Hey All, I'm leaving in a few days for my first ever BWCA trip. I'm hoping to set up a basecamp for the first few days on Malberg and have read conflicting reports about the fishing there and nearby lakes. I'll be targeting Walleye, Northerns and SM Bass. I've read accounts with people claiming the Walleye and Pike fishing on Malberg is some of the best they've ever experienced, and others claiming the lake is overfished and that it's nearly impossible to catch anything. Would anyone who has fished there recently care to comment?

My current plan is to day trip and fish the stretch of the Kawishiwi River between the 2 portages from Malberg, and possibly take the portage into Kivaniva Lake and check out the fishing there. I read a report that said Kivaniva is full of big pike and walleye, but it's from 2006, so I don't know if this is still the case. Anyone know if Kivaniva is worth a look?

Any other nearby lakes I should check out?

TIA for any advice and knowledge shared.

You might consider camping a night or two on River lake, there are a few nice campsites. The southern island campsite is a favorite of mine, for several reasons. We had pretty good luck with walleyes on River lake on a mid July trip several years ago. There is a point just south of the River Lake campsite we stayed at, where the river narrows - you might want to give that a try for walleyes. It's marked with an orange dot on the map of the area from this site. Good Luck.

Here is a trip report if you are interested:



Kawishiwi entry to Malberg to River Lake and back