I'm going that way and have the option to layover on one of these lakes. If you were looking for a decent site and spend time fishing for walleye and/or lake trout which lake would you stay on? Thanks!

Have never fished Frazer , but I have fished Thomas. Excellent fishing for Walleye, and Lakers...

Where will you be headed after Thomas/Fraser? Thomas has 15 campsites and Fraser has but 5. What will you do if you choose Fraser and find all campsites filled?

walllee: "Have never fished Frazer , but I have fished Thomas. Excellent fishing for Walleye, and Lakers..."

So the fishing is good, how odd the catching?

I have had better luck fishing (walleye & lakers) Thomas and the campsites have more usable space. Fraser offered more solitude and it's an easy paddle to Thomas to fish.

RMinMN: "Where will you be headed after Thomas/Fraser? Thomas has 15 campsites and Fraser has but 5. What will you do if you choose Fraser and find all campsites filled?"

I'll be coming from Sagus on the way to Alice probably solo. Time frame is mid September.

With your route plan, I would choose one of the sites toward the south end of Thomas. Reference the maps with campsite ratings. Most any site on Thomas that is not rated, likely means it is less than desirable. We stayed at 1179 (southernmost island) and it had a lot to offer. Good landing, tent, hammock and tarp options, an excellent elevated south facing view with good shore fishing options. Areas to soak up the sun or hide from inclement weather. Easy access to Cacabic or Kiana lake portages.

I've fished Thomas early and found lakers suspended. It's a fun lake.

TomT: "

RMinMN: "Where will you be headed after Thomas/Fraser? Thomas has 15 campsites and Fraser has but 5. What will you do if you choose Fraser and find all campsites filled?"

I'll be coming from Sagus on the way to Alice probably solo. Time frame is mid September. "

Good route for that time of year!

TomT: "

RMinMN: "Where will you be headed after Thomas/Fraser? Thomas has 15 campsites and Fraser has but 5. What will you do if you choose Fraser and find all campsites filled?"

I'll be coming from Sagus on the way to Alice probably solo. Time frame is mid September. "

Presuming you are going to Alice by way of Cacabic, I would look at campsites on Fraser first. If you are early in the day when you get there you probably will have choices of campsites. If you decide to go on to Thomas there are only a few sites that do not require backtracking to the Thomas-Cacabic portage to get to Alice and none that have high rating. If catching walleye is your goal, Alice is probably the better lake for it. A depth finder will help you locate the reefs off the east shore and I've found those to produce walleye, northern pike and smallmouth bass. I've even had a nice eating size walleye be attacked but a 15 or so pound northern that kept the walleye in its mouth clear up to the canoe so the wife could see it too.

RMinMN: "

TomT: "

RMinMN: "Where will you be headed after Thomas/Fraser? Thomas has 15 campsites and Fraser has but 5. What will you do if you choose Fraser and find all campsites filled?"

I'll be coming from Sagus on the way to Alice probably solo. Time frame is mid September. "

Presuming you are going to Alice by way of Cacabic, I would look at campsites on Fraser first. If you are early in the day when you get there you probably will have choices of campsites. If you decide to go on to Thomas there are only a few sites that do not require backtracking to the Thomas-Cacabic portage to get to Alice and none that have high rating. If catching walleye is your goal, Alice is probably the better lake for it. A depth finder will help you locate the reefs off the east shore and I've found those to produce walleye, northern pike and smallmouth bass.

Yeah, Fraser has my interest just because I know there's less fishing pressure and people camped on the lake. I think I'll check the sites there and if I get impressed will just stop and layover. If not excited by what I see I'll move on to Thomas.

Alice is definitely a layover on the east side for me. I was there last in 2009 and I too found the fish on a reef at dusk in the NE side. A lot depends on the wind forecast too for Alice. I don't want to get windbound there.

iwegean: "With your route plan, I would choose one of the sites toward the south end of Thomas. Reference the maps with campsite ratings. Most any site on Thomas that is not rated, likely means it is less than desirable. We stayed at 1179 (southernmost island) and it had a lot to offer. Good landing, tent, hammock and tarp options, an excellent elevated south facing view with good shore fishing options. Areas to soak up the sun or hide from inclement weather. Easy access to Cacabic or Kiana lake portages."

Thanks for your intel. I'm keeping this for reference while on the trip. You guys are the best!

I passed through Fraser about a decade ago and stayed on Thomas. We had ok fishing on Thomas, but that was mid June. We had good luck for pike, and a slow walleye and lake trout bite.

I’m heading through that area this June though if the border isn’t open. Looks like I may have a similar route to yours. kawishiwi lake up through Mahlberg, Adams/Boulder, through Sagus, down Fraser/Thomas and then through Kiana, Insula and out the number chain.

cburton103: "I passed through Fraser about a decade ago and stayed on Thomas. We had ok fishing on Thomas, but that was mid June. We had good luck for pike, and a slow walleye and lake trout bite.


I’m heading through that area this June though if the border isn’t open. Looks like I may have a similar route to yours. kawishiwi lake up through Mahlberg, Adams/Boulder, through Sagus, down Fraser/Thomas and then through Kiana, Insula and out the number chain."

I hope to do that loop starting and finishing at Kawishiwi EP. How are you setting up a shuttle?

Like around 1988 there was a cabin on the island in Fraser and going inside they had many pictures of stringers of walleyes caught in Fraser.

Pinetree: "Like around 1988 there was a cabin on the island in Fraser and going inside they had many pictures of stringers of walleyes caught in Fraser."

Hmmm.... Fraser could be one of those lakes like Joyce in Quetico. There's only a few marginal sites and I believe most people just travel through. Consequently what you have is a very good fishery. If either of those lakes had a killer 5 star site we might hear more about them.

TomT: "

Pinetree: "Like around 1988 there was a cabin on the island in Fraser and going inside they had many pictures of stringers of walleyes caught in Fraser."

Hmmm.... Fraser could be one of those lakes like Joyce in Quetico. There's only a few marginal sites and I believe most people just travel through. Consequently what you have is a very good fishery. If either of those lakes had a killer 5 star site we might hear more about them.


"

I wonder if you can tell where the cabin and building once were standing?

Captn Tony: "

walllee: "Have never fished Frazer , but I have fished Thomas. Excellent fishing for Walleye, and Lakers..."

So the fishing is good, how good the catching?"

2X post

2X post

In the 80’s we went by the cabin. What I remember it was on the large island on the north end of the lake. It was kept up at that time. We met a group motoring out to the island. At that time they still had rights to use a motor to get to the cabin. From what I heard they could use it but not live there like Dorothy did.

Carl

RedLakePaddler: "In the 80’s we when by the cabin. What I remember it was on the large island on the north end of the lake. It was kept up at that time. We met a group motoring out to the island. At that time they still had rights to use a motor to get to the cabin. From what I heard they could use it but not live there like Dorothy did.


Carl"

Correct on usage-I do think they had a date of last usage also. The cabin burnt down close to 1990. I know a island to the east of them also burnt from lightning.
But cause on that cabin I don't know if forestry burnt it down or what> Maybe we will get a answer here, otherwise I will open up a discussion in general discussion. This did come up before.

Pinetree: "

RedLakePaddler: "In the 80’s we when by the cabin. What I remember it was on the large island on the north end of the lake. It was kept up at that time. We met a group motoring out to the island. At that time they still had rights to use a motor to get to the cabin. From what I heard they could use it but not live there like Dorothy did.



Carl"

Correct on usage-I do think they had a date of last usage also. The cabin burnt down close to 1990. I know a island to the east of them also burnt from lightning.
But cause on that cabin I don't know if forestry burnt it down or what> Maybe we will get a answer here, otherwise I will open up a discussion in general discussion. This did come up before."

Kevlar posted the following 10 years ago:
"01/16/2011 08:27PM
Bruceye, that cabin on Fraser was there in about 1980. I talked to an older man there who said the owner had been a young man when he had to choose whether to sell the cabin to the F.S. or keep it and never be able to sell it or pass it on (when he would die, it would become F.S. property). He kept it and used it winter and summer for another 30 years or so. The F.S. would let him bring a snowmobile in in the winter, and a motor on his canoe in the summer. After the owner died the FS gave the family time to take anything they wanted, took all the metal stuff out, and then burned it."

this post was under listening - "Abandoned cabins"

TomT: "

cburton103: "
I’m heading through that area this June though if the border isn’t open. Looks like I may have a similar route to yours. kawishiwi lake up through Mahlberg, Adams/Boulder, through Sagus, down Fraser/Thomas and then through Kiana, Insula and out the number chain."

I hope to do that loop starting and finishing at Kawishiwi EP. How are you setting up a shuttle?"

Sorry, didn’t see this until now. We’re staying with Williams and Hall on Moose Lake and getting them to shuttle us to the start. Free short ride back afterwards from Lake One, or we may just have the shuttle start at Lake One and leave our car at EP30 so it’s there when we finish. Pretty easy logistically, just a longer shuttle. We’ve gotten into the habit of getting shuttles and tows for Quetico trips. Some of my favorite trips have been starting with a Crane Lake shuttle, a LLC tow, then paddling back to Basswood or Prairie Portage and getting a tow back to Moose.

This is a good thread about the cabin on Fraser Lake

Fraser Lake Cabin

Pinetree: "

TomT: "

Pinetree: "Like around 1988 there was a cabin on the island in Fraser and going inside they had many pictures of stringers of walleyes caught in Fraser."

Hmmm.... Fraser could be one of those lakes like Joyce in Quetico. There's only a few marginal sites and I believe most people just travel through. Consequently what you have is a very good fishery. If either of those lakes had a killer 5 star site we might hear more about them.



"

I wonder if you can tell where the cabin and building once were standing?

"

It’s really obvious...there are relics there and the fireplace of the cabin still stands.


T

Both are really fun lakes. Had better luck for walleyes on reefs at thomas and trolling lakers on fraser in about 50fow, 30 feet down. That was in late June. I wish I would have known about the cabin, trolled right by that island. I guess ill just have to go back someday.