Hi, this summer I am planning my second trip to the boundary waters, I am going with 3 friends and I am looking for a good entry point. I went to the burn area last time and would like to find a entry point that is not in the burn area, has good campsites for 2 tents, probably easier portages and a bonus would be good bass and pike fishing. If anyone has any experiences they want to share I would love to hear all of them, Thanks!

Are you looking to basecamp?

2 of the 3 most eastern sites on Clearwater lake EP#62 are quite nice.

Pending how busy Gabbro and Bald Eagle are nice lakes that have decent pike fishing.

A little less busy area potentially would be Homer lake to Vern lake that has decent pike fishing.

You didn't say if you want to go in on the eastern or western side of the BWCA, but if you'd like to go in off the Gunflint Trail, EP-47 (Lizz & Swamp Lakes) is nice. Camp on Horseshoe Lake and catch some smallies. Do day trips into neighboring lakes as well. Beautiful area and good chance of seeing moose.

Sawbill

Consider EP 4 to Crab or up to Cummings if you're willing to take on one long portage. It's not a bad one, just long. Get a tow across Burntside. Those lakes have good fishing and nice campsites and tend to be lesser used than some other areas.

If you want a nice area with good campsites and decent fishing, then most entry points would work just fine for you. There aren't many that don't meet that criteria. Just take a look at a map and consider the upper limits of how far you are willing to travel. Some portages can be very long but flat and very well taken care of, like the portage to Tuscarora from Missing Link. Others can be shorter and a pain due to rocks and hills like Brule to Vernon or Clearwater to Caribou. Personally I find that length does not matter nearly as much as rocks and hills.

Sawbill is a great place to enter. Brule has many options too. Poplar will get you to a nice area. Just look at the length of the trip and what area you want to be in. You really can't go wrong.

The first detail you want to decide on though would be Ely side or Grand Marais side. Ely side gets you a town extremely close to many entry points. Grand Marais side is a long drive from the entry points, which makes it more remote with fewer people, but less conveniences like gas stations, restaurants, and hotels. Outfitters can be further away too for some of the entry points. Decide on east or west BWCA first, then figure out if you are going through an outfitter or if you have all your own gear. After all that then you should have a somewhat smaller list of entry points and a bit of a better idea of what you are looking for.

treehorn: "Consider EP 4 to Crab or up to Cummings if you're willing to take on one long portage. It's not a bad one, just long. Get a tow across Burntside. Those lakes have good fishing and nice campsites and tend to be lesser used than some other areas."

Great idea. I've done exactly this and it works well. Lots of areas to explore in that SW area of the BWCA.

Mike

I second the idea of Homer to Vern which is a user friendly entry, easy portages and small to medium size lakes. Not real busy typically and some cool daytrips to take including exploring the Vern River. Good fishing available and not just limited to Pike, we caught plenty of walleyes and smallies as well.

Trip report:
Homer to Vern


Another thought would be the Baker Lake entry, again a user friendly place to put in with easy portages, interesting scenery and good fishing. Also a good chance of seeing moose. Spend time on Kelly and Jack Lakes or make your way up to South Temperance which is a gorgeous lake. Couple of somewhat longer portages to get there but they are pretty easy. Daytrips to explore western Brule and the amazing rockslide or up to North Temperance and beyond. Kelly and Jack offer long stretches of river like paddling that are really nice.

Trip report:

Baker entry


Poplar to Lizz, Caribou and Horseshoe is also a great area as mentioned, easy portages to a scenic but busier area with decent fishing. Sneak over to Meeds Lake to avoid the crowds and have great smallie fishing.

Hard to go wrong overall.