BWCA Beartrap River to Iron Lake Boundary Waters Trip Planning Forum
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ZakP
  
05/23/2022 11:47AM  
Hey all,

Anyone know of the conditions or water levels for this stretch of river this year? Looking to take two canoes through here in early-mid June.

Just curious if anyone has a guess how much portaging we'd be looking at. Or anything else we'd need to know. We'd like to do this section, but if we're gonna be walking more than boating we'd plot another route.

Thanks!!
 
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RatherbeDuffing
senior member (56)senior membersenior member
  
05/24/2022 08:01AM  
I am going up that way the 8th. Will let you know. With water levels as they are I think we will be just fine. I am more worried about portages being harder to find due to debris/washouts from the winter melt.
ZakP
  
05/24/2022 09:06PM  
Thanks @RatherbeDuffing. Let me know!! Also guessing it'll be smooth
RatherbeDuffing
senior member (56)senior membersenior member
  
06/15/2022 10:08AM  
ZakP: "Thanks @RatherbeDuffing. Let me know!! Also guessing it'll be smooth"


Beartrap was fine. Portaged around the rapids and pulled over a couple of beaver dams.
corvidologist
senior member (66)senior membersenior member
  
06/22/2022 07:22PM  
RatherbeDuffing: "
ZakP: "Thanks @RatherbeDuffing. Let me know!! Also guessing it'll be smooth"



Beartrap was fine. Portaged around the rapids and pulled over a couple of beaver dams. "


Just for clarity, since I'm bringing in a group and haven't gone this way before, is this all the way through? How long did it take and ... how busy is Iron?
06/22/2022 07:40PM  
I can’t help you with the length portion, but Iron is always busy. Get there as early as possible if you expect to get a site.
Lawnchair107
distinguished member (406)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
06/23/2022 07:52AM  
naturboy12: "I can’t help you with the length portion, but Iron is always busy. Get there as early as possible if you expect to get a site. "


Very much so. Iron is the ultimate basecamp lake from what I've witnessed.
RatherbeDuffing
senior member (56)senior membersenior member
  
06/24/2022 09:57AM  
corvidologist: "
RatherbeDuffing: "
ZakP: "Thanks @RatherbeDuffing. Let me know!! Also guessing it'll be smooth"




Beartrap was fine. Portaged around the rapids and pulled over a couple of beaver dams. "



Just for clarity, since I'm bringing in a group and haven't gone this way before, is this all the way through? How long did it take and ... how busy is Iron?"


All the way through was fine. The 200 rod portage going out of beartrap lake into beartrap was a little tricky. Overgrown and a lot of down trees to navigate. Trail was easy to follow though. Think we had to pull over maybe 3 beaver dams.

Time-wise is tough to say as we stopped at a few rapids to fish. All the good sites around the area beartrap flows into were taken. There were sites to choose from though. We got in well after the time people start snagging campsites, but again we fished the beartrap.
RatherbeDuffing
senior member (56)senior membersenior member
  
06/24/2022 10:01AM  
RatherbeDuffing: "
corvidologist: "
RatherbeDuffing: "
ZakP: "Thanks @RatherbeDuffing. Let me know!! Also guessing it'll be smooth"




Beartrap was fine. Portaged around the rapids and pulled over a couple of beaver dams. "




Just for clarity, since I'm bringing in a group and haven't gone this way before, is this all the way through? How long did it take and ... how busy is Iron?"



All the way through was fine. The 200 rod portage going out of beartrap lake into beartrap was a little tricky. Overgrown and a lot of down trees to navigate. Trail was easy to follow though. Think we had to pull over maybe 3 beaver dams.


Time-wise is tough to say as we stopped at a few rapids to fish. All the good sites around the area beartrap flows into were taken. There were sites to choose from though. We got in well after the time people start snagging campsites, but again we fished the beartrap. "


Also no idea how the water level changed between June 6th and now. Navigating beartrap was not an issue at all when we went in terms of water level.
corvidologist
senior member (66)senior membersenior member
  
06/25/2022 10:22PM  
RatherbeDuffing: "
RatherbeDuffing: "
corvidologist: "
RatherbeDuffing: "
ZakP: "Thanks @RatherbeDuffing. Let me know!! Also guessing it'll be smooth"





Beartrap was fine. Portaged around the rapids and pulled over a couple of beaver dams. "




Just for clarity, since I'm bringing in a group and haven't gone this way before, is this all the way through? How long did it take and ... how busy is Iron?"




All the way through was fine. The 200 rod portage going out of beartrap lake into beartrap was a little tricky. Overgrown and a lot of down trees to navigate. Trail was easy to follow though. Think we had to pull over maybe 3 beaver dams.



Time-wise is tough to say as we stopped at a few rapids to fish. All the good sites around the area beartrap flows into were taken. There were sites to choose from though. We got in well after the time people start snagging campsites, but again we fished the beartrap. "



Also no idea how the water level changed between June 6th and now. Navigating beartrap was not an issue at all when we went in terms of water level. "


Right on. This is good news. My group decided to go for it and I think it'll be a blast.
06/26/2022 08:40AM  
Lawnchair107: "
naturboy12: "I can’t help you with the length portion, but Iron is always busy. Get there as early as possible if you expect to get a site. "



Very much so. Iron is the ultimate basecamp lake from what I've witnessed. "


This is the same thing I've always heard but when we day tripped from Lac La Croix to Curtain Falls last week we only saw 1 tandem fishing on the whole lake. I'm pretty sure we saw all but 1 campsite and not a single one was occupied. It kinda felt like a lost opportunity.
John Moore
Guest Paddler
  
06/27/2022 10:02AM  
I spent one night 16 July 2021 on Iron lake and only passed one other occupied campsite. The fires across the border were visible and may have been a factor.

I will be traveling the Beartrap river again 11 July 2022 and am curious about the water level. Last July it was a mud drag from Sunday lake to Beartrap lake.

Thank you, John
 
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