I'm going in on Clearwater the second weekend in June. Is there anything I should expect with this lake? The plan was to camp on this lake and use day trips to explore. I'm a little concerned about the motor use that I did not find out about until after I booked the trip.

Am I going to see many boats out on the water? I like that there were only 3 permits per day here since seclusion is nice, but then the motor use gets factored in. We are going to the far east side of the lake by the portages to Mountain and Caribou. Is there a cut off point where motors are no longer allowed?

I'm looking at the permits available for day and overnight use, but I'm not sure exactly how it works. I get the day use but is the overnight use only 1 permit per week or what? Also, can the people living on the lake use motorized boats as much as they want? I get that there is a 10HP limit, which helps, but I'm still not crazy about motorized boats where I'm camping to get away from it all. Is my only option to not camp on Clearwater?

Clearwater does allow 9.9 hp motors on the whole lake, the portion outside the boundary waters could have anything. Based on Clearwater Lodge's Tumblehome podcast, there has even been a jet ski sighting.

How many motor boats you will see feels random to me. There are some overnight boat campers, some cabin owners, plus a rare outfitter tow across Clearwater to West Pike.

If one portage is in the realm of possibility Clearwater is an excellent entry point to a couple non-motorized lakes. Caribou is a popular destination lake with easy day trip to Johnson's falls. That many paddlers are probably not wrong. West Pike is not as popular but is on nice loop itinerary. It has some nice campsites, fishing access to Boarder Route Trail. Mountain lake I have not been to, but I think can have motorboats on the Canadian side.

To your other question, the reservation site has changed a lot. At recreation.gov you want to choose overnight paddle. There are 3 per day, but it will only show what is available now.

It is a great entry, beautiful area, palisades, etc. You can get windstruck on these east/west lakes though, so pay attention to weather.

There are no definite answers to a possible motor boat intrusion.

I've been in and through Clearwater Lake several times and have occasionally seen or heard them when on the east end of the lake. But, for me, it hasn't been a deal breaker because Clearwater is such a beautiful lake and the motorists have always been very respectful.

If you feel it will be an issue??? I feel West Pike would be your best bet if you decide to push on. The Caribous are often crowded or full, Mountain is also a motor lake on the Canada side and Gogebic is a long - tough portage.

So I take it that motorized boats are few and far between? A single tow across the lake is different than a steady stream of them, or one boat going back and forth all day, either trolling just cruising in circles. Just to be clear one boat is not going to ruin my trip. I might be slightly annoyed while it is there, but then I'm getting back to my trip.

I'm thinking it might be fine after thinking it over, I just wanted to make sure I didn't really screw up here. Plus the 10HP limit was something I wasn't aware of until I started making the original post. As that fact sinks in, the boat problem seems less and less of an ongoing issue.

My wife and I based 3 nights on Clearwater last July. I had the same concerns about motors. They were mostly unfounded. The 10 HP limit means that nobody is screaming down the length of the lake. On the other hand, the steady hum of a 9.9 lasts for a while at such slow speed. Only hearing one or two boats in a day, however, meant that it was never to the point of being a bother.

The only initial downer was that the 3 eastern sites we originally had targeted were all taken by groups that had picked up a tow from Clearwater Outfitters; one left the dock soon after we did and passed us mid-lake. (We had chatted with that group a bit that morning, and they said that they were "moving farther to other lakes and not basing on Clearwater..." Hmm...)

Finding those sites filled, we turned back and took the 3rd one from the west (site 0681) and it turned out to be superb. Back in a little bay and facing east, we were sheltered from seeing and hearing much of the traffic on the main lake. We spent much of our time in camp watching a resident family of loons, learning a lot of their behaviors and routines.

Johnson Falls and the Mountain Lake overlooks on the Border Route Trail provided outstanding day trips. The wind on Clearwater is legendary, however, and we battled it on our way back home at the end of each day's excursion.

Stayed 2 days at far east site back in 2016......1 boat

It's such a large lake, that even a boat cruising by will usually feel pretty far away from you.

Be sure to hike the trail that goes up to the top of the bluff on Clearwater Lake. Spectacular views. The outfitter will point you in the right direction.

It can be a busy area if you're going in on a weekend. The portage over to Caribou is easy, so if at all concerned about boat traffic I would pop over to Caribou and beyond. Outfitter should be able to give you a pretty good idea if getting a site on Clearwater might be doubtful.

tcoeguy: "Be sure to hike the trail that goes up to the top of the bluff on Clearwater Lake. Spectacular views. The outfitter will point you in the right direction."

I second this suggestion. We did it quite a few years ago, and last summer Spartan1 took our granddaughter there to make the climb. She took some lovely photos from up on the palisade that day.

We have stayed on Clearwater, both on a canoe trip, and several times in a cabin. It is not a busy lake. Even in the area down by Clearwater Lodge and the cabins on that end of the lake, it still has a very quiet feel. In the part of Clearwater that is in the Boundary Waters, it is very peaceful. You may see/hear a few boats, but for the most part they are just fishermen and it isn't that disturbing. Just my two cents.

It is a beautiful lake, IMHO one of the most beautiful lakes in the canoe country.

Agree with much that has been said. A few boats a day at a distance wouldn't ruin my trip. Clearwater is a beautiful lake. But...if you want to avoid the motor scenario altogether then I second the idea of going down to Caribou Lake and basecamping down there. It is also a very nice lake with arguably better fishing than Clearwater(unless you are after lake Trout). Good smallie and walleye fishing, there are no walleye in Clearwater. Also, if a visit to Johnson Falls is on your agenda(and it should be) it is a shorter and easier trip from Caribou. There is also a 5 star campsite on Little Caribou, one lake beyond Caribou, if you are lucky enough to get it.

Trip report:

Clearwater to Caribou trip report

Good Luck with whatever you decide

Spartan2: "

tcoeguy: "Be sure to hike the trail that goes up to the top of the bluff on Clearwater Lake. Spectacular views. The outfitter will point you in the right direction."

I second this suggestion. We did it quite a few years ago, and last summer Spartan1 took our granddaughter there to make the climb. She took some lovely photos from up on the palisade that day.



"

Where is this trail? I looks a bit like the south side of the lake in the pictures. I don't see it on any of the maps.

A1t2o: "Where is this trail? I looks a bit like the south side of the lake in the pictures. I don't see it on any of the maps."

Yup, not on any maps. And, south side is correct. As you paddle east admiring the palisades on your right, you'll see a large amount of talus that has come down over time. Cruise along slowly in the area just before the talus, and you'll see where others have landed and made the climb up.

EDIT: Somewhere in the neighborhood of N48 04.693 W90 20.898

tcoeguy: "Be sure to hike the trail that goes up to the top of the bluff on Clearwater Lake. Spectacular views. The outfitter will point you in the right direction."

.....also (as mentioned earlier), dont forget the overlooks from the BRT just off the portage to Mountain Lake. There's one in either direction.

Interesting story. My oldest son and I were coming back from Mountain. I reached Clearwater and was waiting for my son. A motor boat is zig zaging around the East end of the lake and make their way to the portage. A young couple wanting to picnic on the BRT. We make small talk and something moves in their boat and catches my eye. I look and they have two cats on leashes.

That's all I have to say about that.

TuscaroraBorealis: "

tcoeguy: "Be sure to hike the trail that goes up to the top of the bluff on Clearwater Lake. Spectacular views. The outfitter will point you in the right direction."

.....also (as mentioned earlier), dont forget the overlooks from the BRT just off the portage to Mountain Lake. There's one in either direction. "

So for the BRT lookouts, can I get a little more information? How long of a hike should I plan for this? Is it an all day thing or could we just set an hour or so aside for it while others go fishing? Is there a clear stopping point or something we want to make sure we go far enough for, or is it just the sort of thing where you go high enough to get over the trees? I really don't know anything about this except what I have picked up from people saying to make sure I check it out.

It looks like I take the portage until it intersects with the BRT then take that to the west? When you say in either direction are you saying that there is another lookout to the east or that you get multiple views on the trail to the west?

A1t2o: "

TuscaroraBorealis: "

tcoeguy: "Be sure to hike the trail that goes up to the top of the bluff on Clearwater Lake. Spectacular views. The outfitter will point you in the right direction."

.....also (as mentioned earlier), dont forget the overlooks from the BRT just off the portage to Mountain Lake. There's one in either direction. "

So for the BRT lookouts, can I get a little more information? How long of a hike should I plan for this? Is it an all day thing or could we just set an hour or so aside for it while others go fishing? Is there a clear stopping point or something we want to make sure we go far enough for, or is it just the sort of thing where you go high enough to get over the trees? I really don't know anything about this except what I have picked up from people saying to make sure I check it out.


It looks like I take the portage until it intersects with the BRT then take that to the west? When you say in either direction are you saying that there is another lookout to the east or that you get multiple views on the trail to the west?"

The BRT intersects at the crest of the Clearwater - Mountain Portage . Once to that point, there are overlooks in either direction. The (photo) eastern overlook is closer while the western one is about a 3/4 of a mile hike that affords an expansive view down Mountain Lake. I would allow at least a couple of hours or so if you plan on doing both.

lindylair: " I second the idea of going down to Caribou Lake and basecamping down there.

All I can say is that basecamping on Caribou Lake on the second weekend of June 2019 sounds like the absolutely worst possible scenario. I would avoid this trip plan at all cost!

(Quite tongue-in-cheek)

A1t2o: "So for the BRT lookouts, can I get a little more information? How long of a hike should I plan for this? Is it an all day thing or could we just set an hour or so aside for it while others go fishing? Is there a clear stopping point or something we want to make sure we go far enough for, or is it just the sort of thing where you go high enough to get over the trees? I really don't know anything about this except what I have picked up from people saying to make sure I check it out.


It looks like I take the portage until it intersects with the BRT then take that to the west? When you say in either direction are you saying that there is another lookout to the east or that you get multiple views on the trail to the west?"

Here is my gps diary data from last summer:
Take the Mountain Lake portage for 0.1 mi (4 min) to an intersection. Straight ahead is Mountain Lake. Rather, take a left for 0.7 mi (28 min) to the west overlook (N48 05.918 W90 17.929). Double back to the intersection and continue 0.4 mi (13 min) to the east overlook (N48 05.804 W90 17.093). Round trip, we walked 2.2 mi and spent an hour and 45 min, which included a short time at each end to admire the views and have a Clif Bar.
West:






East: