I'm hitting the Louse and Lady Lakes chain with a buddy for the first time next week, and I'm wondering if anyone has done them yet this season. It seems water levels are dropping so hopefully the landings aren't too hard to find on the Louse, but I'm hoping to skip some beaver dams on the Phoebe.

We'll take it as it comes obviously, but any recent experience is always appreciated.

Just got back from a loop this past week. Went in on Tuesday, 5/19 and came out Sunday, 5/24. Water levels were fine, very few beaver dam pullovers yet in the season. That said, I thought some of the portages on the Louse were very difficult to find, at least coming from the west (i.e., doing a clockwise loop out of Sawbill). Let me know if you want further details.

I'll be paddling the Louse in Mid July.
Any advice on the direction of the loop.

halvorsonchristopher: "I'll be paddling the Louse in Mid July.
Any advice on the direction of the loop. "

Current not an issue with either direction, either on the Louse or the Phoebe River. Not a lot of beaver dam pullovers either (although there could be more in July if water levels are lower). I picked clockwise (Lady chain first) because I like to have an easier day or two at the start of a trip to get back into the swing of things. I didn't want to do the 480-rod portage right away on day 1 and then jump right into the tough portages on the Louse.

That said, like I mentioned above, I do think some of the portages on the Louse were more difficult to locate coming from the west than they would be from the east (at least the portages west of Bug Lake -- I swung up to Dent/Chaser/Mesaba on my way through).

freeboard: "Just got back from a loop this past week. Went in on Tuesday, 5/19 and came out Sunday, 5/24. Water levels were fine, very few beaver dam pullovers yet in the season. That said, I thought some of the portages on the Louse were very difficult to find, at least coming from the west (i.e., doing a clockwise loop out of Sawbill). Let me know if you want further details."

Good to hear, thank you!! We'll be coming from the east, which I've heard makes landings a bit easier to spot, and you're heading downstream as well.

Any issues with blowdown or other technicalities that make things more difficult than normal? Any campsite issues along the route? Catch any fish?

I only traversed the western section -- I peeled off the Louse and went up to Mesaba via Bug and Dent. But no technical issues on that side of the river. A few blowdowns, but there was always room to slide canoe under or over pretty easily. And it looked like FS crews had already been through there this year. No campsite issues to speak of on Trail or Boze. Not sure about Wine, though.

Portages are always tough to find along the Louse. I have a report of most of them in the "campsite and portage" forum. It's 8 or 9 years old so things have changed but gives you little idea of where difficult spots may be. We did 16 portages that day from Wine to Malberg.

Excellent input, thank you both! Starting to get pumped, even if it sounds like the bugs are really starting to come out :)

Can't wait to see the trip report!

We did this route in 2025. Sawbill posted my trip report on their blog on July 5th or so last year.