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02/14/2023 02:51PM
Looking for some guidance on route suggestion/destinations/fishing:
Mid-June entering Stanton Bay and paddling out French Lake/Dawson trail on a 7-day trip
Route we are considering starts at Dore to Sturgeon, then out through the B-Chain. Is this the right direction of the loop or would you reverse it? OR would you consider another route for this duration? Group is strong at portaging and mediocre paddlers. We have been on many BWCA and a few Quetico trips, but we have not been to this area.
Our priorities are walleye fishing, then scenery/wildlife and finally catching trout. I personally want to hit a Grand Slam on this trip, as well, but am willing to target walleye in the B-chain and wait for my chance at a Grand Slam. That being said, is there any area you would spend more time in/around or target for a basecamp?
As far as destinations to target in this area besides Chatterton Falls, what does the area offer (relics/pictographs/other falls?)
Finally, I will always take advice on fishing strategies. :)
Thank you in advance!
JP
Mid-June entering Stanton Bay and paddling out French Lake/Dawson trail on a 7-day trip
Route we are considering starts at Dore to Sturgeon, then out through the B-Chain. Is this the right direction of the loop or would you reverse it? OR would you consider another route for this duration? Group is strong at portaging and mediocre paddlers. We have been on many BWCA and a few Quetico trips, but we have not been to this area.
Our priorities are walleye fishing, then scenery/wildlife and finally catching trout. I personally want to hit a Grand Slam on this trip, as well, but am willing to target walleye in the B-chain and wait for my chance at a Grand Slam. That being said, is there any area you would spend more time in/around or target for a basecamp?
As far as destinations to target in this area besides Chatterton Falls, what does the area offer (relics/pictographs/other falls?)
Finally, I will always take advice on fishing strategies. :)
Thank you in advance!
JP
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02/15/2023 10:46AM
jparks02: "One edit- would consider head down to Russell and avoid the Olifaunt/Fern Portage and experience Alice Lake. "
I would personally do the B -chain heading downstream, in other words, in a clockwise direction. Maybe head to Fern on your first day. Two nice island sites there and nice walleye fishing. The 1km portage to Olifaunt will be more downhill. But you can always make that call when you arrive. If there's no wind, head to Dore instead of the B-chain?
The whole B-chain is very scenic, an easy paddle where you won't get wind-bound, with lots of waterfalls and rapids.
There is also suppose to be lakers on Olifaunt on the southern shore and even in the southern bay past the pinch.
You can also try Antoine for lake trout and avoid Russell. Russell is really nice but it's a pretty popular destination which can get busy.
02/15/2023 01:40PM
Mostly just fishing tips, but don't skip fishing the outflow of the Pickerel River from Olifaunt into Sturgeon! And fishing Ram and Antoine can be a lot of fun for all species. Antoine in particular was productive for lake trout for us last May/June timeframe. We also did well for walleye, bass and pike in northern Sturgeon.
02/15/2023 03:08PM
Last year the water was too high in the spring to go from Sturgeon to Russell. That water is a turbulent powerful flow in the narrows.
The B chain was impassible in the spring too. Of course the whole place was like a flooded bathtub. Remember the flooding on the Rainy River? All that water flows from Quetico.
Tom
The B chain was impassible in the spring too. Of course the whole place was like a flooded bathtub. Remember the flooding on the Rainy River? All that water flows from Quetico.
Tom
02/17/2023 08:11AM
tumblehome: "Last year the water was too high in the spring to go from Sturgeon to Russell. That water is a turbulent powerful flow in the narrows."
You are right - though you can take the Staircase Portage.
As my team later said..."Just because we CAN, does not mean we SHOULD."
"I don't care what you believe. I care what you can prove." -Philosopher & Mathematician JJJ
02/17/2023 10:13AM
jparks02: "where is staircase portage? "
It is at the very west end of Russell, and connects to Sturgeon in the bay just south and east of the Sturgeon Narrows. About 400-450m, steep on both ends. Not wet or boggy, but rocky and did I mention steep?
"I don't care what you believe. I care what you can prove." -Philosopher & Mathematician JJJ
02/17/2023 06:07PM
Oh yes, you can still get to Russell via the stairway portage. I’m not sure if that’s an official name of just one someone coined.
That’s the portage I used last year. And I can attest that you should not judge a portage by its distance. That one is a real bugger! One of the harder portages in Quetico even though it is not real long. Ahhh.. but what good memories. I paddled all the way across Russell on a lake of glass.
It’s a little weird but amazing to be in the middle of that big lake in my tiny canoe, alone and in awe. I feel so small in a big wilderness.
That’s the portage I used last year. And I can attest that you should not judge a portage by its distance. That one is a real bugger! One of the harder portages in Quetico even though it is not real long. Ahhh.. but what good memories. I paddled all the way across Russell on a lake of glass.
It’s a little weird but amazing to be in the middle of that big lake in my tiny canoe, alone and in awe. I feel so small in a big wilderness.
02/18/2023 04:04PM
Tom, it was glass for us too after completing the Staircase (about a week before you I think) - but only until we hit the current from the falls, which was remarkable in that it was strongly moving water over 2 km west of the falls. Did you walk along the falls? Stay on Russell or continue on?
"I don't care what you believe. I care what you can prove." -Philosopher & Mathematician JJJ
02/18/2023 06:15PM
Don’t skip that portage from fern to olifaunt. It’s beautiful!
Yes, there is that rock big Boulder to get a run at, but overall it’s fine. The view of olifaunt from the top near the end of portage is pretty, too
Yes, there is that rock big Boulder to get a run at, but overall it’s fine. The view of olifaunt from the top near the end of portage is pretty, too
02/20/2023 11:10AM
cburton103: "Not sure if it's being implied here or not, but I don't believe Russell is supposed to have Lakers."
We did not catch any Lakers on Russell...but the Ontario Fish ON-Line site does show that there are Lakers in there. Of course, that might well be wrong or at least very dated info.
"I don't care what you believe. I care what you can prove." -Philosopher & Mathematician JJJ
02/20/2023 11:31AM
sns: "cburton103: "Not sure if it's being implied here or not, but I don't believe Russell is supposed to have Lakers."
We did not catch any Lakers on Russell...but the Ontario Fish ON-Line site does show that there are Lakers in there. Of course, that might well be wrong or at least very dated info."
It also says Jesse has lakers. So no, don't trust it.
02/20/2023 11:43AM
sns: "Tom, it was glass for us too after completing the Staircase (about a week before you I think) - but only until we hit the current from the falls, which was remarkable in that it was strongly moving water over 2 km west of the falls. Did you walk along the falls? Stay on Russell or continue on?"
I had paddled out of Chatterton and into Russell, so yes, I did see those falls. They were really something, like a wall of water coming out of the woods. That current was still visible almost a half mile out in the lake.
In another thread someone mentioned a nice campsite on the small island on the west side of the lake before the portage. FYI, a lot of the big trees went over in a blow down and while the island looks really tempting, it's sort of crappy now. Not a lot of good campsites on Russell. At least IMO. There is one good one that I saw but it's subjective the the camper.
Tom
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