and sunset always the best time but this lake is loaded with big Northerns, SMB and walleyes. Have a good trip.

How about renting a three or four person canoe?