BWCA Anyone live near Brimson, MN or the upper Cloquet River? Boundary Waters Listening Point - General Discussion
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      Anyone live near Brimson, MN or the upper Cloquet River?     
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ArrowheadPaddler
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05/05/2013 09:44PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I would like to paddle the way upper Cloquet River (near the highway 2 crossing) this week and am looking for water level information. The MN DNR reports on the gauge in Brimson, but is only updated weekly. Since the upper reaches drop quickly, this reading is quickly obsolete. If anyone lives/works/travels by the the Brimson or Highway 2 crossings of the Cloquet River and has a recent river level report, I would much appreciate it. Also, any info on the remaining snowmelt would be great, including if unplowed roads (specifically Forest Road 122/Langley River Road) are driveable.
Thanks for any help.
 
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marsonite
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05/06/2013 06:28AM  
quote ArrowheadPaddler: "I would like to paddle the way upper Cloquet River (near the highway 2 crossing) this week and am looking for water level information. The MN DNR reports on the gauge in Brimson, but is only updated weekly. Since the upper reaches drop quickly, this reading is quickly obsolete. If anyone lives/works/travels by the the Brimson or Highway 2 crossings of the Cloquet River and has a recent river level report, I would much appreciate it. Also, any info on the remaining snowmelt would be great, including if unplowed roads (specifically Forest Road 122/Langley River Road) are driveable.
Thanks for any help."


I haven't seen it. However, my sister lives up there (Kane-Marble Lake) and she tells me her yard is more than half snow covered, with knee deep drifts. So there is plenty of snow, and I bet the river is high, and will really be ripping with the warm weather this week.

She just returned from the south last Tuesday, and they couldn't drive in their driveway, so that tells you how the roads are up there...at least the ones that haven't been plowed.

Hope this helps. I'll be seeing it with my own eyes this Friday.
 
05/06/2013 08:16AM  
our plan b trip after canceling our bwca reservation for may 10th was the cloquet. my brother lives in duluth and my son works in eleleth, we have decided to canoe the south fork river in wisconsin instead, the cloquet, to them, looked too high at this point. the flambeau is also running very high but i think that it will go down in the next couple of days. i hope. (just peeked, it went up today)

i just checked the usgs site, the flambeau is currently running about three or four times normal volume for this time of year. i would assume northern minnesota rivers are similar if not worse.

so as it now stands i am going on a canoe trip, five nights, not sure where.
 
inspector13
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05/06/2013 11:31AM  

There was more snow in that area this spring than there has been in many years. So much that I haven’t been able to get to my cabin yet. And usually Langley Road is not plowed either. I won’t be able to see it with my own eyes until tax day this year however.

 
ArrowheadPaddler
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05/06/2013 08:56PM  
Thanks for the input everyone. I will give a quick report if I end up going.
 
Woodtick
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05/06/2013 10:15PM  
quote jwartman59: "our plan b trip after canceling our bwca reservation for may 10th was the cloquet. my brother lives in duluth and my son works in eleleth, we have decided to canoe the south fork river in wisconsin instead, the cloquet, to them, looked too high at this point. the flambeau is also running very high but i think that it will go down in the next couple of days. i hope. (just peeked, it went up today)


i just checked the usgs site, the flambeau is currently running about three or four times normal volume for this time of year. i would assume northern minnesota rivers are similar if not worse.

so as it now stands i am going on a canoe trip, five nights, not sure where.
"


The south fork of the flambeau is a blast to paddle. It's been about 10 years since I was last on it. Good whitewater. Love Scratch Rapids when the river is high.
 
talusman
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05/08/2013 08:14AM  
If you are going to go this weekend might be your best bet. 3rd consecutive day of 60 plus here in Finland, just a few miles from Cloquet Lake. The rivers are up with some fast melting. Not much snow left so the water level will drop fast.
 
05/08/2013 09:06AM  
 
ArrowheadPaddler
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05/08/2013 11:51PM  
Thanks again for the input everyone. I ended up paddling the Cloquet today from the Highway 2 crossing north of Two Harbors to the Langley River Road bridge. Most of the snow dropped into the river and only a couple patches remained. This is a steep, narrow section, and the river was really high, into the alders, so getting to shore was difficult in places. Swamped once and did a bit of bailing in other places, but thankfully didn't go for a swim. The river was moving so fast we covered 9 miles in a little over two hours, including time for scouting and bailing. Here is a picture looking upstream from the take-out. The river probably tripled in volume from the put-in.
 
05/09/2013 08:31AM  
that looks scary. tomorrow morning i am heading to the south fork flambeau. i am already feeling a bit squeamish. i promised my friend that there would be no swamping, period. he went out and bought a wetsuit anyhow. i talked to an outfitter in fifield and he asked how experienced we were in whitewater, my brother, my son and i are fairly competent, my friend ?. he thought we would be OK, he also mentioned that the fishing has been outstanding, if you were willing to settle for walleye. i'll settle for walleye but what was this guy thinking? he is a fishing guide, apparently in wisconsin, on the flambeau walleye are the equivalent to perch in minnesota. the river has giant sturgeon and muskie, maybe i need to leave my ultralite fishing gear at home and bring my catfishing rig. this should be interesting.
 
ArrowheadPaddler
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05/09/2013 07:54PM  
jwartman59-
Good luck and stay safe on your South Fork run. Hopefully you can catch a few walleyes. We wore wetsuits yesterday, the water was darn cold, even though the air temp was warm.
 
Speckled
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05/09/2013 08:35PM  
Ever do any fishing on that part of the cloquet?
 
ArrowheadPaddler
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05/09/2013 10:25PM  
I have never fished that section, but supposedly there are brook trout in there. I believe it, as the stream is pretty well shady and brushy. I thought about bringing a fishing pole yesterday, but were concentrated on the paddling. The middle part of the run is pretty remote, so it must be very lightly fished. I have fished the section between Brimson and Island Lake a lot and caught good numbers of smallmouth and walleye, even a crappie once. In the section below Island Lake, smallmouth fishing is excellent, particularly between Munger Shaw Road and Highway 53. I have caught walleyes, northerns and catfish occasionally. My dad once caught a big brown trout in that section (in the 1970s or so). I don't think the browns are in there anymore.
 
1lookout
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05/10/2013 10:58AM  
Oh man bring back memories. I grew up along a few different stretches
of the Cloquet. I won't let the worm out of the can, but there are
spots and holes for unbelievable fishing. N. of Island SW. of #2
I used to walk in and fish from shore, we'd catch everything.
northerns,wallies,slab crappies, sunnies, large and small bass,perch,
catfish, and lot's of suckers! Every day after school and all summer.
I remember the trout on a stretch N.of 53.
There were other lakes, back mind you, in the 1960-70's that held
huge walleyes. The lake I grew up on was unreal. we'd have 4 or 5
of us on a pontoon, and everyone would have a fish on during bites.
3-4 pounders of walleyes. I haven't fished said lake in 25 years, but
I'd love to hear any reports....Okay Strand Lake.
 
Tamarack26
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03/07/2014 11:37AM  
I'm looking for some more info on this river from the HW 2 put in north of two harbors. I want to run it this spring but really would like to get some info from arrowhead paddler first.

I can run most of the rapids on the cloqute river from indian lake down to island lake in my Rouge but curios about the upper part.

any info would be appreciated!

 
03/07/2014 01:34PM  
I don't I've too far from the upper Cloquet River, and have paddled the stretch from Hwy 2 down to the first road crossing above Indian Lake, as well as the lower end of the river from Hwy 53 to the St. Louis River.

The upper river is very flow dependent, and I would guess that this year's deep snow will prevent the river from being reasonable until the second half of May. ArrowheadPaddler's description during high water is very accurate, and I would add that the remote and rugged nature of that area means that you are on your own if you get into trouble.

During low water times the upper river becomes a maze of boulders and boulder fields, while during high water these become raging rapids, lined by alder-choked shores. At medium water levels these are a delight to paddle, and the area is very scenic and wild.

Here is a link to the water level gauge at Indian Lake to check online before you paddle this section: River Water Levels in Minnesota

Check out the reading near Indian Lake.
 
brantlars
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03/07/2014 02:21PM  
And I don't think there are many trout west of Hwy 2 on the Cloquet, too many northerns. But always worth a shot.
 
ArrowheadPaddler
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03/08/2014 05:15AM  
quote Tamarack26: "I'm looking for some more info on this river from the HW 2 put in north of two harbors. I want to run it this spring but really would like to get some info from arrowhead paddler first.

I can run most of the rapids on the cloqute river from indian lake down to island lake in my Rouge but curios about the upper part.

any info would be appreciated!

"


Arctic filled in many of the gaps, but here are a couple other observations and suggestions.
Last spring, I ran the HWY 2 section when the CR 44 (Pequaywan Lake Rd) bridge in Brimson read 7.5 feet. This was very high water. We didn't touch a rock in any of the rapids with either our canoe or paddle. The main difficulty in the rapids at that level is staying away from the largest waves. They are definitely large enough to swamp a canoe, so you must slow your descent if the large waves are unavoidable. The rapids are formed by steep boulder bed, there are no ledge style drops. Still the gradient is steep, some short sections are dropping at a 50-60' per mile gradient.

The river is very narrow, especially the section before the confluence with the Langley River. We also paddled a Wenonah Rogue, but in a tandem canoe, there is often not much room for maneuvering. Solo boats/kayaks would be better suited. Access to shore in and before rapids can be difficult due to the extensive alder thickets. We boat were able to boat scout most rapids, however, before a few blind drops, we got out and scouted from shore. The two primary risks for this run are sweepers and dumping and then getting separated from your canoe. One of the most difficult rapids is where the 1600' contour line intersects the river. There was a tree lodged midstream near the bottom of the drop and partially obscured by the high water (very dangerous!), though it was avoidable. We did not see any other sweepers/strainers, but that obviously changes from year to year. As arctic said, the area is remote, and you would have a heck of a walk out if you lost your gear. Bring topo and air photo maps and store in your pfd.

The individual rapids defy description, as they kind of blend together. Much of this is apparent looking at topo maps, but the first couple miles flows through and alder swamp, then from the 1670' to 1590' contour rapids are frequent. This is followed by another break through bottomlands broken by a couple additional rapids, and then a final strong burst above and below the confluence with the Langley. The river becomes much wider at this point and maneuvering is easier. Minor swifts and bottomlands predominate until the take out at FR 122 or CR 44. At high water, there is no turning back once the rapids start.

Finding the optimal flow is a challenge. 7.5' on CR 44 was very high. Readings under 5' are too low. I think the sweet spot is somewhere in the upper 5 to mid 6s. As I mentioned, this gauge is only reported weekly, and things change quickly. You could call Hugos, and they might be willing to give you a report. I tried this last year, and they were friendly enough to call back with a current reading, but it was a day after I ran it.

If you would like to get an idea of what this section is like without committing to the whole thing, you could try paddling the Langley River from where it pinches up to FR 122 and then to the confluence with the Cloquet. There are a couple of steep pitches on the Langely right before the Cloquet, but the first one is short and could be lined or portaged if desired, and then second right above the Cloquet is steep, narrow, and lined with alders, but a straight shot (there must be no obstructions!). At the Cloquet confluence, you then get to run the last of the significant rapids on the HWY 2 section of the Cloquet. Eddy out river right as the two rivers merge and examine the rapids above you. These are similar to those you frequently encounter downstream of HWY2. This short run doesn't quite have the commitment the upper run has.

The three sections of the Cloquet are all very different, from the long, wide Class I boulder bed above the St. Louis, to the pool drop section above Island Lake, to the steep creek-like section below HWY 2. The individual sections definitely get more difficult as you move upstream. In addition to the rapids, the HWY 2 section is notable for its beauty, wildlife, and complete isolation. We chased numerous beavers into the water, and saw a lot of ducks. Moose droppings lined the shore in a few spots we stopped out. There even were a couple bedrock outcrops that looked like good spots for a lunch. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.


 
ArrowheadPaddler
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03/10/2014 04:39PM  
Hey arctic, have you paddled the headwaters section from Cloquet Lake to HWY 2? Looks like it might be interesting, but maybe too small to paddle?

Brantlars-I've been skeptical that the Cloquet holds much in the way of brook trout because of issues like that, but only one way to find out!
 
Gbusk11
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03/10/2014 05:08PM  
quote ArrowheadPaddler: "I have never fished that section, but supposedly there are brook trout in there. I believe it, as the stream is pretty well shady and brushy. I thought about bringing a fishing pole yesterday, but were concentrated on the paddling. The middle part of the run is pretty remote, so it must be very lightly fished. I have fished the section between Brimson and Island Lake a lot and caught good numbers of smallmouth and walleye, even a crappie once. In the section below Island Lake, smallmouth fishing is excellent, particularly between Munger Shaw Road and Highway 53. I have caught walleyes, northerns and catfish occasionally. My dad once caught a big brown trout in that section (in the 1970s or so). I don't think the browns are in there anymore."


There are still browns in the Cloquet. I have seen two caught in the 17" range. I am told that they are stocked in the Uskabwanka and migrate into the Cloquet River.

I saw one caught on a jointed rapala in the rapids under the hwy 53 bridge and the other was caught with a worm a short distance upriver from hwy 53. one was caught 20 yeas ago and the other about 5 yrs ago.
 
03/10/2014 09:48PM  
I agree that any brook trout in the upper Cloquet would be scarce, except maybe near some small, cold tributaries above Hwy 2. Who knows, though? I, too, have talked to several folks who have caught browns near where Hwy 53 crosses, and the whole reach down to the St. Louis would be an excellent brown trout fishery if it were a bit cooler in summer. I have caught browns and brookies in Hellwigs Creek, which enters just above Hwy 53 (Independence). It's very brushy and tough to fish, though.

ArrowheadPaddler, I have not paddled at all above Hwy 2, but if you could find a decent access point (maybe not fully committing at Cloquet Lake), and in moderate flow conditions, it might be a great adventure.
 
ArrowheadPaddler
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03/11/2014 07:28AM  
Although I am generally against futzing around too much with natural processes, it would be interesting to see what would happen to the lower section if the Island Lake dam was converted to a bottom release system, where cold water at the bottom of the lake was released instead of the warm top water. Could perhaps transform the lower section into a fantastic trout fishery (perhaps even brookies?) with miles of mild boulder rapids and gravel swifts.

Gbusk11-good to hear browns are still in there. Would love to catch one someday.
 
Speckled
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03/11/2014 08:07AM  
Not much for brook trout in the cloquet. I've paddled sections of the cloquet above hwy 2. In my opinion you would need a whitwater boat and high water to run it from cloquet lake to hwy 2. I've never been up towards cloquet lake.

So far the descriptions of the hwy 2 to indian section have been spot on. I tried to fish it once...it didn't really work out except for at the start and around the langley, other than that rod was at the bottoem of my canoe and I was shooting through all the rapids.

I've duck hunt back there in the fall with some success as well. It's almost easier to navigate in lower water as you can get out carry over the rock beds/rapids.
 
Tamarack26
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03/11/2014 10:58AM  
Thanks Arrowhead!!

Your info sure answers all my questions. If I can time my days off work this year with the best water level then I'm going to go for it, I think...

I will follow up after I run it.

 
03/11/2014 12:39PM  
quote ArrowheadPaddler: "Although I am generally against futzing around too much with natural processes, it would be interesting to see what would happen to the lower section if the Island Lake dam was converted to a bottom release system, where cold water at the bottom of the lake was released instead of the warm top water. Could perhaps transform the lower section into a fantastic trout fishery (perhaps even brookies?) with miles of mild boulder rapids and gravel swifts.


Gbusk11-good to hear browns are still in there. Would love to catch one someday."


You seem to think the way I do. I have pondered that same scenario!
 
ArrowheadPaddler
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03/11/2014 09:03PM  
quote arctic:
You seem to think the way I do. I have pondered that same scenario!"


Perhaps with the next FERC re-licensing they will consider such a thing. We can dream at least!
 
ArrowheadPaddler
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03/11/2014 09:17PM  
quote Tamarack26: "I will follow up after I run it."


That would be great, also take note of the HWY 44 gauge reading in Brimson.


quote Speckled: " I tried to fish it once...it didn't really work out except for at the start and around the langley."


Interesting, what did you catch?
 
03/11/2014 09:26PM  
quote arctic: "I agree that any brook trout in the upper Cloquet would be scarce, except maybe near some small, cold tributaries above Hwy 2. Who knows, though? I, too, have talked to several folks who have caught browns near where Hwy 53 crosses, and the whole reach down to the St. Louis would be an excellent brown trout fishery if it were a bit cooler in summer. I have caught browns and brookies in Hellwigs Creek, which enters just above Hwy 53 (Independence). It's very brushy and tough to fish, though.


ArrowheadPaddler, I have not paddled at all above Hwy 2, but if you could find a decent access point (maybe not fully committing at Cloquet Lake), and in moderate flow conditions, it might be a great adventure."


About 8 years ago when conditions were right for some reason we caught a half dozen small brook trout just above highway 2. Never to repeat it again over the years. Probably came like you said from a tributary.

Always thought of floating it,but think I would take my old aluminum canoe. I think my kevlar would take a beating on the rocks?
 
bruceye
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03/12/2014 08:55AM  
quote arctic: "I agree that any brook trout in the upper Cloquet would be scarce, except maybe near some small, cold tributaries above Hwy 2. Who knows, though? I, too, have talked to several folks who have caught browns near where Hwy 53 crosses, and the whole reach down to the St. Louis would be an excellent brown trout fishery if it were a bit cooler in summer. I have caught browns and brookies in Hellwigs Creek, which enters just above Hwy 53 (Independence). It's very brushy and tough to fish, though.


ArrowheadPaddler, I have not paddled at all above Hwy 2, but if you could find a decent access point (maybe not fully committing at Cloquet Lake), and in moderate flow conditions, it might be a great adventure."


Hellweggs creek close to the Cloquet river and the White Pine river were two of my favorite Brookie creeks in the early 80's.

 
Speckled
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03/12/2014 12:58PM  
quote ArrowheadPaddler: "
quote Tamarack26: "I will follow up after I run it."



That would be great, also take note of the HWY 44 gauge reading in Brimson.



quote Speckled: " I tried to fish it once...it didn't really work out except for at the start and around the langley."



Interesting, what did you catch?"


Nothing up higher, small northern down by the langley.
 
Bearpaulsen
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03/13/2014 09:13PM  
Wish I would have known about the original post last year. My sister and I paddled from Hwy 15 to just above Indian Lake on 5/4/13. The melt wasn't quite peaking at that point. We'd run a rapid, then pull across ice, run another rapid, bust ice and so on. It was great fun. Wendy wasn't quite as enthusiastic as me - it was 35 and raining. Great whitewater. We paddled a royalex Bell Northwind. I'm afraid I'm terrible about keeping notes. I'm impressed at the detail that Arrowhead Paddler kept. This spring I'm hoping to paddle from the headwaters down.
 
Gbusk11
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03/15/2014 11:01AM  
quote Tamarack26: "Thanks Arrowhead!!


Your info sure answers all my questions. If I can time my days off work this year with the best water level then I'm going to go for it, I think...


I will follow up after I run it.


"


Please follow up with us. I have always been fascinated by the cloquet river.
 
03/15/2014 02:09PM  
One of the few times I flipped a canoe was on a small river in the spring going downstream and got caught by a low overhanging branch. Boy did we flip fast.
 
Woodtick
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03/15/2014 02:29PM  
quote PINETREE: "One of the few times I flipped a canoe was on a small river in the spring going downstream and got caught by a low overhanging branch. Boy did we flip fast."
same here. Early April, before ice out on area lakes was our timeframe. Made the rest of the trip very cold.
 
ArrowheadPaddler
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03/16/2014 10:11AM  
quote Bearpaulsen: "Wish I would have known about the original post last year. My sister and I paddled from Hwy 15 to just above Indian Lake on 5/4/13. The melt wasn't quite peaking at that point. We'd run a rapid, then pull across ice, run another rapid, bust ice and so on. It was great fun. Wendy wasn't quite as enthusiastic as me - it was 35 and raining. Great whitewater. We paddled a royalex Bell Northwind. I'm afraid I'm terrible about keeping notes. I'm impressed at the detail that Arrowhead Paddler kept. This spring I'm hoping to paddle from the headwaters down. "


Let us know how it goes if you end up paddling the headwaters section. I had a similar situation when I paddled the Langley River a number of years ago. We were paddling amongst ice floes and pulling over and carrying around rotting ice in the slack water sections. The Cloquet was clear of ice once we made it there. It made for great adventure, but I am always nervous that a rapids will terminate in ice spanning the width of the river!

There certainly has been more interest and experience in this section of river than I expected!
 
togue
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03/16/2014 10:36AM  
I fish the section just below hwy 53 to the St.louis river. Have seen some nice brookies on that stretch. They are rare though.
 
brantlars
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03/16/2014 11:49AM  
I have fished it above Hwy 11 and caught small brookies. They were bigger before they put the snowmobile trail through that area.
 
Gbusk11
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03/16/2014 12:38PM  
quote brantlars: "I have fished it above Hwy 11 and caught small brookies. They were bigger before they put the snowmobile trail through that area."


Any ideas on how the snowmobile trail may have affected fish size?
 
04/25/2022 12:20PM  
Upper Cloquet River - I came across this thread on a websearch and see if it would work to get some intel and possible interest on this thread.

I am really interested in doing this section on an overnight. Indian Lake to Island Lake. Or maybe it can be done in a day as it seems to really be moving. 35 miles at 4mph would be a 9 hr paddle (7AM-4PM)

- anyone interested in joining me? Possibly this weekend or next or whenever spring comes...
- any info/conversation on "take out" if there is still ice on Island Lake? And how to get to MN Power Boat Launch on East end of the lake?


DNR river map
 
04/25/2022 01:48PM  
Indian to Island is a nice paddle. With spring flows, you can easily complete it in two days - one overnight. An early start and hard push would likely get you through in a day. I've never tried though.

The campsites are ok. The river is beautiful. Portages are easy enough. The section above Indian Lake...day trip and not an easy paddle. I've done it once, don't need to again.
 
gravelroad
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04/25/2022 04:14PM  
hut301: "Upper Cloquet River - I came across this thread on a websearch and see if it would work to get some intel and possible interest on this thread.


I am really interested in doing this section on an overnight. Indian Lake to Island Lake. Or maybe it can be done in a day as it seems to really be moving. 35 miles at 4mph would be a 9 hr paddle (7AM-4PM)


- anyone interested in joining me? Possibly this weekend or next or whenever spring comes...
- any info/conversation on "take out" if there is still ice on Island Lake? And how to get to MN Power Boat Launch on East end of the lake?



DNR river map "




1. Call this guy for info on the MPL Hideaway Recreation Area, where the boat launch is located:
Dave Marciniak, BLMA Site Manager
Dave is the BLMA's resident expert ski trail groomer, grounds manager, and facility operator. Dave does it all! Dave is an MP employee and is stationed out of the Island Lake Reservoir Hideaway Recreation Area Field Office. You can contact Dave at (218) 721-5078.

2. I've driven to the Cloquet River (S) landing in the past. You'll need the clearance of a 4X4 and possibly its traction. There is a small parking area at the landing. I don't know the current state of the road into it.
 
dudz3636
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04/26/2022 09:05PM  
Dave is a friend and coworker of mine. An individual that lives at the inlet of the Cloquet River to Island lake mentioned the river mouth is opening up with water pushing up onto lake. The main body of water will need prolonged above freezing temps and sunlight.
 
04/27/2022 05:00PM  
This was a good read. The gunwales on my canadienne have rotted, im trying to fix it on the cheap but the temperatures won’t cooperate. We plan on running the cloquet as soon as the canoe is ready and hopefully warms up a bit.

We ran the south fork flambeau that spring. It was a poor decision. The river was over the banks and the rapids had huge standing waves. We portaged several sets because I’m a sissy. My brother and son overrode me and shot a set I insisted we portage. I’m not afraid a drowning, I almost drowned twice in rapids in Arctic Canada. Having my son drown was terrifying. He didn’t, he’s good enough to compensate for my brother who spacially challenged.


Here’s my son running a canoe solo because I’m no longer his boss


 
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