Hello everyone. Do any of you folks know how long it should take to reach Boot Lake from EP 22/23 and how busy it would be end of May/early June? I'm planning to head north, but not much interest in Mudro or Fourtown. Never been to Boot so I'm thinking of fishing Boot and then checking out some of those smaller lakes north from there.

Thanks for any info.

July 2022 it took my partner and I about 2 hours to travel from EP 23 Mudro lake to Boot lake. We single portaged and paddled in light wind and rain. We passed several open campsites on Boot lake.

You may consider taking the 15 rd portage from Boot to Fairy and staying at campsite 1087 on Fairy if it is available. Fairy is a nice lake with 2 decent campsites and short portages to either Boot or Gun for convenient day trips.

John

Rockriver, it is a beautiful area with great lakes, good fishing and campsites. Boot is, IMO, a sleeper walleye lake. I had good luck the one night we stayed there and caught my personal best from shore! Fairy, as mentioned is a really cool lake and the eastern campsite is amazing. Fishing is reportedly good with panfish thrown in for fun. The lakes north of there are great as well, Gun and Gull.

However, and you may know this but Mudro entry is one of if not the most popular entry in the BWCA and fills up very fast. Permits reservations start at 9am on Jan 25th and if you are serious about this trip you better have dates, be flexible and be ready to push some quick buttons at 9am that morning. They could literally fill up in a matter of hours for the whole summer.

It's a busy area but feeds several different routes so it's not as bad as it sounds. I think more people go east up to Horse and beyond to Basswood than go west. Still put in early and be ready to grab a campsite early afternoon,, wherever that slice of heaven might be:)

Two hours is quick and if you are not single portaging and hustling I would allow 3-4 hours to get to Boot. Just sayin...

Thanks. I've been in mudro up thru fourtown and it was busy but it was also in July. I've never been up thru boot but I've looked at fairy just never made the trip. This is actually my third choice idea behind 19 to stuart, and 14 up into lynx area. Stuart is my first choice but it goes fast as well. 14 will be new to me but looks like plenty of room and ive heard lots of good 5hings about lynx. If I get that permit, I plan to check out warpaint lake as well. Thanks for the info and good luck to everyone. Hope you all get your first choice permits!

Rockriver: "Thanks. I've been in mudro up thru fourtown and it was busy but it was also in July. I've never been up thru boot but I've looked at fairy just never made the trip. This is actually my third choice idea behind 19 to stuart, and 14 up into lynx area. Stuart is my first choice but it goes fast as well. 14 will be new to me but looks like plenty of room and ive heard lots of good 5hings about lynx. If I get that permit, I plan to check out warpaint lake as well. Thanks for the info and good luck to everyone. Hope you all get your first choice permits!


"

Little Indian Sioux (14) is also a tough permit. Ever consider Quetico?

I’m kind of surprised at the popularity of Stuart, given the initial portage… guess I’ll be getting up early in the 25th. Good luck y’all!

Frenchy19: "

Rockriver: "Thanks. I've been in mudro up thru fourtown and it was busy but it was also in July. I've never been up thru boot but I've looked at fairy just never made the trip. This is actually my third choice idea behind 19 to stuart, and 14 up into lynx area. Stuart is my first choice but it goes fast as well. 14 will be new to me but looks like plenty of room and ive heard lots of good 5hings about lynx. If I get that permit, I plan to check out warpaint lake as well. Thanks for the info and good luck to everyone. Hope you all get your first choice permits!



"

Little Indian Sioux (14) is also a tough permit. Ever consider Quetico? "

I have but I don't meet their standa4ds to enter.

BigPaul: "I’m kind of surprised at the popularity of Stuart, given the initial portage… guess I’ll be getting up early in the 25th. Good luck y’all!"

I feel the same. Seems to be worse every year. The pandemic affected alot more than people realize.