BWCA Accessible Lake Trout/Splake in Ely Area Boundary Waters Fishing Forum
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moustachesteve
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02/13/2020 11:06AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Hi Everyone - I'll be in the Iron Range this weekend splitting time between Eveleth and Embarrass on Saturday. Before heading back to the Twin Cities on Sunday I'd like to chase some lakers or splake for a few hours.

Here's the catch: my wife will be with me and she will only have so much patience. I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with lakes and accesses in the Iron Range to Ely area. We've only got a few hours (if I'm lucky) so I'd like to identify an open access with fishable waters within walking distance for pulling a sled/fish house. I'm not looking for guaranteed fish or anyone's secret spot; I just don't want to waste time going to an access that is impassable by foot pulling a sled.

So far I'm looking at either Sabin (Embarrass Mine) or St. James in Biwabik/Aurora, or further north in the Ely area looking at southern shore of Burntside (Van Vac or off 489 near Indian Island), Dry/Little Dry, High, or Hanson off USFS 0706.

I'd appreciate any input if anyone simply knows that a particular access would be feasible. Thanks!
 
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02/13/2020 11:54AM  
Burntside Lake. Drive to the public landing closest to Burntside Lodge, walk out a couple hundred feet and drill some holes.
 
yogi59weedr
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02/13/2020 02:20PM  
Tofte has both . Short drive down the Fernberg trail. Heard there is a lot of snow up there.
 
yogi59weedr
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02/13/2020 02:25PM  
Oooppps my bad. Just rainbows no lakers
 
02/13/2020 02:38PM  
The Embarrass Pit is definitely accessible as is Hanson Lake. I would say High or Dry would be a little longer trek, maybe 45 minutes. Burntside is easy access as well.
 
Bushpilot
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02/13/2020 04:14PM  
As of last weekend there was no road on Burntside from the Van Vac public boat ramp. The lot is not plowed either. However there is a road plowed from the boat ramp off the Wolf lake road. It does not go out to far and there are several house out there. As far as I know the laker fishing on Burntside has been slow. I have never had luck off of Indian Island. They have been getting lakers on Snowbank and there is a road plowed on the lake.
The resort on Snowbank rents houses. The Grand lodge on Shagawa and the casino on Vermilion both rent houses. If trout isn't the only option.
 
yogi59weedr
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02/14/2020 12:45AM  
But then , there no splake in Burntside either.
 
moustachesteve
senior member (84)senior membersenior member
  
02/14/2020 08:12AM  
Thanks all for your input. It doesn't need to be lakers and splake, just one or the other would be fun "when in Rome" since I'll be in the area with a short window. I'm not looking to rent a house for a dedicated trip - more looking for a confirmed access that is navigable for pulling a sled by foot to get a couple hours of fishing in while my wife's patience keeps up.

I'm also hoping that she can catch one to feel the rush of having a laker on the line as I'm bringing her on her first BWCA trip in early June and would like her to get excited. I appreciate all the responses and will report back if we catch anything.
 
02/14/2020 02:27PM  
Hanson is a neat little dedicated trout lake just off the Echo Trail but I'm not sure if they plow all the way back to it or not.

JD
 
02/14/2020 02:39PM  
jdevries: "Hanson is a neat little dedicated trout lake just off the Echo Trail but I'm not sure if they plow all the way back to it or not.


JD"

I'm fairly certain it is plowed. I believe there are a few year round homes on the road.
 
moustachesteve
senior member (84)senior membersenior member
  
02/17/2020 09:18AM  
Welp, nothing but smelt but Hanson Road is plowed and the lake is beautiful. The access off Van Vac was also in good shape but that hill was more than I wanted to pull a sled up. Thanks again to everybody for the information and suggestions.
 
02/17/2020 06:11PM  
moustachesteve: "Welp, nothing but smelt but Hanson Road is plowed and the lake is beautiful. The access off Van Vac was also in good shape but that hill was more than I wanted to pull a sled up. Thanks again to everybody for the information and suggestions."
Yea, I forgot the hill. I guess during open water season you really don’t think about it. I fished Hanson last fall and did pretty well give the weather at the time. What did you fish with if you care to share.
 
Bushpilot
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02/17/2020 06:58PM  
Glad you didn't go through the ice. I heard some trucks went in by Burnside Lodge.
 
moustachesteve
senior member (84)senior membersenior member
  
02/18/2020 08:46AM  
egknuti - I fished with silver and gold kastmasters, slender spoons, forage minnows, etc until I couldn't keep the smelt away. Then I tried to upsize to shad raps, rippin raps, white tubes, even a 5" swimbait to discourage the baitfish from cluttering up my flasher. Tried all over the water column. Weeds seemed to end at about 20-25 feet but the water didn't seem all that clear so I was surprised they grew that deep, especially with a thick snow cover on the lake.

I admittedly didn't fish hard and only moved a couple of times. It's a lake I'd love to go back to with more time. I was only a little embarrassed to report my skunking to the DNR reporting box at the landing.

Bushpilot: "Glad you didn't go through the ice. I heard some trucks went in by Burnside Lodge."


Funny you say that - we drove up to the lodge just to check it out and the landing was all broken up in a truck-sized hole with driveway markers in front of the access.
 
02/18/2020 06:52PM  
Bushpilot: "Glad you didn't go through the ice. I heard some trucks went in by Burnside Lodge."


Recently?
 
Bushpilot
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02/18/2020 08:00PM  
Last weekend.

Also a note about using the public ramp at Burntside lodge. The ramp is public, but you have to park on the road. The parking lot by the ramp is owned by Luo LaMontagne, owner of Burntside Lodge. He will fly off the handle at anyone parking there. Lou's father Ray was even more of a hot head and many a fights started at this public ramp. It was worse before they built the Van Vac ramp. I remember in the early 70s Ray would block the ramp with an old telephone pole and charge people to move the pole with his tractor. Than the lawmen stopped that.
 
02/18/2020 08:58PM  
Bushpilot: "Last weekend.

Also a note about using the public ramp at Burntside lodge. The ramp is public, but you have to park on the road. The parking lot by the ramp is owned by Luo LaMontagne, owner of Burntside Lodge. He will fly off the handle at anyone parking there. Lou's father Ray was even more of a hot head and many a fights started at this public ramp. It was worse before they built the Van Vac ramp. I remember in the early 70s Ray would block the ramp with an old telephone pole and charge people to move the pole with his tractor. Than the lawmen stopped that."


Thanks for the update
 
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