Greetings everyone,
So...yeah, kinda like 3 posts in one, I guess - but all related to our upcoming 10 day trip June 2 to June 11 so here it is...

1) I am holding 2 permits, one for BH and the other for Crane Lake. Has anyone heard news of Sand Point opening up? I suspect not, but I thought I'd ask. We may just need to wait until May 15th, the normal opening date, and see what the CBSA site says.

2) Should we be fortunate enough to enter through the U.S. side I'm curious if anyone has 1st hand pictures of an area we hope to visit that was hit hard by wildfires. Pretty much everything from Argo, up through Brent, then back down South through Earl, Ted, Hurn, and back to Argo area. As we are hammock campers we kinda need trees to do our thing.

3) First time heading gup in the Spring, we usually visit mid-August to late September. With ice-out coming late (has it even come, yet?) can I assume all the fishing is behind as well? Of particular interest - are lakers expected to be shallow and smallies not quite in the peak of their pre-spawn phase?

Thanks in advance.

1) There's a thread on the Crane Lake ranger station in the Quetico subforum. Basically, no news there yet. People have some optimism, but it doesn't seem well substantiated.

2) I haven't traveled that area since the fires, but I would be cautious and have backup plans that allow mostly staying out of those areas. I sure wouldn't want to spend any time portaging through there before the portage crews work through this spring. Quetico usually has an updated map weekly on their facebook page.

3) We always go in early June pretty much. Depending on how the next month goes, I would expect lakers to be shallow, caught on lures that dive maybe 10-15 feet deep. Smallies will vary based on water temperatures as well, so you'll have to monitor as your trip approaches. It seems smallies typically bed the first or second week of June depending on the year's weather/water temps. If they're still pre spawn during your trip, which would be my guess, try looking in 10-15' of water just outside of the normal spawning areas.