Im a newbie, traveling to BWCA in late August. What suppliers have best maps for fishing, wayfinding, features?

Fisher

Voyageur

McKenzie

other?

Thanks

I've used all three that you mentioned. Don't know if I personally have a huge preference.

This last winter I purchased the set of Voyageur maps for planning purposes as I have starting leading Boy Scout trips. Their scale allows for fewer maps but losses some resolution for detail. However the Voyageur maps provide much more fishing information. For now these will be staying at home and I will bring Fisher or McKenzie on the trek.

The other option that is out there is True North. I have seen these but have not used them myself. They are unique as they are cloth maps that should last longer and also serve multiple purposes. Someone on one of my trips may purchase a couple so we will see how that goes. Might be nice to have one you can stuff in a life jacket pocket, but it would lack any stiffness to lay out in front of you in a canoe.

In the end I most likely go with whatever map covers the area I am going better with fewer maps or fewer times where map changeovers are needed. Will differ based on the entry point and the planned route.

I have a bunch of both Fisher and McKenzie maps. I tend to prefer Fisher for no other reason than I like the colors better. If there is a difference in accuracy or detail, I have not noticed it. I have noticed a couple times one would have lake contour lines and the other would not, but I think it varies map by map.

There are minor differences in scale, size, color, but like Cricket67 I have no great preference and have used all three. I also have the full set of Voyageur maps for planning, but usually take whatever covers my route in fewest maps. If someone else takes maps, it's nice to have two different ones. I also like the Fisher colors best.

Any of those will work. My maps usually stay in my pack. I navigate with a GPS, it’s so much easier, faster and accurate.

Edit...Navigation is more of a hobby for me. I learned navigating with USGS 7.5 min Topographic maps. I’ve taken the military navigation course at least three times over the years. I bought most of the topo maps up there years ago when stores were selling them for $5.00. My GPS also has the same Topo maps chip in them , so they match. My GPS stays on and clipped to my PFD. Just a glance to see where I am with it.

I carried Fisher's as a basic map and National Geographic for an overview and as a backup. NG map covers a lot of territory in case one has to deviate from an expected route. It also shows UTM grid, which I find convenient for estimating distances. I don't see a need for GPS in the BW - it's unnecessary expensive, exceedingly demanding for those who don't like gadgets and has obvious reliability issues. If in hazy weather one has to hit a 200' narrows 2 miles away it's just an issue of taking one compass reading.

I think the Voyageur is the most accurate and easiest to read. Fisher color scheme is nice. Can't stand the McKenzie color scheme.

I like the scale of the McKenzie maps best and so use them. Some of that is being used to them. We also carry some Fisher's for comparison. As others have said, there are some differences and so comparing can be useful. I like the Voyageur's for planning and having the map of the full BWCA on the back. I have a full set for planning purposes. But I don't like the way they are folded for use in the canoe. I guess I could flatten one and then refold it. My wife and I both have map sets in the canoe with us and then provide maps to whoever is with us. So, that gives us a chance to have a variety of maps along.

I ran into an issue on little sag with a Mckenzie map, and have since noticed it on other Mckenzie maps. They don't all use north as the top of the map, and unless I am missing something, they don't have a north reference on them either. We noticed it when we picked a campsite that was "west facing" and got to it and it was most decidedly not west facing. Now, I would have figured this out earlier if I had referenced my compass, but I was using the map to locate a campsite, and gaia to navigate to it. Fischer maps all seem to have North up, and a north reference as well.

I'm not a map expert, so maybe I missed something, or there is a trick with a Mckenzie to figure out which way is north on the map, but I wasn't able to easily spot it!

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EDIT

hahaha, I just went and looked at a Mckenzie. Are they using the declination indicator as north as well?

McKenzie maps are north up. The purple UTM lines on the map will show exact N,E,W,S. It just so happens that some campsites don't face the exact piece of shoreline where the dot is placed. On any of the companies' maps.

Mackenzie fan for the larger scale and detail, pack Fishers in a separate pack.

Here’s another recent thread on the topic: Maps

+1 on the nat geo for as an overview (eastern and western) especially if your route needs to change.

Banksiana: "I think the Voyageur is the most accurate and easiest to read. Fisher color scheme is nice. Can't stand the McKenzie color scheme."

Agreed on all parts. But really they all work....I like to take 2 brands at least so if there's a portage or campsite marked slightly off I can compare to the other.

This might be useful info.
Voyageur-28.75 by 38.75, 1.5" per mile
Fisher-22.5 by 28.5, 1.5" per mile
Mckenzie-25 by 30, 2" per mile
National Geographic-25.5 by 37.75, 1.1" per mile. With these you get a west BWCA and an east BWCA. Each map has 1/2 on each side so you basically get 1/4 of the entire BWCA on each side of 2 different maps. They are folded like a standard road map. People tend to be critical of these, but I have found them to be very accurate and big enough in a pinch. 1.1 IPM is not all that different than 1.5 IPM. I would still get one of the others as they are a bit easier to read, but are most definitely not more accurate. All are printed on waterproof paper.

We usually took maps from two companies on our trips . We liked to compare site locations,.portages... Check for errors.

The cloth maps look neat but I'd only use them as a souvenir. I like to keep my trip journal on the back of my map.

“Paper” maps: for 15+ years I used mostly McKenzie and some sometimes Fisher maps. The deciding factor for which maps to use was the planned route. There are two things that are always seem to be an issue for me. Firstly, the routes I choose seem to require a map for a small portion of the trip. If this is the case, and that portion involves the entry point and part of day 1 and the last day I usually skip the map. Secondly, Fisher seems to put the legend on the map in an inconvenient spot, blocking some of the map. Again, my luck has it that that is a section of my planned route. This year I brought a voyageur map and will now do so in the future. These maps are great. Despite my initial concerns about the level of detail compared to McKenzie or Fisher maps I found myself referring to the Voyageur map most the trip. One map was more or less sufficient for my loop in June (Angleworm entry to Iron Lake (thru a PMA) to Crooked to Gun and back out Angleworm). Secondly they have a full BWCA map on the back and this proved very useful. They also provide some fishing info as well. For paper maps this will be the main map I will use from here on out. That said, in the future I will bring a Fisher and/or McKenzie map for my primary areas. One downside to Voyageur maps is that they don’t have maps for Quetico…

Electronic maps: I’ve used GPS units in the past (Garmin) but find I go to the paper map almost exclusively. The GPS can help when you get disoriented on a large lake with lots of islands (For example, Lac La Croix or Wicksteed). Two years ago I started using an App by Navionics and it is great. The GPS on the iPhone works and batteries last quite a while, 3-4 days on a single charge for me, when in airplane mode and wifi off (make sure Bluetooth is off as well). The main reason I like the Navionics app is that it has lake depths (for most lakes) and it’s pretty accurate. So the GPS shows you location and water depth. This is great for fishing shelfs, underwater islands, etc…especially in the summer months when the fish are deeper.

Fisher
I too have a bunch of both Fisher and McKenzie maps but last time I order directly from McKenzie the map did not arrive. I could not reach anybody via customer service through multiple attempts and modalities. It left a bitter taste so I just go with Fisher now.

I deal w/ GPS and electronics on a daily basis for work and play. But in the BW, I love my paper maps. I take notes ahead of time by writing on them and can take more notes while in the park. I don't want to mess with batteries and whatnot. Leaving waypoints and trying to type notes on a little handheld.

I've got one True North cloth map just to try. I like it but not sure I'd get a whole set or something

Mocha: "We usually took maps from two companies on our trips . We liked to compare site locations,.portages... Check for errors.


The cloth maps look neat but I'd only use them as a souvenir. I like to keep my trip journal on the back of my map.
"

This. I like my voyageur maps that I use most of the time, but I also like to have a backup. Sometimes I will check with my paddling buddy and just make sure mine's not the same. Other times I will bring 2 maps, for situations like going on the very edge of the map, or off it. It can just be nice to have a second view of the situation in case something is off or lacking detail.

They're all good and they'll all work. Unfortunately it really comes down to personal preference and you won't know that till you've tried all 3. It's like a Chevy vs Ford vs GM thing. I will say I am kind of a gram wienie (from my backpacking background) so I only like to take one set of maps. So whatever brand covers my travel area in the least amount is the ticket. With that being said I will say I use Fisher the most.

We used a Fisher maps on the last trip because it covered the area we were going with one map. I missed the larger scale of the Mackenzie map though. Especially while paddling. It seemed like it took a lot longer to get around a point than usual since I was used to the other map's scale.

Exactly what Freeleo said.
All of these maps are great. It’s going to boil down to personal preference and endpoints. Whatever you do, bring a map outside your stated route. For that reason , I like the cloth or voyageurs or nat geo. McKenzie for detail, Fisher for aesthetics.

I purchased the full set of McKenzie maps last year during the pandemic as a treat to myself. They stay at home for route planning. I also like the Nat Geos for route planning, then goto the specific McKenzie for greater detail. Most of the time, I like the McKenzies while on the water due to the larger scale. This year, we did Snowbank to Fraser, and I purchased the Fisher that covered that area all on one map. It was nice to have both the Fisher and the McKenzies in the boat.

I'm not all that excited about the True North maps. To me, the most important thing is to have my map on the bottom of the canoe between my feet as I paddle. Whatever map you choose, this is the most important, don't wait to pull it out when you can't figure out where you are. Find yourself on the map during the whole time you are paddling. This technique doesn't work that well with a cloth map on the bottom of the canoe! I have my map in a CCS map case with my compass visible as well. When leaving one portage to cross the lake to the next portage or campground, I take a bearing so I know which direction I should be headed. By glancing at the compass, I know which direction we should be heading, and if there are any points/islands/etc. to look out for.

Also, we're super lucky to not have to worry about declination in the BWCA. Magnetic north and true north are so dang close, there's no problem if you don't adjust for it.

I also mark up my maps in the field with notes, fishing spots, campsite ratings, etc. I like to use a fine point Sharpie, or a ball point pen for this, a Fisher Space Pen works really well.

EddyTurn: "I carried Fisher's as a basic map and National Geographic for an overview and as a backup. NG map covers a lot of territory in case one has to deviate from an expected route. It also shows UTM grid, which I find convenient for estimating distances. I don't see a need for GPS in the BW - it's unnecessary expensive, exceedingly demanding for those who don't like gadgets and has obvious reliability issues. If in hazy weather one has to hit a 200' narrows 2 miles away it's just an issue of taking one compass reading."

I second this - particularly love the aspect ratio of the Fisher’s. I roll with a CCS map thwart bag and have my compass tied to the interior pocket.