For the last 4 years we have come in the northern part of Pickeral and fished around emerald island. This year I am 66 and going with my three sons starting June 2 from Cache bay and headed up around Saganaga area. Are there any suggestions regarding fishing for walleye, pike and lakers? Also we would be interested in good base campsites recommendations. Debating whether to go up the falls chain to other lakes.

Be sure to have the right map. If you are heading "up from Cache Bay" you will be on Saganagons. Our entry date is June 1 and we will spend the week base camped on Saganagons. We usually spend a few days around Silver Falls and then finish the week near Boundary Point. Our exit is south to Saganaga via Dickie's Portage.

There are a lot of nice sites on Saganagons that would work as a base camp. If you use Seagull Outfitters for your tow to Hook Island, talk with Deb and have her point out some good sites.

Here is our typical trip. Watch for me in a red canoe. See you there!

You could always do a day trip down the Falls chain.

Hey! We will be watching for you and I am sure we will see you sometime. There will be four of us in two canoes. We will have to swap some fish stories. We too are using Seagull outfitters and I have talked with Deb. She seems really knowledgeable. I see where you are going to be picked up. Are they crossing the border to get to you?

I noticed you said your enter June 1st which is a Monday. Is your map from previous years?

Yes, the map is from several years ago. Our routine trip does not change too much except we have been spending less time on the west end of Saganagons. We enter on, opps just checked, we enter on Saturday, May 30 with a Seagull Outfitters tow to Hook Island. Our return pickup is at Dickie's Landing. And yes, Deb is very knowledgeable and professional... you would have a hard time finding a better outfitter.

Hope you have fun planning and a great trip!

You mentioned having the right map. What map do you use?

deancal20: "You mentioned having the right map. What map do you use?"

Be sure to have the right map for Saganagons. The OP says "from Cache bay and headed up around Saganaga area." From Cache Bay headed up, you would be on Saganagons, not Saganaga, so be sure to have the right map.

Thanks. I realized that I wrote Saganaga instead of Saganongons. Hope we run into you.

Start watching the temps two weeks prior especially night time lows and go from there

How is that portage you guys finish on? I guess if you know there will be a boat waiting for you on the other side at some point that's reassuring. But a stroll through the woods?

cyclones30: "How is that portage you guys finish on? I guess if you know there will be a boat waiting for you on the other side at some point that's reassuring. But a stroll through the woods? "

Dickie's Portage is 90% mental and the other half is hard work.

It's a good four wheeler trail for half the distance. Don't miss the corner. And then it becomes an average wet, rocky Quetico-like portage closer to the landing. Leap frog portaging takes about two hours.

Have you ever gone up into the falls area? I have been looking at Wet lake area.

deancal20: "Have you ever gone up into the falls area? I have been looking at Wet lake area."

In 2006, our group came thru the Falls Chain from Atikokan to Cache Bay. It was a great trip with lots of good memories. It was July... fishing was okay below each falls, but not spectacular. We did well on lakers in Olifaunt and McDougall and walleyes on Kawnipi. These lakes are probably out of range for your trip.

If you go as far as Wet Lake, I would recommend McEwen for lakers. Good memories there from August 2003.

Just don't know anything really about Wet Lake.

I appreciate the good information! We are looking at McEwen for a day trip. My one son has never caught a laker so I am going to try and put him on some. I am hoping the walleye will be active around the first of June in the falls area. That was quite a trip for you from Antikokan to Cache bay. Sounds like fun. Just curious how long that took?

We did our Trans-Quetico trip in July 2006. Three dads and three boys. It was a 2 week adventure with many layover days for fishing, camping and frogging around. It included a tornado while camped on Pickerel Lake, Phil's Paddle of Death, and Warren's Adventure with a Hitchhiker. We surprised Janice at Cache Bay... "you guy's aren't supposed to be here today!!"

After the last meal on the last day we had 2 leftover ketchup packets. Paddled to Hook Island the next morning and had breakfast at the Trail Center. The waitress told us she had paddled the same route the previous year in 3 days with a case of whiskey... I'm not sure about the 3 days, but I believe the whiskey thing.

O my goodness! Tornado on Pickerel! We have done 4 trips across Pickerel to go the the rawn narrows area and the wind was enough to put the fear in me. I can't image a tornado. Sounds like an amazing trip. I would love to hear more. I am 66 so it may be pushing it for me. We are thinking of going part way up the falls chain and base camp in June. Do you do well fishing in the Saganagons area? My boys love to go for big pike where I am more of a walleye guy. Haven't decided how far we are going to go yet. There are 6 of us and two of us are in our mid 60's.

We were camped at The Pines on Pickerel. A series of thunderstorms came thru during the night every half hour or so. The last one had the classic "freight-train" roar. We met Chris Stromberg, a park ranger, a few days later on Have a Smoke Portage and he was headed there to clean up. He mentioned tornado and we said "wow, we were in it!"

The fishing on Saganagons is fine. And there are endless places to explore and fish without leaving the lake. Bays, islands, reefs, some moving water, unexplored waters, day trip possibilities, and all species. It is a walleye factory. We have a hard time finding any walleyes less than 20" which makes cooking difficult. We don't target pike, but some big ones are around. We make a day trip to Moose Bay Lake for bass each year. Nice lakers are present.

I am oldest of our group at 63. Unless our original ringleader comes again this year at 74.

Great pictures! The pike especially is a beauty. Loved the smiles. I am thinking about buying a garmin inreach mini. Kind of pricey but I am taking my 16 grandson along plus it would be nice to have weather reports. By chance is there any cell coverage in the Saganongons area? I use verizon. If so I may forego the garmin.

I am pretty sure there is no cell coverage, but we never bring cell phones. Coverage seems to get spotty as we travel the Gunflint. A little texting from your grandson to his Mom would probably be appreciated by both of them.

LOL Yeah I think so too! I bought the garmin and looking forward to trying it out when it comes. I greatest joy will be if he can land a nice pike or laker. Counting the days.

bobbernumber3: "We were camped at The Pines on Pickerel. A series of thunderstorms came thru during the night every half hour or so. The last one had the classic "freight-train" roar. We met Chris Stromberg, a park ranger, a few days later on Have a Smoke Portage and he was headed there to clean up. He mentioned tornado and we said "wow, we were in it!"


The fishing on Saganagons is fine. And there are endless places to explore and fish without leaving the lake. Bays, islands, reefs, some moving water, unexplored waters, day trip possibilities, and all species. It is a walleye factory. We have a hard time finding any walleyes less than 20" which makes cooking difficult. We don't target pike, but some big ones are around. We make a day trip to Moose Bay Lake for bass each year. Nice lakers are present.


I am oldest of our group at 63. Unless our original ringleader comes again this year at 74. "

Nice pike, sir!
Are you a veteran of the CCBB? Been years since I was there but your handle sounds familiar.

Oh. Yes... thanks for the reminder about CCBB. I was on that board frequently in the early 2000's. I just went back for a look around at some of the old posts.

Perhaps the handle sounds familiar due to the story on CCBB about our rescue on Saganaga May 2001. Or not.

You perked my interest about a rescue. Care to tell the story?

deancal20: "You perked my interest about a rescue. Care to tell the story?"

the story

That is quite a story! Reading it put chills in my spine. We have been in situations that made me very nervous. Twice we have crossed Pickeral lake and had to go straight into the wind until we reached an island that was way out of our way. It was more than I wanted to do with 3 ft rollers coming at us. The first time I did not have everything in dry bags and with gear tied in I realized half way across that if we go over I just tied some really heavy boat anchors to the canoe. So now we use only dry bags that hopefully will float! Glad you made it! We are going in Cache bay this year with Seagull outfitters it the boarder opens up by June. I have my doubts.