We have a fly-in scheduled to land at Kings Point at 2:30 on our upcoming trip in July. But that landing time will be at the mercy of factors like weather. Our plan is to make it to Shade Lake that day and forward to Agnes the following day. Notwithstanding unfavourable headwinds, I calculate that it could be a 5.5-hour paddle with double-portaging. Arriving to a campsite that late is not ideal. But if it's doable, we want to try as the top end of Agnes is our destination on day two.

The one area that I'm unsure about appears to be about a 1.3 km stretch of creek at the top end of North Bay to South Lake. I believe my trip calculator is treating this as a straight paddle without obstacles. Is that the case or is it one of those shallow, meandering creeks with beaver dams and such? Should I be factoring in any significant extra time for this segment?

If we make the decision to push to Shade, there's likely no going back. There doesn't look to be many site options between North Bay and Shade and they could be occupied.

The narrow water between North Bay and South should be a relatively unobstructed straight paddle, excepting aquatic plants such as grasses and lily pads. However, I haven't been that way since 2012, so that information might be dated. My marked-up MacKenzie map shows two dams, but I do not remember them; perhaps high water obscured them. Still, that waterway is quite wide.

Otherwise, you'll have only two extremely short portages between North Bay and South.

From South Lake to the north end of Agnes is a long paddle with several portages. Your mention of Shade seems to imply that you plan on taking the S-chain into Agnes.

I just looked at the satellite image of the waterway. I don't remember it being quite as vegetation-rich as the current satellite image shows.

Ausable: "The narrow water between North Bay and South should be a relatively unobstructed straight paddle, excepting aquatic plants such as grasses and lily pads. However, I haven't been that way since 2012, so that information might be dated. My marked-up MacKenzie map shows two dams, but I do not remember them; perhaps high water obscured them. Still, that waterway is quite wide.


Otherwise, you'll have only two extremely short portages between North Bay and South.


From South Lake to the north end of Agnes is a long paddle with several portages. Your mention of Shade seems to imply that you plan on taking the S-chain into Agnes."

Thanks. Yeah, we're trying to mix big and small water so the intention is to enter Agnes halfway up. I know we'll miss Louisa Falls but there are plenty of falls along our route to Stanton Bay to see. Plus I figure if any portion of the lower half of the park may have traffic it would be there.

Thanks for pointing out the satellite imagery. Google Earth's image is from late last September. That would imply pretty low water. And there's definitely an impressive looking beaver dam almost half way up. A minor delay.

I was thru that stretch on the way to Kahshapiwi in July 2023 and concur with what Ausable said. It's easily navigable - save the water plants, which will slow you down some minor amount. Google Earth does appear to show what looks like a dam, which I don't handily recall, so it must not have been much of an obstacle.

It was easy and straight through the year before last.

Went through there in September. The lilly pads that slowed me down may not be as much of an issue yet but there was one beaver dam to get over.

sns: "Went through there in September. The lilly pads that slowed me down may not be as much of an issue yet but there was one beaver dam to get over."

Bingo! Thanks.

And that's a nice sleek-looking canoe you have. What is it? Love the wow factor in the bow.

Argo: "

sns: "Went through there in September. The lilly pads that slowed me down may not be as much of an issue yet but there was one beaver dam to get over."

Bingo! Thanks.


And that's a nice sleek-looking canoe you have. What is it? Love the wow factor in the bow. "

It’s a Savage River Blackwater; the bow-wow companion Cerberus is a Small Munsterlander. She has over 1300km in canoe trips under her collar, hoping for many more km (killermiles) still ahead.

Have a great trip - take a few minutes to check out the old ranger cabins at Kings Point before heading to Shade. I like 17N, all things being equal.

Ditto to all said above. We came South in Aug of '24. Pretty easy paddle except for the lily pads at the south end by the one beaver dam. They were real thick in the middle of August.

If the water levels get really low the creek can be difficult, especially for a solo. There is one beaver dam that is a relatively easy pull over. In September of 24 our paddle from North Bay to South was arduous enough that on our return we routed out the west end of West Lake and down the remaining stretch of Isabella Creek into North Bay.

There is a decent camp on South Lake to your immediate left just after you enter the main body of the lake. Prominent fire pit, you won't miss it.