I started canoe tripping back in late 70s in the area north and northeast of International Falls. That area has changed quite a bit since then, especially after the road to Dryden was paved. I would like to revisit that area, but have not been able to find current information on potential routes, especially those that avoid green zones and lakes that have been developed.

I would appreciate hearing if anyone has paddled that area recently.

Thanks,
Don

Paging Miss Molly to the white courtesy phone.

I don't know if she's been in that specific area, but I know she's paddled, camped and fished a number of times in the Crownland of Ontario.

I’m curious about this as well. Another option to paddle if a person can’t get a permit when they have the time. My job doesn’t allow me to always go when I plan to. Spontaneous openings in my schedule is the reality.

I've traveled the 502 Rd for many years from I Falls to Dyden to
Souix Lookout on fishing trips. The biggest change(s) on the land-
scape I see is large-scale logging, not development. Ontario has
protected vast areas with "conservation areas" and canoe route
buffers. NW Ontario is still Big Country! Depends where you want
to go. Wabakimi Provincial Park has extremely low canoe pressure
Logging roads have opened up a lot of Crown Land but most lakes
remain quite remote.

I know a lot about the Turtle River PP. Very clear water with great walleye and bass fishing.

I have also been up Graham road to north of Brightsand.

Email me if you want more info.

Tony

Check out The Friends of Wabakimi map Volume 2. If you want rugged, wild and remote. Most of the routes in this Volume are crown land routes.

www.wabakimi.net

I've spent many months paddling Crown Land. I use two primary tools for scouting:

Google Earth

Fish OnLine

Be warned: A logging road can look passable on Google Earth, but be barrier-filled in person.

Take mud boots and walk through all puddles before attempting to drive them. A inch or two of mud isn't a problem. If you sink into it, your car will likely sink into it.

Read about off-road driving. Going slowly is usually best.

I've never seen woods logged up to lakeshores. This is wonderful, for you might pass logged areas, but when you reach your lake, you won't see stumps.

The fishing can be otherworldly. I love catching a fish on my first cast into a new lake.

Much of the time, you'll have to make your own campsite. Paddle around a lake before pitching your tent to locate the best site.

You might see someone else on the lake you select, but this is RARE and they're usually passing through or day-tripping.

More suggestions:

If you can, take two vehicles, both with 4 wheel drive and if possible, with low gearing a locking differential. You don't have to drive miles to reach a lake. There are great lakes less than a mile off the highway.

Using the Fish OnLine tool, you can catch specks or splake or muskies or whatever you want.

Bigger lakes are more likely to have a fly-in cabin. Some of the smaller lakes might be fished once in a decade. I once bushwhacked to a lake with a teen and I asked him to use the sonar to see if there were fish.

"Yes," he said, "there are."

"What depth?" I asked.

"Everywhere," he honestly answered, and they were.

Take a PLB.

HayRiverDrifter: "I know a lot about the Turtle River PP. Very clear water with great walleye and bass fishing."

Second this - really cool area. White Otter Castle is fun to visit, and there is some really good fishing to be found. Decent number of Laker lakes too.

sns: "HayRiverDrifter: "I know a lot about the Turtle River PP. Very clear water with great walleye and bass fishing."


Second this - really cool area. White Otter Castle is fun to visit, and there is some really good fishing to be found. Decent number of Laker lakes too."

Did this route with some friends in June 2019 in a week. Got to see Jimmy McQuat’s White Otter Castle and paddled the Turtle Rv. If you are interested, I can put you in touch with a buddy who organized the trip. He could fill you in on logistics. Also, in an earlier Kevin Callan’s route book he does a great job covering this trip.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Miss Molly, would you be willing to share some route information/recommendations? I am going out with one of the guys I paddled with back in the day and he does not have the flexibility for a grand adventure if things don’t go as planned.

Deerfoot, thanks for recommending Kevin Callan’s book. I would like to take you up on your offer to put me in touch with your trip organizer. Please feel free to email.

I discovered the area west of Wabakimi last year and have plans to return in late summer. I quickly found out I needed to be prepared for significant portage clearing and to plan accordingly. Unfortunately, time constraints make this area less feasible.

Thanks again to all for your help.

Don

donr, emailed you re the the Turtle Rv trip.

Another park in NW Ontario to poke at might be Eagle-Dogtooth. I've no experience with it, but there are some elements that make me very curious...

Anyone been there?