Planning on heading into EP 37 this year around the middle of May before Memorial weekend. I have read a lot of information on here about the area but want to make sure I am not missing anything. Plan for day 1 is to get to Malberg and set up camp. Have not decided on if we want to basecamp from Malberg or try our luck and see if there is a site open on Amber. Has anyone made it to Amber in one day? Anyone have any experience on how busy Amber lake is at this time of the year? Also looking for any day trip recommendations for scenery and fishing. Trip is going to be a 6 day trip and want to see as much as we can. Thanks!

Also, how busy is the rustic campsite located at the entry point? Hoping to head there the day before and camp to get an early start the next morning. Is it normally full or will it be pretty open being before Memorial day?

Permit day can't come soon enough!

If you are single portaging and have a motivated crew you should be able to make it. Last year we base camped on Malberg. Took our group of four adults and four teenagers eight hours double portaging, had an emergency feeding session for the children (and maybe the mothers, too) at the North end of Polly. The food averted a mutiny and threats of divorce.

I have a trip report here from 2018. My wife and I did a trip from 37 to Malberg for a week. Lots of day trips from there.

The few sites at the landing were all taken in early June, I'm sure it's less busy pre-holiday though. We single portaged and left at dawn and were on Malberg by noon with mostly nice weather. I'd say shoot for there on Day 1 and if you still have time and feel good, keep going.

Getting to Malberg is doable for motivated paddlers. Only one more portage and some paddling to get to Amber.....for the highly motivated. Essentially only one site there (east shore), and it's a good one. The NW one is not good. Not sure about competition for it. We only saw one other canoe come into Amber over our 2 days there. There are some other decent sites back out on that stretch of river though. We had good fishing below the rapids to the south(heading for Alice portage) and of course we saw the pictos on Fishdance. This was over the Memorial Day week.
The campground at the ep was full, as it often is, and I'm sure it will be again for the holiday weekend.....not sure about week or so before. Nice little campground but only like five sites and in my experience.....often full.

The campground is nice - 5 sites I believe. One outhouse. No drinking water so bring some or filter from the lake. Sites are often filled. Most are staying multiple nights and not just the night before a trip. There are, however, a couple of unofficial sites along the road. I stayed in this one across the road from the ep parking lot.

You look just like Jim in that picture.

My wife and I camped once at Kawishiwi Lake campground. It was during ice-out (early May). We were the only ones there. It was delightful.

Then two years ago, I did a solo out of EP 37. I drove to the EP and the campground. It was nothing but RVs, ATVS, and generators. There was a guy who put up a "tent" that looked like it was made of some kind of metal...with windows, multiple rooms... it literally looked like a small house.

So.... you buy your ticket, you take your chances.

Mike

Malberg took us 7 hours double portaging, moving steadily but not hustling. That was a couple older guys on an 85 degree humid day. Great basecamp lake, lots of options for daytrips and scenic with good fishing in itself.

If you decide to head to Amber you will pass 3 decent campsites on the way there on River Lake. The southern of the 3 is really nice so take note if it is empty as you pass. Not too far from amber if you have to retreat.

The site on Amber is really nice but...the main attraction is the expansive sandy beach and lakefront area. If you are there in mid May I wonder how much, if at all, you will get to utilize that sandy shore? Water will be awfully cold. For a mid to late summer trip I would say go for it. For an early trip you might be passing on some equally nice and more useable sites.

If you stay on Malberg, site 1054 is hard to beat. Great site, scenic location good fishing right from camp. We stayed at site 1051 which is another sand beach site and almost as nice as the Amber site, if that's what you really want.

Trip report if you are interested, with lots of photos of the area including the site we stayed at, the River Lake site, and the Amber Lake site.



Kawishiwi entry

Thanks for all the helpful information! I'm hoping that sense we will be there before the holiday weekend a campsite at the EP will be open. If not, I guess it's either unofficial spot or truck sleeping. We really want to get an early push off to get a hot start on the day so I think we will shot for that either way.

Mike, how was the fishing when you were there early May? Was the much activity yet?

lindylair, I have read through your trip report previously actually and really enjoyed it. Same with you Cyclones30. The pictures really make the anticipation that much more. It looks like such a beautiful area to be in. Could either of you help me out with some fishing information that helped you be successful in that area? Lures, setups, anything else that you guys used?

went to Malberg last june in 1 day, no problem for our crew of 6, but Amber would put it on the edge of a loooong day. If you went on into the river aka river lake out the NW side of Malberg, I think the sites on the island would be a nice play to stay, especially 1969....and close to some good fishing. We base camped at 1054 on Malberg and I really enjoyed the site.

We took two days to get to Amber, went pretty quick on the second day from Polly.

However we did make it from Amber to Kawishiwi Lake in one day. I took us about 7-9 hours, with also a lunch on Polly.

We went first week of June last year and did not see any one once we passed Malberg heading towards River Lake.

JacJohnson: "Thanks for all the helpful information! I'm hoping that sense we will be there before the holiday weekend a campsite at the EP will be open. If not, I guess it's either unofficial spot or truck sleeping. We really want to get an early push off to get a hot start on the day so I think we will shot for that either way.


Mike, how was the fishing when you were there early May? Was the much activity yet?


lindylair, I have read through your trip report previously actually and really enjoyed it. Same with you Cyclones30. The pictures really make the anticipation that much more. It looks like such a beautiful area to be in. Could either of you help me out with some fishing information that helped you be successful in that area? Lures, setups, anything else that you guys used?"

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