The Quetico Portage thread got me thinking that maybe we should talk about some of the the "Best of Quetico".

So to kick it off.

Favorite Lakes:

I'm sure everyone has different reasons and some may wonder why you picked... so explain why it's in your top 5

1. Hoare Lake - Remote.. seldom seen

2. McIntyre - Everytime I have been through it or stayed there it was beautiful.

3. Agnes - The cliffs, Louisa Falls, so much space to explore.

4. McKenzie Bay (Kawnipi) - All the little islands make for a nice little bay.

5. Sark - Pretty Lake with islands and nice Cliffs

Honorable mention: Argo - might be higher if I didn't have a crappy time there.

Well, I have to put Isabella first, though its probably the paddle to it from north bay that I really like. Burke is remembered fondly - based there with my wife on her only trip - so no more detail required I hope. After those, I can't think of one I didn't like.

Way to hard....For the Q it changes form year to year.

For years my number one was Ted lake, then Argo. Switched to Suzannete. We really liked Sarah last year. Burt was great too. North Bay has been wonderfull to me. I think the more I visit the more it is harder to decide.

Hoare Lake? Boji----has anyone been on that lake recently. What made it so great? The remoteness? The excitement of going where few go? Did you find the message cache? that lake is on my list to do.

T

quote timatkn: "Way to hard....For the Q it changes form year to year.


For years my number one was Ted lake, then Argo. Switched to Suzannete. We really liked Sarah last year. Burt was great too. North Bay has been wonderful to me. I think the more I visit the more it is harder to decide.


Hoare Lake? Boji----has anyone been on that lake recently. What made it so great? The remoteness? The excitement of going where few go? Did you find the message cache? that lake is on my list to do.


T"

T, I have been in contact with a member from another board. He and his friend made it into Hoare a couple of years ago and found the message cache and only 7 or 8 groups have been there since the mid 60's. Myself or my friends are four of those groups.

Another member from this board is going in Solo this summer. I think he wishes to remain anonymous. He has promised to photo the messages we wrote in 1976 1978,1979 & 1980. The messages in are important to me since it was my first trips to the Q.

But the true beauty of Hoare is the remoteness, one of the oldest stands of old growth pine in all of Quetico lines the southern shore. The Lake is deep and cold and many monster Lakers lurk.

The tough part is getting there. 4 good days to approach then a full day of tough bushwhacking to get it and of course then you have to get back out. Not many people can do a 10+ day minimum trip and its not a trip for those without excellent outdoor skills.

Several have attempted over the past couple of years with no luck. I kind of like that :-)

Hoare Lake 1979

1. Quetico Lake. Pictos and very scenic. Huge trees and great camps.

2. Kawnipi. Awesome fishing. Great camps. Tons to explore.

3. Sturgeon. Just awesome. Massive!

4. Other Man. Small and intimate. Fish trip of my life we base camped there. Great camp site.

5. Saganagons. Good fishing. Lots of bays and islands to explore.

Burt Lake. The water is out of this world clear and that is one fine site on the island.

Joyce Lake. I only spent one night on an island but it has a wildness to it and beautiful portages in and out.

Ted Lake. Message cache and just a jewel of a lake with beautiful islands and clear water.

Joyce Lake 2011

Burt Lake 2011 island site.

Ted Lake 2011 Picto cliff.

Ya! keeps changing, used to be Darky & William, then Suzanette, then Ted, kinda like ....kinda like timatkn, but is another order. Suzanette and Ted have Lake Trout..... they are both difficult to get to, requiring more than one days travel with "interesting" portages to keep you amused.

My top 5, in no particular order:

1. Montgomery

2. Lonely

3. Chatterton

4. Sultry

5. Side (and the Unnamed just north of it)

You'll notice that all are smaller lakes with 'character'. If I was going to throw some bigger lakes into the mix, I'd add Quetico Lake and Saganagons.

For paddling scenery, I love the stretch from Yum Yum to Kahshahpiwi, Sark, Cairn, Metacryst, Baird, Cutty Creek and on down to Delahey. For seclusion, it’s hard to beat the area north of Silence, Burt, and Delahey/Veron. For big fish, I love Poohbah, Wicksteed, Crooked, North Bay/Merriam Bays.

Fishguts---it did seem we were copying each others trips for awhile. HoHo and I ran into that a few years back too. Great minds think a like I guess :)

Boji--pretty cool pic. Should feel proud to be one of the few to visit the lake (that's a great reason in itself to put it on top of the list) I know a few people who have mentioned it or tried but I can't think of anyone who has actually been there. Congrats! Hope ya get to see the messages again.

T

I can't give you a list. How do I do a top 5? I'll be going through 15 or so lakes this spring so the list might grow. Many of the lakes I've been through in the Q were many years ago so I just can't remember enough about them. Quetico Lake has a special place in my heart. Actually, the Q side of Crooked soothes my soul too.

I love the whole place.

Tom

only one sticks out for me, and spent hardly any time there..just paddled across. high man between that man and emerald.

every other lake ive seen there has morphed into one for me. all similar.

This is my first post to the BWCA messageboard. I've been lurking in the background for several years but recently joined up. I've only made 6 trips to Quetico, all since 2004, and have not covered much of the park but here goes in no particular order:

North Bay - big fish, great camping, diverse fish habitats
Agnes - beautiful lake, nice falls, pretty cliffs, clear water
Kawnipi - big, beautiful, great fishing, great camping
Silence - ruggedly beautiful, nice paddle, good camping
Sultry - scenic, small and protected, good fishing

Mike

quote Texas Mike: "This is my first post to the BWCA messageboard. I've been lurking in the background for several years but recently joined up. I've only made 6 trips to Quetico, all since 2004, and have not covered much of the park but here goes in no particular order:


North Bay - big fish, great camping, diverse fish habitats
Agnes - beautiful lake, nice falls, pretty cliffs, clear water
Kawnipi - big, beautiful, great fishing, great camping
Silence - ruggedly beautiful, nice paddle, good camping
Sultry - scenic, small and protected, good fishing


Mike"

Guess it would have helped if I'd logged in first!

Mike

ok here i go north bay thats it i fish for smallmouth and it wont get any better than that

cool pic bojibob, as an experienced soloist, I have a feeling your friend who does it this summer will have a lonely moment when he gets there without the other two

some good choices by everyone for favorite lakes, my favorite is a small one that has a hell of a portage that goes seemingly straight up and down with no place for a good put in/take out, but the campsite and lakers make it worthwhile, to top it off, there is a small stream on the way that has trout

name will not be divulged

Ask me tomorrow and I could give you 5 more, but here’s today's:

1. Quetico – Huge variety: nice campsites, sandy beaches, pictographs, fishing holes and humbling winds.

2. Omeme – Logging days relics, walleye, seclusion, and the challenge of getting there.

3. Fred – Literally up the creek (Cutty), yummy walleye supper, island campsite, and seclusion.

4. Jean – She is beautiful, has big smallies and I have fond solo memories of there.

5. Darky – Nice campsites, great pictographs, and smallies on topwater.

(Let's do favorite streams next, okay?)

--Goose

Not nearly as difficult when you've only been to the Q side once :)

Sturgeon (- particularly the Sturgeon Narrows area)

Russell

Lonely

Jesse

Maria

quote HowardSprague: "Not nearly as difficult when you've only been to the Q side once :)
Sturgeon (- particularly the Sturgeon Narrows area)
Russell
Lonely
Jesse
Maria"

Howard: Well, you picked a good one. I've been from Jesse to Sturgeon through Lonely (Walter/Elizabeth) a few times and it is a great area! --Goose

Kawnipi - huge lake could take a two week trip to just this lake. Great fishing all day long pretty much everywhere.
Mckenzie - mysterious and pretty remote, another large lake.
Camel - remote feel and fond memories, I need to go back.
Ted - nice camps and sheer beauty.
Bentpine- remote feel and good fishing and memories with my kids.


This was tough, I could have added a number of others.

Argo
McIntyre
Burntside
Quetico
Jean

Too difficult! But would definitely include McKenzie, Russell and Sturgeon on the list

AdamX

1. XXXXXXX (really sorry, but I want to let you live)
2. Ditto
3. Ditto
4. Baird Lake
5. Could be any one of many bushwhack lakes...The no name West of Agnes' South end (Southern of the two), for now.

sorry

quote Stumpy: "1. XXXXXXX (really sorry, but I want to let you live)
2. Ditto
3. Ditto
4. Baird Lake
5. Could be any one of many bushwhack lakes...The no name West of Agnes' South end (Southern of the two), for now.

sorry
"

Grrrr - hope to stumble across your campfire someday!

Lots of great lakes to chose from.

1) Omeme - always produces numbers like no place else
2) Cub - numbers and size
3) Badwater - steady producer, but real monsters live there!
4) Bee - exciting topwater pike in the weeds and shallows
5) Un-named lake off Bee - remoteness from another era (and fish!)

Old Hoosier

quote HowardSprague: "

quote Stumpy: "1. XXXXXXX (really sorry, but I want to let you live)
2. Ditto
3. Ditto
4. Baird Lake
5. Could be any one of many bushwhack lakes...The no name West of Agnes' South end (Southern of the two), for now.

sorry"

Grrrr - hope to stumble across your campfire someday!"

just keep it zipped ;)

i despised sturgeon...but that beach penisula campsite made it ok.

quote kanoes: "i despised sturgeon...but that beach penisula campsite made it ok."

Crossing Sturgeon N to S in a solo, with the others in tandems, was pretty damn tough and seemed to take forever. I would have been in favor of stopping at a nice beach peninsula site, but we were going "to Russell or bust".
But the narrows part, going from Russell to Lonely, was prob my favorite of the trip.

quote HowardSprague: "

quote kanoes: "i despised sturgeon...but that beach penisula campsite made it ok."

Crossing Sturgeon N to S in a solo, with the others in tandems, was pretty damn tough and seemed to take forever. I would have been in favor of stopping at a nice beach peninsula site, but we were going "to Russell or bust".
But the narrows part, going from Russell to Lonely, was prob my favorite of the trip."

Yep - great stretch of scenery

quote kanoes: "i despised sturgeon...but that beach penisula campsite made it ok."

Jan, you just needed a sail! :)
We tried that years ago but the wind died on us!

Some of My fav's are:

1) Agnes
2) Other Man (The whole Man Chain)
3) Saganagons
4) Kawnipi
5) Carp

The five I wish to get to:
Blackstone
Poohbah
Wicksteed
MacKenzie
Quetico

I need to amend my list:
#3 should have been "Camel" (not Fred).
--Goose

I have not been on this site since last fall. Great thread on this one.

1) Middle Roland
2) Hoare
3) Camel
4) McIntyre
5) Agnes

Bojibob,

Sounds like a great trip. What EP did you use for that trip to Hoare Lake? I read your entry on QJ. You mention that you lived in Sioux Falls. That's where I am from. Thanks. Tom

quote TomP: "Bojibob,

Sounds like a great trip. What EP did you use for that trip to Hoare Lake? I read your entry on QJ. You mention that you lived in Sioux Falls. That's where I am from. Thanks. Tom

"

Tom I grew up in Sioux Falls, but had a 24 year career as an Army Officer that took me a few places. My final active duty assignment was in Atlanta and I have resided there since 95.

I will be in Sioux Falls tomorrow morning... a friend and I are paddling the Sioux River down to Newton Hills State Park.

My Route into Hoare was either up through Agnes, Poets chain into Camel or Kahs up to Camel.

I was young then. Now I'll just read about other folks trying :-)

Bojibob, we were born in the same month of the same year. Don't sell yourself short. If you want to get back to Hoare you should do it.

I still travel nearly as well as I did when I was in my twenties, but my old traveling buddies have let their bodies go to s**t and have given up on canoe tripping, so I now do my tripping with my teen-aged sons.

A couple of years ago I saw four people, two men and two women, none younger than 65 or 70, on Agnes Lake. They were great trippers and having a wonderful time. That was a tremendous inspiration for me.

Bojibob-Awesome picture! You were living well.

Boji,

Did your friends make it Hoare this past summer?

Poohbah , Badwater, Quetico, Berniece, Conmee.

quote TomP: "Boji,


Did your friends make it Hoare this past summer?"

Yes HE did... and major kudos to him for doing it solo

No particular order, but here are my five (subject to change):

Hurn
Poohbah
Agnes
Burt
McDougall

This is too hard. I revisited Kahsapiwi and visited Trant for first time this last September and both were wonderful. I can't name 5 lakes in the Q I don't like.

Keeping in mind that this could change tomorrow (and only listed if I've camped there for more than 1 night):

Kawnipi
Burntside
McDougal
Brent
Suzanette

Honorable mention:

Baird
Olifaunt
McEwen
Agnes
Robinson

dd

Pickerel - great fishing and scenery

Carp - fishing and accessability

Sarah - great memories

Knife - paddle... paddle... paddle

Isabella - just "felt good

quote bojibob: " "

That is a very cool photo. Magazines pay a lot of money for a shot like that.

quote BillConner01: "This is too hard. I revisited Kahsapiwi and visited Trant for first time this last September and both were wonderful. I can't name 5 lakes in the Q I don't like."

LOL. That's a good one! How true...

MANY years ago I went through Bisk, Beg and Bud Lakes and I was struck by the predominance of old growth spruce lining one or more of those lakes and those trees imparted a dark look to that or those lakes. The dark look was unique to the point of beauty. Anyone have a much fresher memory of those lakes and can confirm my "ancient" memory?

My top 5...

MacKenzie... via the Death March portages, which nearly lived up to their name. Pictographs, all kinds of islands, tons of wildlife. And there was just something about the feel of it, like it was haunted or something. Plus, it is just so difficult to get to, you feel like you really accomplished something getting there.

Jean... there is a fantastic campsite along the south shore, where a small penninsula sticks out. Has shallow sand beach all around it, ideal for swimming and playing around. The bay just east of there, I had the best fishing experience I've ever had anywhere - HUGE smallmouth bass, I'm talking 8 to 10 pounds, which is ridiculous. And this happened on two trips seperated by many years.

Unnamed lakes east from southern end of Kashahpiwi (we dubbed then James and Matt Lakes)... From the southern end, near the fire tower, go west into a bay, follow portage to a narrow, deep lake with big, beautiful cliffs (James). Then one more portage west to a wider but smallish lake with a wonderful campsite, and it is waaaaay off the beaten path (Matt). Could spend weeks there and probably not see anyone.

Conk... it is really like two lakes connected by a marsh. Lots of people hit the eastern side, on the way between Quetico and Jean. But, I recommend you take a slight detour through the marsh, and into the western half of the lake. It was like a zoo in there. Saw tons of fish, saw an osprey with young ones, and the island we stopped on was just covered in droppings from moose, deer and bear. Great, hidden little area.

River between Munro and Falls Chain... very, very few people use this route. Thin blue lines on the map tend to scare most off, because many of those streams are impassible. This one is not, and it was like finding a hidden jungle. Just wide enough to make for pretty easy paddling, one short portage, good fishing.

Here are my top 5

5. Kawnipi, spent a lot of time on Rose Island. Like the falls chain entry but also enjoy entering from Agnes because...
4. Agnes, Louisa falls, pictos on islands in center of lake. high cliffs on north end.
3. Darky, probably because what we went through to get there.
2. March, was a day trip to this lake but all of the tree stumps from logging, the log sluices leading us to the lake and an abandoned logging camp we discovered. Was a great day trip.
1. Argo, Don't know what it was but this lake just hit me hard when we came down the portage to it and seems I have to try to get back there every time I go to the Q.

quote Texas Mike: "This is my first post to the BWCA messageboard. I've been lurking in the background for several years but recently joined up. I've only made 6 trips to Quetico, all since 2004, and have not covered much of the park but here goes in no particular order:


North Bay - big fish, great camping, diverse fish habitats
Agnes - beautiful lake, nice falls, pretty cliffs, clear water
Kawnipi - big, beautiful, great fishing, great camping
Silence - ruggedly beautiful, nice paddle, good camping
Sultry - scenic, small and protected, good fishing


Mike"

Did

I did the S chain going into Agnes many years ago. I did enjoy it very much as well.

Tough to narrow it down to five, but in no particular order;

1. Kawnipi Lake, (Seems like a popular choice, but there's something about Kawnipi Lake.)

2. Argo Lake

3. Jesse lake

4. Camel Lake

5. Sturgeon Lake

Honorable Mentions:

Agnes, Bart, Pickerel, Cairn and Montgomery

Hans Solo

....the next 5!!!

I'm running out of note paper. I've got prettiest lakes, most dangerous spots, best lures, worse portages, tow operators, best camp sites. Information overload.

McIntyre; beauty!
McIntyre; Seclusion!
McIntyre; Big Pike!
McIntyre; Big Lakers!
McIntyre; Big smallies!

Secondary lakes; Agnes, North Bay, and Suzzanette. All for the same reasons stated above.

quote TomT: "Burt Lake. The water is out of this world clear and that is one fine site on the island.
"

East or West side of the island?

The 5 star is on the southern tip. I went to Burt from Kahsh through Joyce and Marj in my 2011 trip report. There's pics and video of some fine sites on that route.
Quetico Sept. 2011 Pt. 1

Part 2

I've not been on enough different lakes in Quetico, but here is my list.

* Kawnipi. I love that lake. Never been in the spring only the fall.
* Basswood. Man, talk about solid, solid fishing.....
* Saganagons. One of the best SOLID big fish days ever on that lake.
* Blackstone. Man, talk about a beautiful place. Simply Beautiful.
* Saganaga. Number Bays, Canadian side, and Cache Bay are the BOMB.

This list may be updated this year.

I'm headed to Beaverhouse, Quetico, Jean, Jesse, Sturgeon, and a few others......

Of course I might need to take my ice auger..

Later,

Geo

Great story TomT. Football sized bass? Think I'll take a few plastic worms after all.

quote Beaverjack: "Great story TomT. Football sized bass? Think I'll take a few plastic worms after all."

Have you ever noticed the difference in smallies where some look "normal" and they fight normally maybe jumping a few times. Then, there are those that just seem wilder. They have big muscular shoulders and even LOOK mean. These are the bass that I love to catch. I found normal ones in Milt Lake but the bass in Burt Lake are the real deal.

Beaverjack, if you will be doing any of that route I did make sure to mark your maps at a few locations where the portages were marked wrong on the McKenzie and Fisher maps. I printed out the correct locations. Unless you are up for adventure of course, then have at it!

I put in a few extra hours on that trip of looking for and finding the wrong portages and doing a lot of doubling back and bullshit like that. Sheesh! I wish those mapmakers knew what the F they were doing sometimes.

Bogibob
Funny how you survived with jeans, tennis shoes and cotton shirts. So you don't need to spend $500 of special clothes and shoes?

quote HowardSprague: "Not nearly as difficult when you've only been to the Q side once :)

Sturgeon (- particularly the Sturgeon Narrows area)

Russell

Lonely

Jesse

Maria "

That's a nice route though! Especially early season...with few around!

Just back from a six day trip (five nights) on great lakes. Call it the clear lake tour.

Camped on Louisa, Kahshahpiwi, Marj, Ted and Argo- out via Mudro.

Close to a top five.
Ted always has to show off.

quote Old Hoosier: "Lots of great lakes to chose from.

1) Omeme - always produces numbers like no place else
2) Cub - numbers and size
3) Badwater - steady producer, but real monsters live there!
4) Bee - exciting topwater pike in the weeds and shallows
5) Un-named lake off Bee - remoteness from another era (and fish!)

Old Hoosier"

I have only been to the Quetico 3 times, and all have been to Omeme in my teenage years, 20 years ago. My most vivid memory of the trips is the time spent on the Badwater portage. Talk about a death march! The guys I have been going to the BWCA with are finally intrigued about going to the Quetico, and we just started planning next years trip to Kawnipi.

quote Banksiana: "Just back from a six day trip (five nights) on great lakes. Call it the clear lake tour.


Camped on Louisa, Kahshahpiwi, Marj, Ted and Argo- out via Mudro.


Close to a top five.
Ted always has to show off."

That's a sweet little site there on Ted. How do you do this where you enter at PP and exit Mudro? Do you leave a vehicle at Mudro and hop a ride to Moose Lake?

Bill (Ho Ho) and David took a trip to Ensign the day after I left. I gave them my spare keys and they dropped my car at Mudro when they returned. If I'm around I'll give you a hand in such a venture. On the morning of your departure you follow me to Mudro, I drop my car, drive with you to Moose- send you on your voyage and then drive your car back to Mudro and return in mine.

Ok, thanks. I'll wait till "I" move up to the Echo Trail to take you up on that. :) My lotto ticket is gonna pay off I just know it!

quote Banksiana: "Just back from a six day trip (five nights) on great lakes. Call it the clear lake tour.


Camped on Louisa, Kahshahpiwi, Marj, Ted and Argo- out via Mudro.


Close to a top five.
Ted always has to show off."

Ha, I know what campsite you were on. I was there a few days earlier. I put pine needles over the fire pit so it looks like nobody was there. Did I fool you? I'll say Ted is a top 5 lake too.


Tom

Did not notice the fire pit needles, but the camp was clean and well cared for . A very nice stop for one or two people, one of my favorite sites.

Coolest photo ever. Thank you!