Our 7/15 entry permit was canceled, but we had booked this trip in January and were determined to make something happen. We were renting canoes from VNO and they recommended the backcountry campsites on Birch Lake.

It worked out great. Paddled about 6 miles from the landing and set up base camp. Typical BWCA scenery and pretty quiet. Saw less than 5 houseboats/motorboats buzz by a day, otherwise nobody around. Fishing was decent, not typical BWCA levels but found enough action to have some fun and a fish fry. Waking up to ash on our parked cars in Wednesday morning in Ely was a little disconcerting but the air really cleared up after the big storm Friday morning.

If anybody else is looking for a backup plan in the coming weeks I highly recommend Birch Lake as a basecamp fishing trip. Very close to the BWCA experience besides hearing a couple motors a day. Voyageur North was awesome, as usual.

Good to know, sounds like we were thinking alike. After the initial closure I quickly booked a site at the Birch Lake campground. Do you have a map showing the backcountry sites on Birch?

anthonylane: "Good to know, sounds like we were thinking alike. After the initial closure I quickly booked a site at the Birch Lake campground. Do you have a map showing the backcountry sites on Birch? "

Outfitter had the fisher F3 in stock and it shows the sites.

Fisher F3

What's old is new again. Birch Lake was a refuge in the summer from the heat in Embarrass for my mother's family back in the 30s. Good to hear that it filled this gap!

Birch Lake is legit. I rented a small cabin with River Point Lodge about 10 years ago was pretty sweet. I fished with a guide the first day, all day in the rain, was a lot of fun. Caught my limit of eater eyes 3 days out of 5 after that. Those campsites sound like a great option, I would go for it depending on your sitch. Motor traffic is minimal if that is a factor. When I was fishing I don’t remember seeing another boat on the water.

Hammertime: "Outfitter had the fisher F3 in stock and it shows the sites."

Appreciate the info.

scat: "Birch Lake is legit. I rented a small cabin with River Point Lodge about 10 years ago was pretty sweet. I fished with a guide the first day, all day in the rain, was a lot of fun. Caught my limit of eater eyes 3 days out of 5 after that. Those campsites sound like a great option, I would go for it depending on your sitch. Motor traffic is minimal if that is a factor. When I was fishing I don’t remember seeing another boat on the water."

Good to know. Option 1 is take our rental canoes to the campground site I have reserved and scope out a backcountry site and do an overnight there. Option 2 is fishing out of my Lund. It may not be the BWCA, but still should make for a great little trip.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Joe

The houseboats on Birch are a fun way to see the lake as well. You just tie off the stern at the backcountry sites as I remember.

Bearhead State Park

How is cell phone coverage? May have to confiscate phones to keep it a BWCA equivalent for my kids.

paulimon: "How is cell phone coverage? May have to confiscate phones to keep it a BWCA equivalent for my kids."

Full service for us on Birch. We streamed the World Cup on Wednesday. Pretty much kept them off after that.

Good to see them being used. I already recommended Birch Lake dispersed campsites to someone on facebook. Silver Island Lake has some beautiful dispersed campsites and it really looks like the BWCA.

If I had a Lund I would use that. It’s kinduva big open lake If I remember. Decent fishing lake, takes a while to get around paddling is all.
I want a Lund Haha