Hi everyone,

I've created this new posting (old posting was "When is Spring") as my plans and questions have totally changed.

I'm creating a loop in northern Quetico and I hope folks will give me observations and any suggestions for improvements.

Trip length: 100 miles exactly (77 miles paddling). 8 or nine days are planned, including one layover day. Put-in day will likely be mid-week, the last week of May (ie May 28th). I am totally flexible. I believe Quetico permits are available.

Put-in / take-out Nye Lake (aka Batchewoung Lake access) - Jesse - Oriana - Jean - Snow - Bent Pine - Sturgeon - Burnside - Jean (again) - Lonely - Sturgeon (again) - Pickerel - Nye.

Please, any experienced comments, route change suggestions, ideas for where to layover a day, great fishing lakes, and ways to avoid other people would be much appreciated.

- Steve
mancosotter

I haven't been to sturgeon, but it has to be an incredible fishing lake . I know Jean is a great fishing lake, but can be windy especially for a solo. But there are a few places to hide from the wind and there are big fish of all four species.

Thank you!!! And I'm a pretty patient guy willing to camp and wait for a no-wind time of day. The proposed loop has lot of bail-out opportunities if I need to cut a day or three.
-Steve

Should be a fun trip. Nym Lake has lots of parking, a very nice floating dock and it's only a short carry down to the lake.

Bring your bug tent.

I'm late to the party here, but I figured I would put in my two cents. You'll get more feedback if you post in the Quetico forum here.

I haven't been to Oriana, Jean, Snow, Bentpine, Burntside, so I'll have to go on reputation there. Out of those, I'd stay on Jean and Bentpine if the mileage works. I have a soft spot in my heart for small to medium lakes up there, so Bentpine would get the nudge from me.

Sturgeon can have fantastic fishing, but a lot of it is pretty open water, which is tough in a solo. But if you like smallmouth, it can be a blast. Lonely is also a solid walleye and smallmouth lake, and I really like its shape and features. The campsites are just ok though.

Burntside is a walleye factory. That whole loop should provide very good fishing. There's some bonus largies on Little Jean if you get there.