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MichiganJohn
member (31)member
  
01/14/2023 04:41PM  
Hey all...

I am trying to take the big step of planning a Quetico trip. All of my kids have gotten to choose a senior trip when they graduate high school, and bless his heart, my son wants to do a Canadian smallie fishing trip. We have been to the BWCA many times together, but have never ventured into Quetico. We would be doing this trip in 2024 so I have a good amount of time to plan a great trip.

Looking for the best smallie action we can get on, even if we need to do a fly in style trip. With so much info out there, I thought I would get more believable and accurate information from right here than anywhere else. Just recommending an honest and reliable outfitter would be helpful, but will take any information and wisdom you would consider sharing. Not only about the fishing, but wisdom about Quetico in general. We have a nervous excitement thinking about going there for first time and I want to make sure I give him the trip of his dreams. So that means doing my homework and I figured I should start here.

Thank you in advance for any Quetico knowledge you can bestow upon us.

- Michigan John
 
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01/15/2023 08:15AM  
Step one could be getting passports in order if you don't both already have them. Then get familiar with the RABC (Remote Area Border Crossing) system if you plan to enter from the south. We've been hitting Quetico since 1979, and have done it from Ely using RABCs (initiated after 9-11), and have entered from the north a couple times by driving to Atikokan, ON. We also did a fly-in trip once (trip report here).

You can find loads of trip reports on the site, get an idea of the right trip length for you & your son, decide on a route, etc. We've used Piragis Outfitters in Ely many times, but have slowly built up a gear collection that allows us to completely outfit ourselves now, which allows more flexibility for entry points. We haven't fished for ~15 years now, so can't help you with pinpointing small-mouth hotspots, but you'll find lots of info in the fishing forum as well as in other trip reports.

Hope you have a fantastic trip. Do the planning as a joint effort--that's half the adventure!

TZ
01/15/2023 09:06AM  
There's lots of big smallies all over Quetico, so if you are looking for a memorable trip with great scenery and excellent all-around fishing perchance look at entering through Cache Bay and doing the Man Chain loop. You can spend the night before in a bunkhouse at either Sawbill Outfitters or Voyageur Canoe Outfitters and have them give you a tow to Hook Island where you will start your journey.
01/15/2023 11:48AM  
I took two of my kids (aged 14 at the time) to the Q last August. Entered PP and spent most of our time on Burke and Sunday lakes. They caught about 100 smallies between them and had a blast.
01/16/2023 09:58AM  
You may want to check out Anderson's in Crane Lake, MN. They can tow you to the Lac La Croix Ranger Station managed EPs (Bottle, McAree, etc). They take you through Canadian customs and the pick up the permit on the way. The tow is about 50 miles one way and worth the experience at least once. This is a fast way to get into Quetico and onto some excellent fishing, including SM, almost immediately. Iron, McAree, Minn, Crooked, Roland, Siobhan River, Argo, etc all hold a healthy population of SM. McAree, Argo, Minn, and Roland also hold Lake Trout. I've caught tons of SM in all those lakes in late May- my most frequent time to visit. Rebecca Falls is my favorite place to fish in the area.

Anderson's can put you up in a motel the night before you head out. Mark Anderson has lots of great advice for fishing the lakes on the western side of Quetico, especially those mentioned above.

Anderson's

PineKnot
distinguished member(2021)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/16/2023 12:58PM  
How long is the Q trip you're planning in 2024? The trip length can drive which and how many good smallie lakes you can get into. I'd like to help you with that....
MichiganJohn
member (31)member
  
01/16/2023 01:49PM  
Thanks for all of the information and help, we do appreciate it!!! We are planning for 7 to 9 days in Quetico. Hoping that will give us plenty of time to
Get on the fish and really enjoy the trip. Thanks again all!!’
goblu79
senior member (62)senior membersenior member
  
01/16/2023 08:38PM  
One of the things you and your crew want to decide, is how much work you want to do to get to your spot. I have always gone through Prairie Portage with my bunch, and I've caught small mouth in every lake I've fished in. I generally go in July or August and typically paddle 30ish miles to a base camp. Some folk like to travel each day..seeing and fishing in a new area each time. I've fished Brent, Sarah, Robinson lakes the most and done very well in each. Amazingly enough, I've had some of my most action packed fishing experiences in smaller no-name lakes that rarely see a fisherman...the small lakes near Isabella being examples.

I have never entered Q from Atikokan (fires kept me out in 2021) but I've fished the White Otter/Turtle River provincial park twice and had FANTASTIC fishing both times. I mention this, because Canoe Canada Outfitters(https://canoecanada.com/) does do fly-ins to White Otter to their cabins if this is a route you might prefer.

Entering from the U.S side, I have always used Canadian Waters(https://canadianwaters.com/) as our outfitter and they have treated me very well. I really don't think you can go far wrong with any of them though.

I hope you guys have a wonderful experience!
PineKnot
distinguished member(2021)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/17/2023 09:34PM  
Sent you an email.

PK
01/18/2023 08:06AM  
+1 on White Otter/Turtle River - it's a gem with excellent fishing.
cburton103
distinguished member(554)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/18/2023 10:37AM  
I agree that a major consideration is how much traveling do you guys want to do. You can find excellent smallmouth fishing many places near and far from entries into Quetico. North Bay of Basswood, the Quetico side of Crooked, especially Moose Bay and the outflow from the Tuck River.

My largest smallmouth have come from Kawnipi and Walter Lakes. My buddy's biggest came from Crooked. I have no doubt that many Q lakes produce 20-22" smallies, and 17-19" smallies in significant numbers. Murdoch is one of my favorite lakes for numbers of smallmouth. We did great for numbers of smallies on Sturgeon last year as well.

Part of the experience for me is the travel to remote lakes where it's unlikely to share the lake. There's something magical about being the only group on a big lake. That takes some extra work upfront, which takes away some fishing time. But with a 7+ day trip, that allows you time to do whatever you would like.
MichiganMan
distinguished member (229)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/18/2023 05:34PM  
My advice is don't wait until 2024. Do the trip in 2023. And then do another one in 2024 lol.

You'll find smallies all over in Quetico. Nearly all lakes have them. The problem is narrowing it down! There's lots of good suggestions above. Entering one of the northern entry points is also a good option. The drive is a little farther, but then you don't have to mess with a tow, the remote border crossing, and all that. Either way, be prepared for an awesome trip.

Great to see another Michigan guy on here!
thinblueline
distinguished member (475)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/19/2023 04:23PM  
If I'm scheduling a Quetico trip with a singular focus on smallmouth, excluding all other considerations, I'm going second week of June. My second choice focusing on smallmouth would be third week of June, and my third choice would be first week of June.
MichiganJohn
member (31)member
  
01/19/2023 05:00PM  
Again, thank you for all of the info and suggestions! We like the idea of getting in a ways and finding a couple of smaller lakes we can have to ourselves. Not to mention they're easier to fish should the weather get windy the whole time we are there. We have had that happen in the B-dub more than once, so I have learned to lean towards smaller lakes or rivers. Definitely sounds like I will have to plan on going back for additional trips to enjoy more of the Q!
 
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