Our group has always stayed away from the larger lakes mainly because we dont want to ever get caught on big water in the wind. This year we are trying to find an area that doesn't have killer portages but has plenty of lakes around for day trips. I was curious how bad are these two lakes with wind, i have ready snowbank and get really rough with the slightest winds, my thought was base camp the north end of Disappointment and day trip.

Snowbank is a big lake and can get rough. If you go to parent lake then into disappointment that will limit your amount of time on Snowbank. Disappointment is smaller and as such is not is not as effected by the wind. But it does get crowded as it is easy to get to. Once I wasn’t able to get a site!

Snowbank can get rough but I don't think it's like Basswood or Bayley Bay at their worst, and I've been there. And as Tony points out, take the route through Parent if the direct route to Disappointment is concerning. Last time I entered there was with a newbie in somewhat rough weather and went to Boot Lake portage. No real problem.

Are most of the lakes in that area lake trout lakes or will i run into walleye and and smallmouth?

Snowbank has lake trout, most of the others are walleye, northern, and smallmouth.

Reke0402: "Are most of the lakes in that area lake trout lakes or will i run into walleye and and smallmouth?"

Sounds as though fishing is important. What time of year? What are your (specie) priorities and interests? What defines a "killer" portage for you? How important is privacy/solitude?

Yes fishing is important, we aren't sure on dates yet i would guess end of June to the middle of July. One on the guys in our group has some back issues so we want to keep the portages 100 rods or less just to keep it easy on his back. Privacy is always great but not a priority, would prefer the bass walleye pike fishing over lake trout.

billconner: "Snowbank can get rough but I don't think it's like Basswood or Bayley Bay at their worst, and I've been there. And as Tony points out, take the route through Parent if the direct route to Disappointment is concerning. Last time I entered there was with a newbie in somewhat rough weather and went to Boot Lake portage. No real problem."

Don't do what I did and rationalize that since you've been paddling all day, and you're so close to exiting, you should just as well take the longer direct portage from Disappointment to Snowbank and then head straight into the rough waves. If you're worried on the way in, take the easy path through Parent. And if you're tired on the way out ... well, probably take the easy path back out through Parent since if you're that tired, you won't want to deal with rough Snowbank any longer than you have to.

We bailed on a Snowbank permit some years back. Fishing Opener (read cold water) when we got to the landing there were already a few other groups debating what to do. There were huge rollers with white camps coming in. The one group had already tried to go out, and turned around and came back. While waiting a second group went out...as far as I know they made, but it looked sketchy. Not worth it for me.

After a couple hours, we jumped in the truck and went to a hike in lake I know in the SNF. Had a great weekend there.