First time into the BWCA! Done lots of river raft and canoe trips, but excited for this one! We will be entering East Bearskin for a 3-night trip. Looking for advice on topwater and/or sightcasting to pike on both fly and conventional! We are avid anglers. Any spots we need to check out? Also, will be fishing for walleye and smallies.

Any advice for a first timer? Thanks!

I have had good walleye fishing on Crocodile, it is a fun day trip area with some wind protection if needed.

tarheel21: "....Any advice for a first timer?

Yes, fish for lake trout instead. You can fish for Walleye and SM on almost any lake in MN. Mid-May is peak lake trout season and you'll be in the heart of some of the best lake trout lakes in the whole country.

For smallmouth and walleye, I'd head up to Caribou. The route from East Bearskin to Caribou was part of my first trip last year and it was a nice introduction to the BWCA. For spots, you should check out the maps on this site. The spots marked there served me well last August. I didn't target pike and we didn't bump into any, but I've heard about some good ones in that lake.

However, I agree with YaMarVa that trout should be on your radar given that you're going to be there in May. A day on Alder, Pine, or East/West Pike might be worth the effort (I haven't fished them, but the DNR reports look good).

Good luck out there!

Pike on the fly are a blast! Poppers and dahlberg divers work well. Be sure to use a wire tippet (i prefer AFW 7x7 in 13 lb) because they engulf flies. I'd also advise bringing a sinking line to fish lakers at that time. If you can get a white 6-8" deceiver down 10-15', you should have it made. Enjoy your trip!