I would like to take my wife on this trip this year. We have done three other trips together and she loves scenery and rock formations. I am a fisherman, she is not.

Any tips or suggestions on this route? We are pretty flexible and may go end of May or in September.

Assuming you're talking about the Granite River route?

If so, a couple of good spots we had success fishing were around the islands, just south of Devil's Elbow on Maraboeuf Lake, and also at the bottom of Sag Falls where it empties into Seagull.

Correct, Granite River. I assumed with some swift water, any holes early spring would hold fish. I don’t usually have a problem catching them. How about campsites? Anything noteworthy? I’m planning three days with plenty of fishing time.

Campsite at northernmost point on Clove has a nice sandy beach, but don’t think you’ll be swimming in May.

I’ve also stayed at the elevated campsite #1950 on the Pine River, Just south of the 100 rod portage into Clove. It’s a decent enough site, but a little hard to spot from the water. I also remember the portage into Clove can be a little tough to spot. If I remember, you will see a large tree near a rocky landing and the portage path is tucked behind the tree.

I've done this route at least a dozen times. The narrows between Devil's Elbow and Maraboeuf is thick with bass. The water flow can be fast because a lot of water is being squeezed through a little space. The spot is below the campsite on the hill to the south.

Mike

And back-channel email if you have specific questions. I could write a book on this route.

Mike

Tumblehome guys also recently did a route review of this exact trip if you're into podcasts.

Me, a buddy, and two of our kids did the Granite from Gunflint to Sag a few years ago. We went in August so the fishing wasn't hot but we managed when necessary.

Some of the portages can be a little tricky to locate as the river gets a little "channelly" in spots but for the most part it's easy to navigate. There are 2 riffles that you can run, one early on after Gunflint lake before the falls, and the other after Maraboeuf before you get to Sag falls. It's a fun trip, have a great time!