I just wanted to say Hi, and thanks for all the open discussion and info! A couple friends and I are planning our first trip to the BWCA in the fall of 2023. I have already seen this site as a great resource. As we move further along in the planning, I am sure that questions will arise. Thanks in advance. ;)

You've certainly got some time to plan your trip, but you picked a great time of year to go. Little to no bugs, enough darkness for stargazing and long campfires, and mild temps. I love fall trips. Don't hesitate to ask as many questions as needed to feel prepared, and welcome to the forum!

Thanks so much, I will be asking plenty of questions as time goes by I am sure. We are facing an 18 hour drive so we are thinking that our EP should be as close as possible, probably EP 38. Our primary goal is fishing for smallmouth and walleye.

Since this is our first escapade into portaging, we thought about doing a base camp maybe a day in and fishing from there.

BTW, I really enjoy your videos.

Well I would say since you're already driving 18 hours, what's an extra 30 minutes here or there? The time it takes to get from Tofte to Sawbill is only slightly shorter than going from Tofte to Clearwater, for example. Different route.

For smallies and wallies, you could try Caribou on the Gunflint side, but it depends on whether you want to camp on an entry lake, or go a little further in to get away from a few people. Ensign is a good smallie/wallie lake, but gets pretty busy. Knife could be a great option, but I've yet to catch any walleyes on Knife despite them definitely being there. I think the clear water makes them a little shy.

Lac La Croix would be a fantastic base camp spot, and you can easily get to Boulder Bay/Tiger Bay in a day while double carrying. The stained water there helps with shy fish and it's a big lake so there are some really big fish there as well. You could try your hand with lakers if you paddled up to Fish Stake Narrows or Lady Boot Bay on a day trip as well.

I'm glad you enjoy the vids!! I've been way too lazy about putting out last year's trips... hoping to get them out soon!

Welcome, TnMorani- Always good to start planning early with a new adventure. I also travel a long way to get there. I can't tell you anything about fishing there, but there is a dedicated fishing forum on the messageboard where you should receive lots of help.

As for portaging, the most important thing is to be organized and have a plan. If you plan to double portage that would be 4 loads for a tandem pair, say the canoe and 3 packs. Best to not have many loose items - everything in a pack or strapped in the canoe. Keep your gear together and out of the way. These things help avoid forgotten items and mix-ups. Of course, weight of the packs matters, as does bulk.

If you go in Sawbill with your plan you'll have options of going west into the Lady Chain, east into the Fire Lakes, or north to Cherokee.

Thanks for the great advice Boonie, I really appreciate it! You guys probably think that I am crazy being this excited about a trip that is 13 months away and planning so early but I really think about this every day. We love fishing the waters of East Tennessee which are great themselves but this adventure has us fired

We just think your normal, but other people . . . ? :)

I don't know if you will be self-outfitted, partially outfitted, completely outfitting, but no matter what you're going to need a checklist for packing. That's something you can start working on now.

It may also be a new way of tripping for you as it was for me and there are lots of things I didn't even know to consider. I really didn't know the scale of things or anything about the kind of paddling it would be for example.

You can also start studying maps now. You can use the ones on the Voyageur Maps site to scroll around and plan in conjunction with the maps here. You can buy Voyageur maps from the map store here.

Feel free to email me if you want. And have fun planning!

You may find that you will begin to accumulate gear....go with it :)

We all can make recommendations!

TnM Welcome , yes a lot of very nice and very knowledgeable people on here. who will share most anything EXCEPT their brook trout spots ;) .
2023 you got a long wait , after that trip (if you love the outdoors) you'll be on pins & needles before every trip :)

Greetings! I have to stay off the forum until winter or I will be uselessly lost in day dreams. I live about 2 hours west of you, and have about a dozen trips under my belt. One to EP 38 last year. Click on my username while logged in and email me. Would be glad to help you through the process of planning and preparing for your trip.

Welcome!! good to have you with us.