Anyone know if the tows to bottle portage are happening this year, specifically the end of May or early June?

Edit

Call LaTourell Outfitter on Moose Lake.

You’d want to call Anderson’s outfitters or one of the outfitters that is on the western side. That tow is through Lac La Croix or that area definitely not Moose.

I don’t believe the tows to Bottle Portage happened last year, but the rules did change slightly at the end of the year where you can boat into Canada, but not touch land. That might allow for those tows since they can’t motor through the BWCA. Problem is when they drop you off, that portage is definitely all on the Canadian side.

Different outfitters can get you in pretty far either from Moose Lake or Fall Lake. Different entry points though.

Ryan

Give Kathy or Mark Zup a call at (218) 365-4018.

Zups Resort

Its all going to be based on if the Sand Point CBSA station will open. Normally it opens May 15, however, the last two years its been closed. It's not clear yet if it will open this year. Anderson's and Zup's will be the first to know I suspect. There has been some discussion of this topic on other threads on this site, in case you want to look around and see what others are betting on.... link to the Sand Point CBSA info below.

Sand Point Customs

That said, Andersons's will tow you to Snow Bay (western end of LLC) independent of the Sand Point Customs opening. Thats as far as they can get without having to go into Canadian waters. I did that in August of 2020.

Maybe this year Canada will allow the the outfitters to travel on LLC to access the the eastern side of LLC to get to points in the BWCA (i.e. Lady Boot, Bottle, etc) without going through Customs. One interpretation of the recent changes in boating on border lakes may allow for this...but that would make too much sense. See the links below for info for more details on what I'm referring to.

article 1

article 2

CBSA info

BWCA dot com thread on this topic