Hey all,

I am trying to decide between two different EPs for a trip in early June with four adults and one child (four years old). Two adults are experienced BWCAers and the other three are rookies. The two options are 1) EP6- Slim Lake (the one off the Echo Trail) and 2) Little Indian Sioux River North.

1) EP6- Slim Lake. Does anyone have tips for good fishing on Slim, Rice, Hook or Keneu? Looking primarily for walleye but panfish would work too. Are there good campsites on those lakes? There are only three on Slim and only one per on the other lakes- are we going to find them all taken in early June? Are some ones better than others? I have been to the small parking area and the area doesn't look all that great, does the scenery get better on Slim and the other three lakes?

2) EP14- Little Indian Sioux River North. Same questions: good fishing on Lower/Upper Pauness, Shell, Little Shell, Lynx, or Loon/Little Loon lakes? How busy will it be? Recommendations for great campsites? Cool things to see? Is that nice country? No blowdown, fire, etc?

Any info would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

I've never been to that area myself but you can get a lot of information by looking at the interactive maps on this site. Just click on the campsites and it will give you ratings that others have given it. Often there will be pictures too so you can get a better idea of what the area looks like.

Look at the trip reports for those EP's too. The trip reports will give you a ton of information. I find that while all reports are useful, the ones that take place around the same time of year are the most accurate for what you will see.

For fishing, I find the DNR lake finder to be very informative. People can tell you that there are fish in those lakes, but the fishing surveys give you a lot more data on what is in the lakes. What the fish are eating is a good example. If there are more ciscos than perch then you probably want more of a silver color than green and orange. Just search for the various lakes you are looking at visiting and get an idea of where the good fishing lakes are and what species are in those lakes.

grumple4: "Hey all,

I am trying to decide between two different EPs for a trip in early June with four adults and one child (four years old). Two adults are experienced BWCAers and the other three are rookies. The two options are 1) EP6- Slim Lake (the one off the Echo Trail) and 2) Little Indian Sioux River North.

1) EP6- Slim Lake. Does anyone have tips for good fishing on Slim, Rice, Hook or Keneu? Looking primarily for walleye but panfish would work too. Are there good campsites on those lakes? There are only three on Slim and only one per on the other lakes- are we going to find them all taken in early June? Are some ones better than others? I have been to the small parking area and the area doesn't look all that great, does the scenery get better on Slim and the other three lakes?

2) EP14- Little Indian Sioux River North. Same questions: good fishing on Lower/Upper Pauness, Shell, Little Shell, Lynx, or Loon/Little Loon lakes? How busy will it be? Recommendations for great campsites? Cool things to see? Is that nice country? No blowdown, fire, etc?

Any info would be greatly appreciated, thanks!"

1) I have not personally been to this EP or those lakes, but I second A1t20's suggestions to check out the interactive maps here on this site, and read some trip reports. I do think some of those sites are pretty nice, and the possibility of having a lake to yourself is always cool. Not sure about the fishing. This would be a pretty easy trip, with fairly little paddling/portaging.

2) I have been to this EP, and imo, it represents a fairly iconic BW trip. You start your paddling on a cool winding river, which eventually gets you to Pauness. At the north end of Lower Pauness is Devil's Cascade, which is a cool waterfall. I've not been north of Pauness toward Loon, but if you head east to Shell, you'll traverse a legit BW portage - fairly long and muddy with a pond in the middle, but not too bad. Shell Lake is known for good fishing (walleye & northern) and some nice campsites (bears from time to time as well). Beyond Shell, you've got Little Shell, Lynx & Heritage, all with different things to offer, including fishing, beauty, and nice campsites. If you are going beyond Shell, this trip would be significantly more work than option 1. With a 4-year old and 2 rookies, I'm going to guess you don't make it to Lynx on day one and feel content stopping on Shell, which would be fine (can't speak to the northern route).

But seriously, click around on the maps and read some trip reports...you can learn a lot more there than you can from my ramblings....

Don't know much about LIS north. Slim has walleyes and is a good smallmouth lake. All 3 campsites are pretty good with the middle one being the best. Hook has a great campsite and definite seclusion. The site on Keneu is decent and also seclusion there. But I am thinking the fishing is primarily Pike in both Hook and Keneu. Very likely that you would see less people on this route than LIS, if that matters.

If the 4 year old is miserable, everyone else will be miserable too. I would pick a route that allowed for frequent breaks. And, I would plan to carry the child over many portages. They seem like they have so much energy, but they lack endurance.

Honestly, I would suggest Smoke Lake off of Sawbill. One flat portage and some really excellent fishing. And, if something goes haywire you are only three miles from the car.

Just a week ago I took a kid fishing and they jumped in the creek. We were a mile from home and his lips still turned blue. Be safe. Remember that it all looks the same - trees, water and rocks. Even the bad parts of the BWCA are beautiful and you don't get awards for miles traveled.

1) Never been to this EP. Echo others

2) I've been to this EP on multiple trips. We've had good fishing on both Upper and Lower Pauness (walleyes and bass). I've never been over to Shell, seems like a busy area. We mostly traveled to Loon. It's a large lake so wind can be a factor. We had good walleye fishing here as well. I believe Loon is a motorized lake, possibly from the Canadian side? We did see a motorized boat once, other than that its a pretty secluded lake with plenty of great campsites.

Tyler W: "If the 4 year old is miserable, everyone else will be miserable too. I would pick a route that allowed for frequent breaks. And, I would plan to carry the child over many portages. They seem like they have so much energy, but they lack endurance. "

This is about knowing the child. My daughter was doing many portages at three, we didn't set any speed records, but she made it without issue and there was no need to carry her, at most we might have lifted her over a fallen tree. At four, she was hiking along side us on many of the Gunflint hiking trails. Now at five, she joins me for my jogs fairly often.

Personally I would never carry a kid this size over an entire portage. If it's too long or rough for them to make it on their own, then that means I don't want to be carrying the extra 40 lbs either. Besides kids are awkward to carry. The last thing I want on a rough portage where footing might be tricky is to be carrying a kid, if I fall while carrying a kid that size I have no way of catching myself or breaking the fall so likely we're both getting hurt. If you carry the kid, it also likely means an extra trip at each portage which takes time and energy. The kid can probably move slowly at their own pace and cover the portage quicker than having to make the extra trip to carry them.

If you do the Slim EP??? The Hook Lake site is very nice if you can get it.

The Keneu Lake site is above average and you should have less traffic. Good numbers lake.