Cross Posting from the Trip Planning Forum as suggested.

I'm hoping to get a bit of advice for a trip coming up at the end of May. We've hired Anderson's for the tow so we're locked in there, just gotta iron out our entry and route. I have two mocked up on PP, we're looking for solitude and copious amounts of fishing opportunity. 7 nights, 8 days. 2 guys, Fit, young-ish, single portaging, second time to the Q.

Route 1:
Bottle to Crooked to Elk to Argo to Iron to Bottle - 29 miles total

Route 2: McAree to Wicksteed to Darky to Minn to McAree - 23 miles total

In desirable spots we'll stay 2 nights, less desirable we may push on or only stay 1 night. Is this too much of a trip or too little? We'd like to see as much as we can but not kill ourselves everyday.

Both seem short for 8 days that time of year.

AmarilloJim: "Both seem short for 8 days that time of year."

So you’re thinking we could pack a bit more in? I like to hear that! Any suggestions for side trips from our main lakes?

Thank you for the input!

You sound like our type of group. We made it to Argo in one day. It's a long day, but it's worth it. If I were you, I'd do the full loop. Bottle -> Iron -> Crooked -> Roland -> Argo day 1. Aim for the 5* campsite on the island in the middle. Excellent SMB fishing in the Siobhan.

Then the rest of your trip slowly make your way up through Darkwater -- camp there a night or two. While there, check out the pictos and visit Ballard for a few hours. That's a really cool lake, actually. It's up higher than the surrounding lakes, and I recall the short walk up the portage from Darky being very pleasant and picturesque alongside a brook with small waterfalls. It has a large population of decently sized LMB as well.

Then head up the Darkwater River to Minn then down to McAree. Maybe try camping near Rebecca Falls one night then back out to Bottle. Be advised you're going through a large area of recent burndown.

I’ve been through that part of the park a few times now, and we’ll be back through there the first week of June.

I definitely think you’ll want to bite off more. If you like lake trout, don’t skip out on Argo. Brent is a great four species lake, and there are some nice campsites in the middle narrower section and the western part. You can easily day trip to William from western Brent. William is shallower and more stained, so it should warm up faster than Brent and give you a chance at shallower smallmouth. Then I would exit back towards McAree through Wicksteed.

I agree with SummerSkin. Enter at one EP, exit at the other, and stay on both Argo and Darky. I don't know about rushing through Crooked though. It's a destination in and of itself.

SummerSkin: "You sound like our type of group. We made it to Argo in one day. It's a long day, but it's worth it. If I were you, I'd do the full loop. Bottle -> Iron -> Crooked -> Roland -> Argo day 1. Aim for the 5* campsite on the island in the middle. Excellent SMB fishing in the Siobhan.

Then the rest of your trip slowly make your way up through Darkwater -- camp there a night or two. While there, check out the pictos and visit Ballard for a few hours. That's a really cool lake, actually. It's up higher than the surrounding lakes, and I recall the short walk up the portage from Darky being very pleasant and picturesque alongside a brook with small waterfalls. It has a large population of decently sized LMB as well.

Then head up the Darkwater River to Minn then down to McAree. Maybe try camping near Rebecca Falls one night then back out to Bottle. Be advised you're going through a large area of recent burndown."

I love this idea and it was on my original route list but I did get cold feet thinking it’d be too much. Maybe not though. I do want to see a lot of country and get bored easily so this may be our best bet. Thank you!! Any possible slight route change to avoid some of the burnt areas?

You probably have enough days to make it over to Brent! Our absolute favorite, Darky is a great lake as well that you would get to pass through.

Here’s the burn intensity map to aid you in missing some of the more intense sections of burn. Minn is definitely more on the burnt side, so I would stick more to McAree in that area as it has a significant amount of area that wasn’t burned too badly.

INFO is dated but I suspect for the most part it is still pretty accurate.