I'm taking my 12 yr-old granddaughter for her first BWCA trip June 17-22. I have been several times to BWCA but never to Perent Lake via Hog Creek.
This grandchild likes anything outdoors and we are both looking forward to a great time. among the questions she asked were:
- Are dotted gray lines (north & south of lake on the map) hiking trails?
- Will there be good fishing on Perent lake in June? What bait or lure is best?
- Will the bugs be REALLY bad?
If you've been down Hog Creek to Perent Lake perhaps you could offer some information and suggestions to help make this a positive and memorable trip.
Thanks!

I was there about 5 years ago in September. Different time of year so some of my experiences likely won't be relevant. I encountered very low water that made paddling Hog creek very difficult, but with normal water levels it shouldn't be too bad. Just lots of bends and curves, and there's a swampy area about halfway through with a couple of false channels that was a bit tricky to navigate.

I'm not aware of any hiking trails in that area but others may know better.

I stayed at site 2321 on the island northwest of the bay where Hog creek enters the lake and it was outstanding. Probably the nicest site I've ever stayed at.

Fishing wasn't great for me but i did catch a few walleyes in the narrows to the north of that site, trolling crankbaits. Best color was perch Rapala if I remember correctly.

Mid June...there will be bugs. Maybe a few, maybe a lot. Prepare for the latter and consider them part of the experience lol.

What map are you looking at where you see dotted gray lines north and south of the lake? It's unlikely there are any bona fide hiking trails there.

I went to Perent solo on Hog Creek in early September 2020. Water levels were OK and there were no shallow areas to get through. There were three beaver dams to cross that year. Two small ones and one that was much bigger, but not a whopper.

I agree that around mid-way down the creek there is a confusing area where it is a bit difficult to find your way, but you can't get lost. I found that by observing the direction fine hair-like "grass" in the stream is pointing, you can see which way the current is flowing. If in doubt about which way to go, follow the direction of the "grass" in the water. There was very little current in Hog Creek, and the only time I could imagine much current would be right after ice-out when the water is really high.

The campsite I stayed at was 998 (southern tip of an island north of the entry bay from the mighty Hog Creek), which is an outstanding campsite. Extremely windy when the wind is blowing. It even produced a slight tear in my CCS tarp one day due to the strength of the wind from the west. Great swimming, wading, and lots of flat rocks to lay on if the weather is decent.

I'm glad I went. Won't go again, as I always go solo, and beaver dams and I stopped liking each other very much the last few years.

Tom

boonie: "What map are you looking at where you see dotted gray lines north and south of the lake? It's unlikely there are any bona fide hiking trails there. "

There are various dotted lines shown on the Voyageur maps and likely others. To the OP question, the dotted lines on the voyageur map (these are brown and red) north and south of Perent Lake are approximate boundaries of the Pagami Creek Fire and the Fungus Lake PMA.

Are dotted gray lines (north & south of lake on the map) hiking trails?
- No Hiking trails in the area that I'm aware of.

Will there be good fishing on Perent lake in June? What bait or lure is best?
- Like most lakes, It can be. Walleye are the predominate species people target. Jig and minnow or lindy rig and a minnow. If you don't want to bring bait, trolling rapalas can also yeild some fish.

Will the bugs be REALLY bad?
- Yes.

I was there in 2010 in July with my wife and our oldest daughter at age 5 for her 1st bwca trip.

Perent has some really nice campsites. It can get some big waves on a windy day and watch out for rocks just under surface in the middle of nowhere.

For us, small walleye were plentiful and easy for our daughter to catch with a jig and leech.

The paddle down Hog Creek took a lot longer than expected because of all of the curves. As stated above, watching the grass under the surface helped us go the right direction a few times.

All of the above. This is a great trip for her. Hog Creek is twisty and longer than it looks but it is a great spot to see a moose.

Perent has a lot of campsites and quite a few very nice ones. They are heavily used so maybe a bit more worn down and a bit harder to grab easy wood. It shouldn't be hard to find good beaver wood for your fire along the east shore.

Fishing for walleyes in June should be quite good. As mentioned they tend to be more of the "eater" size. Jig and leech seems to be the ticket there in June. Slip bobber and leech is a good bet from camp, especially at dusk.

If you can find a good site on the east side of the lake you should be able to get a decent breeze in camp to keep the bugs down.

Keep an eye on the weather when you head out exploring. The wind can whip up some waves across the main basin.

If you are looking for a fun 1/2 or full day round trip from camp, check out Perent River. There are almost always a lot of other canoes on the lake but the river has a very cool secluded feel with short portages and lots of pools to try your luck fishing.