Tried searching, and didn't find anything.

I've often wondered, "do the locals go into the BWCA"?

Or do they laugh at people coming up and say "Shh...don't tell them that the lakes surrounding the BWCA are just as good, and you don't have to fight the permit system"

For example, every year we go into the bwca, but have never once thought about just exploring the SNF.

Love to hear your take on this.

I searched on "Superior National Forest Canoe Routes" and came up with these:

13 Superior National Forest Canoe Routes

Timber-Frear Canoe Route

Island River Canoe Route

Summer Adventures

Superior National Forest Recreational Tours

It has got me to thinking. . . . .

Don't really have an answer, but there are many great campsites on lakes in the SNF. Many are relatively remote. I did some May Bikepacking in the SNF and had many campsites to myself.

I lived in Isabella for 3+ Years and never spent a nite in the BW then, I regret it now. I do not remember the locals using the BWCA very much either. I used to hit the lakes with campsites on them that were outside the BWCA, like Silver Island, Tee, Windy, Hog Lake and many dispersed campsites. There are a few ELY members on this board who should be able to answer for that area.

Local'ish here - Lived outside of Two Harbors for almost 20 years, now in Duluth. We also have a cabin between Two Harbors and Ely.

Overnight trips I still like the Boundary Waters. You can put some distance between you and any road noise or people.

In the SNF - we have camped over the years, but have run into a few issues as well. Nothing serious, just some interactions that make you a bit uncomfortable.

For day trips, it's pretty much whatever is convenient. I'd rather be on the water than driving, so whatever is close. There are plenty of brookie, walleye and crappie lakes all within an hour of the cabin in the SNF. We have our favorites. I'll also take day trips into the BW at times. Mostly around that SW central core section. Again, because it's under an hour from the cabin.

Locals usually dont like posts like this, put in some time and find the spots you'd like to go on your own.
The information is out there if people actually put in the effort to look or explore the area. I'm all for helping people and getting new people into outdoors but no need to make it easy.
My 2c :)

So, really not looking for spots.

I was just wondering if they use the BWCA or chuckle at all the tourists, because they could use non-permit areas, but don't (grass is greener in the BWCA thing), making the non-permit areas even less used than BWCA.

Just a cabin-fever day and letting my mind wander...dreaming about lakers and walleye.

I live in Babbitt.

Here's where I have gone.

I’m a former local. I don’t think they laugh at tourists because the lakes are just as good. Plenty of people I know or knew go to lakes like vermilion trout, Lac La Croix, Basswood, etc. probably a lot of them don’t like the motor restrictions.

There’s plenty of decent lakes in the SNF but the ones with good fishing in general have been found out and get plenty of traffic.

It’s a great question. Trust me the locals have their spots, in my experience most people in Mn aren’t real willing to share their secrets. Ask them at the landing how did you guys do today and they will say we got skunked, with 2 limits in the box. It’s part of the culture I swear. I fished on Shagawa the day before a solo BW trip with a buddy of mine who is/was a guide up there and we caught fish maybe 6 keepers. A guy at the landing asked and my buddy looks at me sternly and says don't say anything. Nah no fish today this lake is a Dead Sea. My buddy has his spots, I know one in BW and I’m not sharing either, it’s the code.

I don't think that's just part of the culture in Minnesota, Scat--I used to live near Dale Hollow Lake in Tennessee and we generally gave the same sort of response to strangers who asked us how the fishing was. And it's not restricted to fishing--deer, grouse, and quail hunting encourages the same sort of protective response.

TZ

I am not a local to the BWCA but living where I do now, I identify with local anti-tourist sentiment. If you're not making a buck off of the tourists, your quality of life would probably increase with their absence.

I often spend most of my nights in the SNF outside of the wilderness area in any given year, doing like the locals do: chainsaw, radio, cold beer. There is the risk that the neighbors might be blasting louder music or running a generator all night long but I've never had this problem at a backcountry site or camping dispersed, just at the rustic campgrounds. A couple years ago I spent the week before the 4th of July at a water-access site on a lake with a boat ramp and a stocking schedule in the SNF. The very next week I spent on Ensign, in the BWCA and encountered more people by 10am every day in the 'designated wilderness area' than during the entire week outside of it! There are some great spots in the SNF, you just have to find them yourself (and not tell anyone!)

It's the same here in Iowa, I don't think it's restricted to any part of the country. I think it's kinda dumb myself. I might not give specific details if asked about my hunting or fishing success but I'm not going to straight up lie and say I got skunked when I actually limited out.

I'm guilty of telling fibs about fishing success...so much so that at times I'd deny fishing all together. Monday morning at work with the guys - Typical greeting would be "How was the weekend, get out fishing?" My answer was almost always no and at that time in my life, that was almost always a fib.

At that point I was doing alot of brook trout fishing in the rivers and streams along the north shore. Brookies are very willing biters and a population in a particular section of river can very easily be impacted negatively by fishing pressure.

At the extreme...there were sections of rivers that I've come across over the years that would be classified as maybe harder to get to. Meaning not by the road, no known or worn path. There's a few over the years that turned out to be so good (choke full of 12+ inch brookies) that I wouldn't go back. I was nervous about someone seeing me going in there.

Google earth and all the readily available information on the internet have certainly changed the "secrecy" level.

I'll share a story about one such spot. There's a river that's not a designated trout stream. I'd heard rumors over the years of big brookies being caught occassionaly out of this river. With the old red Delorme map book, I found a section about 3/4's to a mile from a snowmobile trail that had two designated trout streams running into the non-designated river. I hiked the mile down the snowmobile trail, bushwhacked the 3/4's of a mile and found it to be exactly as I dreamed. Trout stream tumbling into the river and rapids in the river just above, creating a large deep pool. It was a amazing - lots of brookies in the 12-14 inch range, with the biggest being 14.5.

I had to park at the road (busy road) and walk down the snowmobile trail from there carrying all my gear. I was worried about ever going back, thinking someone would see me...so I didn't. Almost 20 years later to the date, I walked in there again, having not seen it in 20 years. I found a worn trail from the snowmobile path directly to the hole. On the banks were remnants of a fire pit (ash and stones in a circle), crushed beer cans, cigarette buts. I fished for awhile and only caught creek chubs. Worked up and downstream a bit - no brookies to be found.

That large pool is easily visable on google earth. One fisherman with loose lips or a group of fisherman have pulled all the brookies out. Will it ever recover...maybe if it can become forgotten.

Excellent story Speckled, that’s legit. Thx for sharing.

Thanks for relating that account, well written.

TuscaroraBorealis: "I live in Babbitt.


Here's where I have gone. "

I am puzzled, TB. I followed your link and it came up to the list of all of OUR canoe trips! That can't be what you meant for your link???

Please explain.

Lynda/Spartan2

I have always been confused by Biblical injunctions against lying given the fact that so many of the Disciples were fishermen.

Maybe that particular commandment was written by a hapless fisherman who was always frustrated at other fishermen's unwillingness to share their spots or favorite lures.

There are 3 ways to tell a lie.
1. Flat out lie.
2. Use subterfuge to disguise that you are lying so nobody knows if you are lying or not.
3. My favorite. Tell the absolute truth but do it so unconvincingly that everyone is sure you are lying.

Spartan2: "

TuscaroraBorealis: "I live in Babbitt.



Here's where I have gone. "

I am puzzled, TB. I followed your link and it came up to the list of all of OUR canoe trips! That can't be what you meant for your link???

Please explain.

Lynda/Spartan2"

It should have given access to all of my trip reports, which cover one end of the bwca to the other. Which is where I (currently a local) have gone. :)

The photo is of the Pow Wow Trail bridge crossing the Isabella River, wheelchair was not meant as a specific reference to anyplace other than just the bwca in general.

Something didn't work TB, because when I click on your link it says "no reports found"

TB: I think you need to rework your link. Good luck.

Several years ago, I solo paddled a sweet route off the Echo Trail entering on Fenske Lake. While the parking lot at Mudro was overflowing, I found great solitude here. I could have done an entire loop but opted for just a 3 day paddle half way around. Here is the trip report with pics.

Paddling the Fenske Loop (no permit required!)

NEIowapaddler: "Something didn't work TB, because when I click on your link it says "no reports found" "

Idk????

It has worked for me.

Deleted posted to wrong thread oops

NEIowapaddler: "Something didn't work TB, because when I click on your link it says "no reports found" "

same

OgemaBlackstone: "

NEIowapaddler: "Something didn't work TB, because when I click on your link it says "no reports found" "

same
"

Not sure why it works for me & not others. But for those that are truly interested, they should be able to click the little notebook under my screen name & get to all of my trip reports that way.

I apologize for all the confusion.

NEIowapaddler: "Something didn't work TB, because when I click on your link it says "no reports found" "

...and when I clicked the link, it took me to my own trip reports, like Lynda reported.

TZ

Works for me I count 42 TB

"Those who know don't tell, those who tell don't know"

Speckled: "
I had to park at the road (busy road) and walk down the snowmobile trail from there carrying all my gear. I was worried about ever going back, thinking someone would see me...so I didn't. Almost 20 years later to the date, I walked in there again, having not seen it in 20 years. I found a worn trail from the snowmobile path directly to the hole. On the banks were remnants of a fire pit (ash and stones in a circle), crushed beer cans, cigarette buts. I fished for awhile and only caught creek chubs. Worked up and downstream a bit - no brookies to be found.


That large pool is easily visable on google earth. One fisherman with loose lips or a group of fisherman have pulled all the brookies out. Will it ever recover...maybe if it can become forgotten.
"

Living north of Two Harbors, I think I'm sort off a local...
Your experience is exactly the reason I don't share share any info that could lead to over-exploitation of the resource---whether it be fish or a special scenic place. Just takes one loose mouth--especially on social media ("Hey, Look at ME!!). I often don't even share lake names and never trout stream places.

I'm the same way with my favorite places out west too.

motox380: "Locals usually dont like posts like this, put in some time and find the spots you'd like to go on your own.
The information is out there if people actually put in the effort to look or explore the area. I'm all for helping people and getting new people into outdoors but no need to make it easy.
My 2c :)"

Agree 100% and it's not a BWCA thing, it's everywhere. Nobody tells the tourists where to go where we live; we want all of them concentrated in the popular tourist spots.

We don't laugh at them but we do have special names for them.

same here. took me to my photo library.

Spartan2: "

TuscaroraBorealis: "I live in Babbitt.



Here's where I have gone. "

I am puzzled, TB. I followed your link and it came up to the list of all of OUR canoe trips! That can't be what you meant for your link???

Please explain.

Lynda/Spartan2"

When I click on the link it goes to all of my trips as well…

No worries, although TB said it wasn’t on purpose…if it was…that would be a great/funny post.

I.e. These are my favorite places…click on the link…link goes to all of my trips reports LOL

The explanation of the link is because it is just https://bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=trip.report_list_view&by_userid=1 -- a list of trip reports by the logged in user. So when Tuscarora went their trip report page and copied the URL, it worked fine for them; when other people followed the link, they saw their own trip reports, or if they'd never uploaded a trip report, they'd see "no reports available".

If you go to https://bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=trip.report_list_view&by_others=1&by_date_desc=1&sel_entry_point=BWCA, and type "TuscaroraBorealis" in the filter field, then you can see how the reports will automatically filter as you type.

Tuscarora's link - trip reports for the logged in user

and

Link to trip reports for ALL users where you can filter

noodle: " Tuscarora's link - trip reports for the logged in user


and


Link to trip reports for ALL users where you can filter "

Damn you and all your techie knowledge! (and thanks) :)

TuscaroraBorealis: "

OgemaBlackstone: "

NEIowapaddler: "Something didn't work TB, because when I click on your link it says "no reports found" "

same
"

Not sure why it works for me & not others. But for those that are truly interested, they should be able to click the little notebook under my screen name & get to all of my trip reports that way.

I apologize for all the confusion. "

Here is correct link. Will look into the issue.

Tuscarora's Trip Reports

As a seasonal, I find it like asking people for the location of their favorite blueberry picking site. Just human nature I guess.

carmike: "I have always been confused by Biblical injunctions against lying given the fact that so many of the Disciples were fishermen.


Maybe that particular commandment was written by a hapless fisherman who was always frustrated at other fishermen's unwillingness to share their spots or favorite lures.


"

I love this response. Gave me a good chuckle.

TuscaroraBorealis: "I live in Babbitt.


Here's where I have gone. "

I travel through Babbitt to find many of my favorite fishing spots.

TrailZen: "I don't think that's just part of the culture in Minnesota, Scat--I used to live near Dale Hollow Lake in Tennessee and we generally gave the same sort of response to strangers who asked us how the fishing was. And it's not restricted to fishing--deer, grouse, and quail hunting encourages the same sort of protective response.


TZ"

I am reminded of the advice my hunting partner and I received while scouting for moose in Northern NH: "There are no moose around here." The next morning we spotted a bull and then a cow and calf before 8:00 a.m. You could turn around in the canoe and still see the place we had launched from.

And the question is not "where" but "when" for this local. October is the preferred time, with late winter after that. :-)