Do any of you do this?

Do you do it to scout for fish, and have you been successful finding them and then later catching them? Or just for relaxation/fun? I know it might vary quite a bit, but what kind of depths can you typically see down to?

I've never snorkeled on a freshwater lake. Seems like it might be interesting, since I'm usually up there when water temps allow it.

But, in all the trip reports I've read and various threads I read right here, I don't think I've ever heard anyone talk about spending time snorkeling...maybe visibility is just not good enough anywhere.

Thoughts?

We love snorkeling but have never done it in the BW. Have you done a search on the forum? I think it has come up a few times with some luck seeing things at the base of rapids.

We brought a snorkel on our last trip. My wife and daughter messed around with it and said it was kinda cool. I've also swam on past trips where we'd dive down with no snorkel or mask but could still open our eyes and see fish easy enough. A pair of swim goggles would have helped with this and not been much of an issue to bring, much smaller than the full snorkel.

Water clarity is going to vary widely by lake. There will be some lakes you probably can't see more than a few feet at most and there will be other lakes where you have good visibility out a long ways. It can also vary depending on the weather as wind can get a lake churned up a bit and would hurt visibility.

I had a tripping partner who brought snorkeling gear to the BW. He was amazed at how many fish he saw. He eventually mixed fishing with snorkeling. I called him the Aqua-man angler.

I’ve taken a pair of swim goggles on a few trips. It’s kind of fun to see all the fish and rocks underwater. Sad part is you will also find lots of old beer cans and other trash. Last trip I found a Hamm’s beer can, the kind with the pop top. You could still read the label on the can after at least 45 years underwater.

Some time ago, I snorkeled on one of the lakes just outside the BW, while staying at a resort. First thing I noticed was how different the temperature was in various spots - swim just a few feet in one direction, and it's much warmer. So I generally don't pay that much attention to water temps, though I know many monitor that, because some thermometer will only show temp in whatever spot. The next thing I noticed was a lot of boulders - I was only in 4-10' of water - and quite a few crayfish. Didn't see many fish, but I could tell it was good smallie water. Next day, within 50 yards of there and within sight of the resort, I caught my first decent smallmouth - a 19"er. Also found several jigs/lures, some corroded beyond use some still useful.
I bought a shorter pair of fins as well as an inflatable snorkeling vest, to bring on summer trips with my mask and snorkel if I have the space in my pack. If I go in spring or fall,...brr! - forget it!

These aren't the fins I have - mine are grey & black - but very similar:

compact fins

I also like to take them with me in my carry-on or suitcase if I'm going someplace tropical (USVI last March). They do the job.

I've taken mask and snorkel a few times, a couple of times I included fins. Really fun on the ultra clear lakes (oligotrophic). Sometimes I'd get groups of smallmouth that would follow along to see what was up.

Visibility is plenty good if you choose the right lake.

One of the funniest things we've seen in Quetico involved a snorkel (but not snorkeling). If you've done Yum Yum portage you know that in either direction it's a grunt with a bog in the middle. When traversing that portage in the early '80s, we found a snorkel protruding from the middle of the bog!
TZ

Banksiana: "I've taken mask and snorkel a few times, a couple of times I included fins. Really fun on the ultra clear lakes (oligotrophic). Sometimes I'd get groups of smallmouth that would follow along to see what was up.

Visibility is plenty good if you choose the right lake. "

Wenonah makes hover canoes? Awesome! Cool pic, thanks for sharing.

Tony

Never snorkeled in the BW, I have snorkeled in freshwater lakes though. For visibility, a lot depends on the lake. Some are clear, and visibility is 15-20 feet or so. Others have stained water, or greenish water, and its only about 10 foot or so. You see fish, but I never thought of scouting for them.

This is probably quite obvious to people who have done it but for the sake of people who might be thinking about trying: if you use swim googles that do not include your nose in with your eyes then you need to stay at the surface or limit how far down you go. Otherwise you can get pain in your eyes due to the increased pressure with depth and no ability to compensate using your nose.

My wife does use goggles in the BW because hers are prescription and help her see. She just doesn't dive with them. With a mask, snorkel, and fins she's gone pretty deep.

I just learned about Dive Portable Lungs. It is basically a small scuba tank you fill with a glorified bike pump. It gives about 15 mins of dive time and goes to 30ft. The whole thing would be totally packable. Not small, but doable.

My first thought was that I could scuba the BW!

I'm not sure if this would be considered a "mechanical device" or whatever.

If I do end up getting it, I will probably take it along and see what I can see.

Bring a needle nose and fill up your tackle box! Have enjoyed snorkeling for a few years now!

I wanna do this in the worst way.

missmolly: "I wanna do this in the worst way. "

Me too. I've looked for gear and thought maybe some nice July/August trip when the water is nice and warm it would be great fun.

Jaywalker: "

missmolly: "I wanna do this in the worst way. "

Me too. I've looked for gear and thought maybe some nice July/August trip when the water is nice and warm it would be great fun. "

A friend of mine bought a Wildhorn full faced snorkel mask last fall before a trip, and he says its the best thing out there. I was going to get one, but could never find one in the stores I looked in. Made by Wildhorn Outfitters.

I regularly bring a mask on canoe trips. On really dark lakes it's nice to check out anyplace you plan on swimming and to find any hidden dangers (stumps, trees, boulders, sharp rocks, etc).

On clear lakes it's just plain all-around fun to watch fish, recover lost fishing lures, check-out drop-offs and other bottom formations, etc.

The Wildhorn looks like it may be a good variant on the all-in-one. But note that they say it is only for surface swimming. It looks like it may separate the eye part from the nose and mouth. That may prevent co2 buildup that may be a problem with some all face masks but means they are essentially goggles with respect to your eyes.

The portable dive lungs look interesting but I suggest getting scuba certified before using one. There are mistakes you could make that could seriously injure your lungs. Also, you should practice how to make emergency ascents under supervision before using something like that.

Finally, good analysis of the device points out that the 15 minute estimate for a dive seems like it is valid if you are not active and very close to the surface. Expect much shorter times if you dive down. This is both because you breathe faster and due to th pressure at depth. It takes about 30 minutes to pump up. So much more time pumping than diving. I think I get more bottom time just snorkeling.

But if you really want 5 minutes at 15 or 20 feet it might do the trick. Just take a course first.

I was only referring to the mask. According to my friend, you can go down about 10 foot or so with no problems. I guess that since the majority of my snorkeling is done in the coral reefs and shallow waters in the Caribbean, I was only considering that aspect. Nevertheless, I plan on getting one. It may be a couple of months, since we go down there in March, but I will report on how it worked for me in various settings.

I just combined replying about two things in one post.

I suspect 10’ is pretty safe with most things. Apparently it is the depth limit the portable dive lung company gives for uncertified divers.

And 10’ on tropical reefs gives amazing great stuff to see.

Randomly, one of my relatives just sent me snorkeling pics that included a full face mask but likely a different brand. He liked it but his father didn’t. Use was in Eilat with only shallow diving. He’s an experienced scuba diver so he knows gear well to compare.

I've thought about it but never done it. I've snorkeled in Hawaii, Africa, and the Galapagos, each different in their own way. I'd like to try a clear BWCA lake.

Mike

Any suggestions of clear EP lakes or within a day trip distance. I'm not sure I want to carry full snorkeling gear on a camping trip (our good fins are big) but it could be fun to do a day canoe/snorkeling trip.

andym: "Any suggestions of clear EP lakes or within a day trip distance. I'm not sure I want to carry full snorkeling gear on a camping trip (our good fins are big) but it could be fun to do a day canoe/snorkeling trip."

For tripping consider Travel Fins ==

Louisa is within relatively easy reach with a tow to Prairie Portage.

andym: "Any suggestions of clear EP lakes or within a day trip distance. I'm not sure I want to carry full snorkeling gear on a camping trip (our good fins are big) but it could be fun to do a day canoe/snorkeling trip."

Alton is very clear and is one easy portage from Sawbill.

Hopefully all the fun things like old car batteries and tires along with the rest of the stuff they had to get rid of to make the BW a pristine wilderness is buried now in the muck and all. You’d find that more twenty years ago or more. Just don’t be too surprised. They took a lot of stuff out on the ice and let er go.
I’ll bet you could fill a tackle box pretty fast if you knew where to look.

Thanks for the lake suggestions. This is an intriguing idea for when we are staying in our cabin.

Small fins could be the right balance. For most of the areas we usually snorkel I like the power of our large fins. But for a calm lake small might be enough. I actually have a couple of small pairs. One designed for body surfing and boogie boards. The other are for swim training. Those are particularly light. I should try underwater swimming with them.

andym: "Any suggestions of clear EP lakes or within a day trip distance. I'm not sure I want to carry full snorkeling gear on a camping trip (our good fins are big) but it could be fun to do a day canoe/snorkeling trip."

Snowbank is clear.

nctry: "Hopefully all the fun things like old car batteries and tires along with the rest of the stuff they had to get rid of to make the BW a pristine wilderness is buried now in the muck and all. You’d find that more twenty years ago or more. Just don’t be too surprised. They took a lot of stuff out on the ice and let er go.
I’ll bet you could fill a tackle box pretty fast if you knew where to look."

Wow - if I came across a submerged car battery, that's one thing I'd be inclined to get out of the water.

On Knife- after the 1999 blowdown (I remember this vividly) it was so hot without any shade that my buddy and I spent most of our time, if not in the canoe, in the drink staying cool. I had brought my swimming goggles and would swim under the water outside our site and see SMB, ask my buddy to cast his lure in that direction , and then see them be hooked. It was like the Capra boys fishing tourney's but this was real!!!

Thanks, Howard. Snowbank is an easy drive from our cabin.

Ella Hall, Indiana and Knife are all very clear on pretty easy to get to. There is an old pier on Ella Hall, I have found "stuff" in areas like this. Don't over look Burntside in areas like the sunken barge in Hoist bay. Indian island area, I remember a house being on the North side of the island and found "stuff" scuba diving. Indian Island is private property and has graves on it, so don't go ashore. Also school section bay has a nice sand beach and is shallow. Also Kaleva bay there is a buoy you could snorkel off of.

My grand father bought scuba gear in the late 60s and we had a place on Burntside. I have scuba dove in many of the lakes Burntside, Basswood, Fenske, etc… also I dove in a few of the quarries like the "Rock crusher" and 13 corners. Never snorkeled in the lakes but many times I have free dove with a mask and fins. I have seen all kind of trash from cars to refrigerators, old logging stuff and 55 gallon drums. I haven't dove in any bwca lakes in more than 20 years. I am not even sure if it is legal to scuba and never thought about it until now. I know your not supposed to remove anything other than "new garbage".There used to be a dive shop in Ely 20-25 years ago. It was called A&W dive shop. It was also the A&W restaurant.

Thanks, Bushpilot. I really think this could make for some fun day trips. And I hadn't thought about Burntside. We've never done anything on there.

Don't see why it would be against the rules to snorkel in the BW. There is nothing mechanical about it and I have no urge to take anything out. Just happy to take a look around.

We haven't been scuba diving lately but when I say snorkel I really mean free dive to depths up to 20' or so. At least if I have my big fins around.

Banksiana: "I've taken mask and snorkel a few times, a couple of times I included fins. Really fun on the ultra clear lakes (oligotrophic). Sometimes I'd get groups of smallmouth that would follow along to see what was up.

Visibility is plenty good if you choose the right lake. "

Curious, would be fun to put some on our list...which lakes are the oligotrophic lakes? What is an oligotrophic lake?

Oligotrophic lakes are generally very low in nutrients and higher elevation so they stay clear because no other basins drain into them. Most oligotrophic lakes are good trout lakes because trout are one of the only species that can survive in them. Plant life is very minimal in these lakes too, so they are dynamite for scuba/snorkeling. Takucmich, Fat, Ahmakose, Sema, amongst several others. There’s probably 100 or so in the BW. The ones I listed are just the ones I’ve been to.

Tony

Tony

I actually snorkeled a few times over the years. In fact, I actually snorkeled Lynx and Alton Lake this past summer. In July, on Lynx Lake, I stayed at the campsite on the eastern shoreline midway up the lake and it has small sandy area as well as a rocky drop off that was fun to snorkel and there was a school of little smallmouth bass that would follow me around. I also was able to recover one of my rapalas that got snagged up about 12ft down casting for the shoreline.

On Alton, I stayed at the southern eastern site, on a peninsula and snorkeled the shoreline back in the little bay behind the site. This was labor day weekend and the water was really cold so I didn't swim long.

I Also Snorkeled one of the huge beach campsites on the north eastern part of Insula (just south of Williamson island) in 2015. I swam out maybe 100 yards and it is just sandy bottom galore. However, Insula water clarity isn't ideal for snorkeling as its a darker stained water and there isn't much to see in the massive expanse of sand. But still fun nonetheless.

I will only bring my snorkel and goggles when I know I'll be swimming in lakes that are exceptionally clear. As I plan one of my annual trips to the BWCA in July each year I find swimming and snorkeling to a great activity when it gets really hot.

I plan on base camping in Boulder Bay this year on Lac La Croix and the water is pretty dark so I will likely leave the snorkeling gear at home. But who knows.

;)

Josh

missmolly: "I wanna do this in the worst way. "

You mean with only one fin, and a mask that leaks badly?

nooneuno: "

missmolly: "I wanna do this in the worst way. "

You mean with only one fin, and a mask that leaks badly?"

Now that made me laugh!

Not sure why there would be any legal issues with scuba gear in the BWCA. If putting compressed gas into a container and storing it until it is slowly metered out for use is a problem, then propane lanterns and butane stoves would be a problem too. Swim fins might give more leverage for swimming than your feet, but a long handled ax also gives more leverage than an hatchet. I still definitely would like to bring some snorkel gear on some July or August trip.

Visibility is plenty good if you choose the right lake. "

Love that image, Banksiana.

I've snorkeled a number of times when the weather was hot and we swam a lot during the mid-afternoon hours. I've even packed fins a time or two. Mostly did it for fun, checked out some structure around camp and it was cool to swim down next to fish. One thing I noticed was the temperature change at certain depths, I could definitely feel the cooler water. Water was clear on the lakes we were on and from the surface I could see down 20 to 25 feet or more. Have not tried it on the darker stained lakes. And honestly, it is a little eerie to be down there by yourself, no one else has brought another mask. There are some mid-lake reefs I'd love to dive on if someone else would be with me, and I could get back into the canoe. I've found snagged lures, some in great shape, some needing cleaning and new hooks and some to far gone. Once I found a complete beaver skeleton and have seen a few filleted fish remains, including a upper-twenties walleye. I have found some trash in the lakes, cans, glass bottles, empty fishing line spools..., always collected it up and packed it out, as I do with thrash around camp.

In 2013 my nephew and his friend spent just about every afternoon swimming around camp, taking turns with my mask, as I prepared lunch/dinner. For my 2017 solo trip I packed a mask for "just in case' and did use it to retrieve a rod/reel combo that went overboard.

For all the weight and space a mask/snorkel (and even fins) take up, I'd recommend bringing them, at certain times/trips they're worth it and can be a lot of fun.

Bearpath9: "

Jaywalker: "

missmolly: "I wanna do this in the worst way. "

Me too. I've looked for gear and thought maybe some nice July/August trip when the water is nice and warm it would be great fun. "

A friend of mine bought a Wildhorn full faced snorkel mask last fall before a trip, and he says its the best thing out there. I was going to get one, but could never find one in the stores I looked in. Made by Wildhorn Outfitters."

I also was considering trying these out coupled with the mini fins as they take up a much smaller footprint in the pack. They seem like they would be good on the surface but after diving down the first thing you do is blow out to clear the water from the snorkel I don't think this could be done with a full face mask? Maybe they are only meant to be used on the surface?

I bring my mask, snorkel, and fins along on every trip. It's fun to see what the structure is where you have caught fish so you know what to look for next time. I snorkel around empty campsites and retrieve things people have lost there. I collect my own snagged lures and those other people have snagged and lost. While I sometimes lose lures to the pike, my tackle box usually comes back home full. I only travel in the bog stained water and visibility is limited to perhaps 6 to 8 feet. I will at times bring along a shorty wetsuit too as some of the water is pretty cool. In early July on a sunny day I have noticed 3 thermoclines where the water temperature changes quickly. It's hard to stay down when you pass the 3rd thermocline as that water is cold.

There is one spot on our route at the end of a rapids where I will snorkel if the current isn't too swift that I call the tackle box. It has (or had) a large white pine that is submerged and the limbs sticking out from it collect a bunch of tackle.

I have found other things besides tackle. Two anchors, a nice camera, an entire pack full of gear with no identification so I couldn't return it, pots and pans, etc. One never knows what you will find next.