We are looking at base-camping on Iron Lake for 3-4 nights the beginning of June. Does Iron really fill up quickly? I have read posts that all the campsites can be full. It would make for a really long day if we were unable to find a site on Iron. Does the day of the week matter? Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Matt

I've been to Iron in early June about a half dozen times. I've had trips where half the sites were empty and trips where every site was full. It's kind of a crap shoot.

One year, we split our group and one boat searched the western half while another searched the eastern half and we got the last empty site on the lake, but had to paddle back out to find the other half of our group after pitching a tent. It would have been nice to have radios for that purpose.

My best advice to you would be to get there before lunch if possible because your chances are going to be better for nabbing a site. Unfortunately, lots of people like to do the "basecamp 3-4 days" on Iron because of it's reputation as a great fishing lake and the fact that you can get a tow to Bottle, which means the campsites are often occupied for several days as opposed to just one night.

If Iron is full, Crooked is another great lake if you're headed in an easterly direction, otherwise, LLC is awesome as well if you're heading west. Beautiful area, quite possibly my favorite area of the BWCA, which is probably why I've been there so many times.

Good luck!

Tony

We were there last year in early June and got the last site.

Are you looking to make Iron in one day?

I was there in mid-June of 2018. Every site on the American side was full, however we did arrive awfully late in the day. We ended up taking the first open site we could find which was #1877 in Sunday Bay on Crooked which is interesting because it is a very fine site, 4 or 5-star, somehow open when there were 1 star and 2 star sites taken only one (incredibly scenic) portage away.

There was a large fleet of canoes fishing at the bottom of Curtain Falls when we passed by. I don't know if they were catching, but I do know it took us less than five minutes to catch our dinner in front of the campsite on Crooked.

As others have stated, I wouldn't plan on arriving on Iron later then early afternoon at that time of the year. Crooked is a great option, and in my humble opinion an even better fishing lake. I believe that most people love iron because it has fish like the larger lakes but is small enough to handle easily. Lac la Croix is a great lake also.

If you want to send me a email i might be able to help. Click on the envelope below my username.

Many groups get the tow in to Bottle Portage. It saves a lot of paddling. Here's a map I made of a June trip I made to Iron.

Iron is beautiful. I went in August last year and had the whole lake to myself. Stunning. Caught a ton of fish too. I can see why it would be a bit tight in June when the fishing is even better. You're gonna love it.