My group is thinking of changing up our trip route to an area we've never been to. We're starting at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters and want to go through Seagull, Alpine, Jasper, and Ogishkemuncie. Our group is mainly in it for the isolation and the fishing (smallmouth and pike). We've also yet to see a moose or bear on any trips which is kind of sad. Is this a good location for us to see lots of fish (and a moose!) and not a lot of people?

what is your trip date?

do you have a permit to enter 54 Seagull or 55 Sag?

alpine is a great fishing lake. there is a neat waterfall/rapids that flow from Jasper into Alpine (not runnable!)

Ogish is long and narrow and it might be possible to see fewer people, but these lakes tend to be on a "route" so i guess it depends on your trip dates, if you'll see people.

it is not isolated.

Nope, I can safely say that Ogish is one of the busiest lakes in the BW. And the fastest way there is through Alpine and Jasper.

Places to see moose -

Horseshoe Lake - Use the Lizz Lake Entry and grab a site on Horseshoe Lake. We have seen more there than anywhere else in the BW. You will not find isolation here.

Frost Lake - You have a chance to find isolation here depending on time of year. Frost can be reached from either Cross Bay Lake entry from the north or Sawbill Lake entry, Baker Lake Entry from the South. A Brule Lake entry from the east could also be used. Fishing is Pike and Lake Trout I think.

Our trip date is May 26-31. We have a permit for 55 (Sag).

If I had a permit for EP55 and was looking for fewer people, I would make my way towards Cherry and Amoeber Lakes.

Mocha: "alpine is a great fishing lake. there is a neat waterfall/rapids that flow from Jasper into Alpine (not runnable!)"

I want to echo this. If you're coming from Alpine in the north to Jasper to the south, you've got less to worry about, but if you're going from Jasper to Alpine, don't overshoot the portage. The red X in the image is where you want to land; the red line in the image is where you'd go over the edge and no canoe would survive that trip.

YaMarVa: "If I had a permit for EP55 and was looking for fewer people, I would make my way towards Cherry and Amoeber Lakes. "

Might be my favorite area of the BW and second for the isolation factor. You'll still see some folks but nothing like Seagull to Ogish. These are Trout and walleye lakes, so you won't find much for pike or smallmouth unless you get over to Knife which is pretty easy to do from Amoeber.

We have camped on Red Rock for 8 years every fall and have not only seen moose most of the years but had them walk through our camps.

There are campsites on Spice, Skindance & Rog lakes which are all just a portage (at various points) off of your proposed route. While none of those sites are stellar, they will all assuredly give you a greater sense of solitude. There is at least one site on Jasper that sort of shield you from the main highway of traffic too.

AndyEck84: "Our trip date is May 26-31. We have a permit for 55 (Sag)."

The BWCA boundary at Sag and Seagull is a bar to your apparently planned route.

You have a permit to ENTER the BWCAW from EP 55. That permit is typically used for (1) camping on Sag, (2) continuing into the Quetico or (3) portaging out of Sag, in the latter case often looping back through Seagull and out from there.

You do not have a permit to RE-ENTER the BWCAW. Once you’re out, you’re out until you have a new permit.

“ BWCAW Rules and Regulations
TRAVEL PERMITS
You must enter the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) at the entry point and on the date shown on your permit.
You may not enter/re-enter at a different point or date using this permit.
Permit and stubs become invalid when the trip leader exits the wilderness.”

BWCAW Rules and Regulations

Thanks for the advice, everyone. And yes, our outfitter just let me know we have the wrong permit for this option, so maybe another year. I'm pumped about going back to Ester/Hanson area though.

AndyEck84: "Thanks for the advice, everyone. And yes, our outfitter just let me know we have the wrong permit for this option, so maybe another year. I'm pumped about going back to Ester/Hanson area though."

Don't give up hope just yet. Keep an eye on the Seagull permits and grab one if it suits your needs:

2026 Permit Availability and Alerts

AndyEck84: "Thanks for the advice, everyone. And yes, our outfitter just let me know we have the wrong permit for this option, so maybe another year. I'm pumped about going back to Ester/Hanson area though."

Option 2 - Get a tow from your outfitter to the portage to Red Rock Lake. Paddle through Red Rock Lake and into Alpine and you are right back on track.

Red Rock is a great walleye lake!

Michwall2: "Option 2 - Get a tow from your outfitter to the portage to Red Rock Lake. Paddle through Red Rock Lake and into Alpine and you are right back on track."

+1
but if it was me I'd be heading to the Ester/Hanson area because I've never been!

I've done multiple trips in this area. You have gotten a lot of good feedback already, but I'll add my 2cents.

First option would be to get a tow to American point and paddle to Hanson on the first day. I've had fairly good luck for smallmouth on Hanson. From there it really depends on what you want to do. I would have a layover day and do a day trip to Cherry and Lake of the Clouds and then fish more when you get back to Hanson. another option would be to move to Amoeber which would only take part of the day and then portage over to knife for fishing. A few years ago we were catching smallmoth like crazy while traveling NE along the Knife like shoreline from the Amoeber portage. After this I would just make my way back through South Arm Knife, Ogish, Alpine, and then either up through Red Rock or accross Seagull and up the Seagull river to get back to Voyageurs. This route is more travelling but would feel much more remote.

Second (shorter) option would be to go to or through Red Rock to Alpine and Ogish and then like the other option you could return either back through Red Rock or Seagull.