My brother and I had planned on taking a trip to the BWCA this year, but he passed away in a work accident in October so I am bringing his son (my nephew) and our friend for a 7 day trip in his honor. We are looking at perhaps September 21-29, thinking that the crowds would be less and the fish would be starting to move up and feed before winter. We could go in July/August perhaps, but my grandson is being born approximately September 1, so I can't plan anything too close to that date.

I know we will need permits for when and where we go. We are pretty experienced outdoorsmen so we wouldn't need to rent a lot of equipment, just mainly canoes and maybe packs.

I am looking for advice on which outfitters you recommend, lakes that are best for fishing, and route recommendations. We don't have any predetermined area of the BWCA that we want to travel. We will be coming from southern IL, if that makes any difference as to which area we go. We will most definitely have plenty of fun just camping, canoeing and being together, but I want to make this a great experience for them, and catching a lot of fish will make the trip so much more rewarding.

I'm under a lot of pressure to plan a great trip so any and all advice is very much appreciated!!

My condolences, Windwalker, on the passing of your brother. I hope you create a very memorable experience for yourself and your nephew.

Since you have some time before your trip, here are a few of my recommendations:
1. Read the trip reports on this site. They'll give you a good idea about length of trips, locations, and tripping options.
2. Any of the outfitters that advertise on this site seem to do a good job. I suggest you choose one, contact them, and ask for route suggestions. They will ask you more questions about what you are hoping for and can send you several ideas to consider. If you get a good vibe, go with that outfitter. If the person isn't what you are looking for, check with another outfitter.
3. There is a lot of good fishing in many different parts of the BWCA. A good outfitter will help. Reading the fishing section on this site will give LOTS of perspective too.
4. There are LOTS of youtube bwca fishing videos that'll get you and your nephew and friends excited! I've been enjoying portagemule videos lately.
5. Keep checking back here as you'll surely get people with some really good options for you to consider.

Again, I hope the planning process is part of your process to honor your brother. All the best!

Thank you so much YetiJedi. And I will definitely take your advice and follow up on the things you suggested!

Hope you find a way for a good trip. Fishing is red-hot at the end of September