Hello everyone!

I have a tripped planned on June 7th for EP 23. Hoping to find a campsite on Horse Lake and take a day trip to see Lower Basswood Falls. From what I have read the Horse River will all depend on water levels, but does anyone have any experience/pointers for this area? Was wondering if there were any other must see spots around the area.

We also haven't had the best of luck fishing the last couple of trips. Mostly looking to target walleye and smallmouth bass. Any pointers for fishing on Horse or LBF area would be wonderful.

Thank you!

In early June, water will be plentiful. When we did this as a day trip in mid August from the island site at the north end of Horse, it was a leisurely 8 hour day, even though lower water on the river provided some challenges with a number of areas where painters were needed, in addition to the marked portages. Still stands as my all-time favorite day in the BWCAW in 49 trips over 45 years. Make sure you go the next mile north of the falls to the Crooked Lake pictographs.

If you haven't seen it already? Here is a trip report we did a few years ago with some details of neat things in that area.

Paddling with Padres - A spiritual Exodus adventure

If fishing has been slow on Horse why keep going back and staying put there? You're half way to some world class fishing on Crooked. Do yourself a favor and paddle a bit further. Water level won't be an issue in early June. You can expect 3-4 small portages down the Horse then one around the LBF. Pictographs are great too.

Maybe try the classic Horse -Crooked- Fourtown loop? Don't let that mile portage concern you. It's a mellow walk.

Blatz: "Maybe try the classic Horse -Crooked- Fourtown loop? Don't let that mile portage concern you. It's a mellow walk."

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plander: "

Blatz: "Maybe try the classic Horse -Crooked- Fourtown loop? Don't let that mile portage concern you. It's a mellow walk."

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Thanks everyone for your feedback! I should have specified more. This will be my 4th trip into the BWCA, but they have all been on different routes. This will be my first trip into Horse Lake and up to LBF. Based on my previous trips elsewhere in the BWCA I was just hoping to get into a little more action with the fishing. I will definitely be looking into the Horse, Crooked, Fourtown loop.

My apologies for not understanding exactly what you were saying.

While I have heard Horse lake has some good walleye fishing, I've never bothered to stop knowing whats ahead. For walleyes, don't bother bringing anything more than leeches and some jigs. It's all you need.

Happy fishing!

I second the recommendation that you go further into Crooked. The falls is nice, but can be like Grand Central Station with lots of people and no available campsites. Even once ran into a group camped illegally on the Canadian side of the portage. Had to walk through their tents and stuff just to get across. Told them the Canadians do not like illegal campers and they patrol by plane. The falls can be great fishing and there are some spots off the portages from Horse to the falls that can be good fishing. But in the end nothing beats Crooked. If you can snag a RBC and Canadian License, the Canadian side can be especially good because it is not as fished out. Just leave Horse early because you are also liable to encounter folks on the portages so you have to wait for them to clear out. I still remember when the ranger cabin there was inhabited and the portage had a different route. The Fourtown circle route is also a great idea. Fourtown once was a fly-in lake, but then so was Basswood.

For me Mudro to LBF is about 4-6 hours. I’ve never stopped in between so have no knowledge of any of the lakes in between. Shouldn’t be a hard day trip from Horse I suspect. I’ve heard Horse is good for fishing too, I believe it used to have a fishing Lodge located on it in the narrows between the two sections until the 1970’s so it must of been good?

Camps at LBF can be scarce but it really is variable.

THe current and slack current areas are usually good year round, just don’t land on the Canadian side and fish from shore or fish from the Canadian portage or ya can get a pretty big fine. The Canadian portage is also a Quetico/Canadian Campsite. You could fish your way to the Pictos or even go further and hit other narrows that create soem current and there should be walleyes.

T

I did the trip to LBF as an ice out trip in 2018. Fishing was poor mostly, but the campsites were loaded with anglers. I camped downstream a ways, should have gone on to Crooked. Just be aware that you aren’t avoiding crowds going early, just getting a tougher brand of crowd. June would be worse, I’d imagine.

You do not need to worry about water levels at that time of year, but that is a very popular EP/route, and there will be others-possibly many-so be prepared to travel to find open sites. Have had good fishing on Horse and Fourtown.

In early June of 2021 we took our first trip up this route and the water levels on the Horse River were VERY low. Last year was more normal. I have a permit for Mudro June 3 and don't have concerns about low water this year. We shall see. Good luck!

JacJohnson: "We also haven't had the best of luck fishing the last couple of trips. Mostly looking to target walleye and smallmouth bass. Any pointers for fishing on Horse or LBF area would be wonderful.

Thank you!"

Hey Jac, This trip report video is on Horse and in the area and they share some of their fishing techniques. Hope you can find it useful!

Tomcat: "

plander: "

Blatz: "Maybe try the classic Horse -Crooked- Fourtown loop? Don't let that mile portage concern you. It's a mellow walk."

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Thanks all for the information! YetiJedi I really enjoyed that trip report video. Gave a lot of good information on the area. My only concern at this point is hoping to find a campsite somewhere along our route. June 7th can't come soon enough!