Hey everyone! I am planning a trip for some buddies and myself this July. We are doing a 3 night, 4 day trip. We were looking at doing the shuttle to Kawishiwi and ending at Sawbill. We are pretty amateur canoers and like to take our time on the water. Is there a preferred route direction from anyone who has done this? What do you recommend? Anything helps! Thanks

I find it best to finish where my car is vs. trying to meet a shuttle at a specific time. I think most people do the Lady Chain that way. We started at Kawishiwi once and finished at Sawbill but our loop was up through Little Saganaga. It's downstream from Kawishiwi to Polly, not sure after that.

I've done a route that has different starting and ending points. It is somewhat of a hassle as you need to have everything loaded into the shuttle or you need to have someone stay with the gear until it can be picked up. Now I just do an out and back trip so when I get to the landing my vehicle is waiting.

I usually do out and back but my son and I did Moose Lake west to LIS and scheduled a shuttle pick up with outfitter and it was fine, worked well.

We have done the shuttle from Sawbill several times. Sometime we go north to Little Sag and others we will just go to Malberg and do a couple of day trips (Fishdance for the Pictographs) and then come back to Sawbill through the Lady Lakes. So, I have done the Lady Lakes several times. All of them have been from Kawishiwi toward Sawbill. Here is what I would do with 3 nights/4 days.

Day 1 Kawishiwi to Polly Lake. This is about 4 hours double portaging. It start with a longish paddle. You might have to pull over a beaver dam before you get to Square Lake. The short portage off Square Lake might be avoided by a beaver dam pull over. Check your water levels. Beaver dams have eliminated the second portage after Square Lake. There will be a muddy, short (2 rd) portage before you get to Kawasachong Lake to get around a large beaver dam. If the water levels are low, the entrance to Kawasachong may be problematic. I think we stayed to the right, but things change on a delta like this. You are traveling through a burn area today. It's the far eastern end of the Pagami Creek Fire area. The portage from Kawasachong to Townline Lake is relatively flat and easy. The short paddle on Townline Lake gives you a portage breather. The north portage end on Townline is way back in a small inlet, get in there as far as the water level will allow. This final portage again is mostly flat and not hard. You will walk out of the fire area just as you reach Polly Lake. Polly Lake has many nice campsites. You will want to find one before you get to the eastern bay. The eastern bay has only 2 campsites and neither are very desirable. Polly is a busy lake so take the first acceptable site you find. Hang your food bag high tonight. Polly is known for its marauding bears.

Day 2 - Polly to Phoebe or Grace. Today will have a lot of in and out of the canoe. You are headed upstream, so the portages all will end up in elevation, but most a relatively flat and easy. It is just a lot of unloading and loading. The beavers change the river all the time so be prepared to get out and pull over the random dam. In the last stretch of river before Knight Lake you will come to a rock garden that looks impassible from your seat in the canoe. But from above you can see a channel to the north side of the river.



Travel quietly today for best chance to see wildlife. We caught a family of otters feeding in the pool below the final portage into Grace Lake one day. It was raining and masked the sound of our approach. Magical moment.

Phoebe Lake is known for its walleye fishing. Grace Lake has both walleye and SMB. Both have nice campsites. Stay here for a couple of days.

Day 4 - I don't know how much time you have on your last day, but I don't recommend crossing the 280 rd. portage from Grace to Beth Lake until you are ready to go home. This 280rd portage is has some major PUDS (Pointless Ups and Downs) in it. It will take some time to cross. I know this may leave you further from your car the last day than you want, but Sawbill is a very busy entry point and campsites will be at a premium on Beth, Alton, and Sawbill. You may find an open one on Kelso, but I never count on it. There are very nice sites on Beth Lake. Wonderful lake with an abundance of smaller SMB. The portage from Beth to Alton has some ups and downs in it. Alton Lake is very susceptible to wind. The earlier you can paddle this one the better. The portage from Alton to Sawbill used to be a rail bed. Very easy and wide.

Hope this helps. Have a great trip!