My son and I will doing our first Quetico (never done BWCA either) trip the second week of this coming June. We are entering at Stanton Bay for 6 nights. We plan to go down the B chain and back out via Dore Lake. I don't mind seeing a few people here and there, but it seems Russell is a popular destination - deservedly so from what I can tell. I know it can be random, but for those who have been, is Russell a place to avoid if one would rather not see multiple groups most days?

I don't want to go all the way down there and have multiple groups all around. If we didn't go into Russell, we'd probably go down Sturgeon a bit toward Scripture Island and then back out Dore.

I've seen it busy and I've seen it empty, but you will likely see people. It is a nice falls and worth a trip if you are in the area. You don't have to stay there, you could just make it a day trip. Are you fishing?

We plan to fish quite a bit. Hoping to get in on some good smallmouth topwater action and to find some walleye. Also going to try to get few smallies and northerns on my 7 wt. fly rod. Its not a hard core fishing trip, but fishing will be a significant activity.

Mgraber, as someone with experience in the Q, would you head down Sturgeon or go to Russell. I know that's an individual preference question, but just wondering.

As a first timer I would absolutely go see and fish the falls. All of the many falls in canoe country are one of the charms. What I wouldn't do is enter through Alice and Chatterton. There are 2 tough portages, a burn area and not a ton of campsites. If you are entering through Olifaunt and the "chute" on the north end of Russel you will be paddling a decent section of Sturgeon anyway and depending on time you could go in a ways through the narrows (beautiful and a lot of current areas)or visit Antoine( another good fishing lake). If the water happens to be unusually high, some of your route can be a bit tricky. If I were going just to fish and had another day or two I would also consider going in through Dore and Sturgeon and out through Lonely, Walter, Jesse, Maria. I like that route better for strictly fishing. Your route has great scenery. Just a heads up, I am not a fan of the portage out the west side of Russel, very steep on the ends and is slick and dangerous when wet. I just take the chute in and out. Also the Fern to Olifaunt portage is a pretty good workout. You will love that area, scenic and great fishing most of the time.

Great information, I really appreciate it. Had looked at the Lonely-Walter route as Draper Lake intrigues me. I think we'll really enjoy Quetico, and I have a feeling the solution to my uncertainty will be to go back and explore some more. Thanks again.

No problem! One other thing to remember, crowded in the Q is not the same as crowded in BW, 20,000 visitors compared to over 150,000. Even though you are going to a very popular area it shouldn't be "crowded." We who travel the Q have different standards, lol. I have often gone a week without seeing a soul. If they do not open up the southern 2 entries because of no RABC then the north side may see increased visitors. Who knows? Have a great trip!

Sounds great. This'll be our first canoe country trip of any kind. Figured jump straight to the Q. It'll be extra special b/c its both my son's graduation trip and a bit of following in my own Dad's footsteps. He and my brother and some friends went from Pickeral to McDougall and back via Dore over 20 years ago when I graduated high school. I was too fixated on making some money for college that I didn't go -- just a dumb decision that I regret to this day. Will be cool to close that circle a bit while doing a brand new type of trip.

Tanvat, congratulations on your choice of going to Quetico. And your planned route is awesome, too. Mgraber already said it, but “crowds” is a word that you probably won’t think of when you go to Chatterton Falls. You may very likely have the place to yourself, but if you don’t, enjoy it anyway. You’re with your son on a great canoe trip in a beautiful place. You’ll love it.

Be sure to give us a report - formal or informal - of how it went.

By the way, your profile doesn’t say where you live. Are you anywhere even semi-close to Madison, WI? Bring your son to Canoecopia. There are lots of reasons to attend, but you could also sit in on a presentation titled “Quetico Provincial Park: Your Next Canoe Trip” by yours truly. :)

Two years ago I did a trip in June from Stanton Bay down through Pickeral, Dore, Twin Lakes, the Deux River, into Sturgeon and ended at Russel. Chatterton falls was great fishing. We also day tripped over to Split Rock falls, outstanding fishing. I had been to Chatterton Falls from Cache Bay 10 years ago, this route was way easier. The Deux river had three or four beaver dams, most of which you could float over. We returned the same route, the beave dams were a bit harder, but we were light so we just pushed over the dams. We used Canoe Canada to transport us to Stanton, their bunk house was great the night before the trip. What a great trip you'll have.

Jackfish, we are in Missouri, so probably won't make it to Canoecopia. But I'm sure it would be incredibly informative and enjoyable. We can't wait to get a small taste of Quetico. I have a good feeling that we'll love it and that I'll put in ever expanding portfolio of favorite places to return. This forum has been such a great source of information. Thanks to all. And I'll absolutely provide a trip report.

After many trips, when you see anyone it seems crowded! Just kidding. The only place I've seen larger numbers of people is on Pickerel. I think a lot of visitors don't want any portage beyond getting to a lake.

You really can’t go wrong with any route in Quetico. I also really like going in from the North. If you get a ride from an outfitter you can exit at a different point than you were dropped off. Nice to not cover the same ground that way. Russell is great and if you can get a bit further in Chatterton and the other poet chain lakes are great. Sturgeon and out Dore and the Deux Rivière is great I’ve done that. We did really enjoy last year going out Lonely Walter coming off of Sturgeon but this way is more work than Deux Rivière. Really no wrong way. We just try to add new sections we haven’t been through yet on every Quetico trip.

Send me an email and I can send you pictures of my annotated maps with campsites. I can also send gps points as well.

Ryan

Russell is a big lake. Most people on Russell congregate around the falls. It’s a great place to visit but if you want solitude then try to make it a must see falls and find a site elsewhere. I say this because the last two times I was on Russell, I saw no one on the lake except at the falls.

oddly, for the size of that lake, I don’t know of any sites on the west or south side of the lake. There was a nice site on the west side on a small island but a blowdown wrecked it. If you are doing the ‘short’ portage from Sturgeon to Russell be aware that it is a real bugger. I mean, it’s up up up, then down down down.

This picture pops up on my photo memories sometimes. An uneventful picture but it’s while I was in the middle of Russel a few years ago in dead calm water.

Tom

tumblehome,

Stunning picture. That must have been one of those uniquely satisfying and humbling moments that happens when you're really away from it all in a beautiful place you had to work to get to to. Sweet reward.

I think we'll end up at Russell for two nights. Get there on night 2 from the B chain, find a camp on Russell, day trip to Chatterton and beyond, and then head back up Sturgeon for nights 4 and 5 with a day trip to Ram and Antoine. Then our last night, night 6, camp on Pickeral before heading back to Stanton Bay. I wish we had 2 full weeks...one of these years. Haven't been this excited for a trip since before the first time into my favorite mountain range in Wyoming 20+ years ago.

tanvat: "tumblehome,


Stunning picture. That must have been one of those uniquely satisfying and humbling moments that happens when you're really away from it all in a beautiful place you had to work to get to to. Sweet reward.


I think we'll end up at Russell for two nights. Get there on night 2 from the B chain, find a camp on Russell, day trip to Chatterton and beyond, and then head back up Sturgeon for nights 4 and 5 with a day trip to Ram and Antoine. Then our last night, night 6, camp on Pickeral before heading back to Stanton Bay. I wish we had 2 full weeks...one of these years. Haven't been this excited for a trip since before the first time into my favorite mountain range in Wyoming 20+ years ago.
"

Sounds like a great trip! All of it is spectacular. The B chain is pretty neat and for some odd reason, the past two times I’ve been through I saw nobody and no occupied campsites.

Yeah, when I’m in the middle of Russell, alone in my canoe on a calm summer day, it’s about as far from the real world I can be, and it feels that way too.

Have fun dreaming about your trip, that’s half the fun.
Tom

I've only been to Russell in June, twice, and haven't experienced any crowds there. Those trips were back in the late 80s/early 90s, and fishiing the area where the falls spill in was very productive on both occasions. Crowds or not, you won't regret hiking up those falls towards Chatterton lake.

Since you mentioned wanting some great smallmouth action, I almost guarantee you'll find it on the Pickerel River between Olifaunt and the north arm of Sturgeon. Olifaunt has also been kind to me for walleye (the small island in the middle of the narrows section), good-sized pike (eastern third in particular), and early morning moose in the river between Olifaunt and Fern.

I'll be back in the area this June with my daughter and am very much llooking foward to it. Good luck!

Alma,
Thanks for the information. My son and I will be going through Olifaunt - perhaps camping there - the second week of June. If you see a 6' 3" father-son duo, feel free to stop by and say hi. The river b/t Olifaunt and Sturgeon is on my radar. I'm also intrigued by the prospect of the unnamed lake north of Olifaunt. On Google Earth, it looks doable, but the reality on the ground my be different. It appears well-connected by a small creek to Olifaunt, so it would seem there is a chance of virtually untouched fishing up there ... only one way to find out! Pretty excited for this trip - first canoe country trip, so diving right into the good stuff in the Q.