Just wondering what everyone's opinion on Alice lake is. I'm thinking of taking my kids there for their first BW trip. I heard it has nice beaches and campsites and was wondering how the fishing is and where the best campsites are. Thank you.

Lots of excellent beach sites on the Eastern shore. The only problem is that most are exposed to the westerly winds coming across the big lake. You might think about Insula Lake which also has nice beaches and many islands and bays to break up the lake. You can then day trip over to Alice and scout it out.

Alice Lake Campsite

The fishing on Alice was great for us...both quantity and quality.

I agree with snakecharmer.
I have always caught walleyes on Alice.
Great sites, not sure about now, but always saw moose.
Somewhat isolated, depending what part of lake you stay.
Awesome lake.

It's a great lake. It does take some effort to get there. The water is not crystal clear, just fyi.

quote snakecharmer: "The fishing on Alice was great for us...both quantity and quality.

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Nice Walter! Great photo!

Get there early. The good sites go fast

I agree that Insula also has some great sites but since the Pagami fire the Insula sites are busier. The sites on the west side of both Insula and Alice are where you will find the "beach" sites.

quote Grandma L:
The sites on the west side of both Insula and Alice are where you will find the "beach" sites. "

On Alice it's the eastern shore that is lined with 4-5 beach sites.

quote TomT: "

quote Grandma L:
The sites on the west side of both Insula and Alice are where you will find the "beach" sites. "

On Alice it's the eastern shore that is lined with 4-5 beach sites.


"

Oops! you are so right Tom T. East Side for beaches! Helps if I hold the map up the correct way. Thanks for catching that and making the correction!

About how long does it take to reach Alice? I'm assuming Lake One ep is the best option?

quote rupprider: "About how long does it take to reach Alice? I'm assuming Lake One ep is the best option?"

To the end of Insula (pinch on the N. part pf Insula) for my group is about 4-5 hours on the way in. To Alice is at least another 1-2 hours. This is from Lake 1 landing. We usually single trip the ports and paddle quite fast... but times are catching up with us..

Their is a secret lake in the area that ..... I will not tell on here.
E mail for info.

It's a long pull in one day, but I did it with my wife on her first trip. She wasn't real happy with me and said we were NOT going out in one day.

I think it might be around 15 miles. Anybody know how far it really is?

quote Doughboy12: " "

This looks to be the one at the north end on east side. It curves around so you aren't exposed to the westerly winds across the lake. Very nice looking site indeed. I didn't stay there as it was taken.

There's an above water rockpile out from shore near the north east side where we did real good fishing one evening. Smallies and walleyes.

Did the Pagami creek, or any other fire hit Alice or Insula?

The trip to Insula is a 5 to 6 hour trip. First day out this wears most people out. With children I would aim no farther than Insula the fist day. Be on the water by 7:00 AM and your chance at a campsite increases. Alice is a beautiful lake but is very windy. I learned when kids tire they have no reserves. Have fun!

quote TomT: "

quote Doughboy12: " "

This looks to be the one at the north end on east side. It curves around so you aren't exposed to the westerly winds across the lake. Very nice looking site indeed. I didn't stay there as it was taken.


There's an above water rockpile out from shore near the north east side where we did real good fishing one evening. Smallies and walleyes.

Tom you caught smallies in Alice?
Been a few years since I been there,but the lake never use to have smallies.
I know Insula has had them for a few years now.




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Yeah, it was strange because with one lure (crankbait) I caught a walleye, northern, and smallie from the same area around this reef. It was at dusk and we fished almost till dark.

Thanks Tom.
It will be interesting how much of a niche the smallmouth bass make in Alice and if it changes the walleye population.
A few years ago at least in Insula the walleye population took a dip,because of smallmouth presents or just a natural cycle that all lakes experience.

If I remember correctly there is one rapids between Alice and Insula that appeared to be navigable by fish. So it's the same basic river system?

When I was on Alice I spent two days on an east site facing north. The site had a sandy beach. Wind was howling out of the southwest but it was calm at the site. I had a good time. It's reflected in my trip report with some pictures. This site also had some exposed granite along a point that had very visible scars from the glaciers.

quote Exo: "If I remember correctly there is one rapids between Alice and Insula that appeared to be navigable by fish. So it's the same basic river system?


When I was on Alice I spent two days on an east site facing north. The site had a sandy beach. Wind was howling out of the southwest but it was calm at the site. I had a good time. It's reflected in my trip report with some pictures. This site also had some exposed granite along a point that had very visible scars from the glaciers."

I thought the falls right where it goes into Insula would be a barrier,probably was for a short time it looks like? Otherwise there is some rapids,like you mentioned would be no problem.
I heard smallmouth bass are in hope lake now,and that had a couple of pretty good falls etc.. That one surprises me.

Years ago I seen a couple of smallmouth bass in Lake 1,well slowly or not so slowly they made it all the way to Alice. Look at the falls at Hudson etc..

Alice was our first BW camping experience. It took us 10 hours from Lake One(double portaging with 9 people/4 canoes) to get to the east side of the lake. I have no idea how quickly we were moving. We were young and fit, my spouse and I were the only newbies on the trip but we did bring a lot of stuff with us… including a volley ball set.

I’ve tried to figure out which site we were on but I don’t know (1167?) It was incredibly windy… we battled 3 ft waves crossing Alice late in the day. Still the roughest water I have ever paddled.

It’s a beautiful lake, a wonderful place for a first trip. I'd recommend hitting Alice early in the day, esp if you have kids paddling, in hopes that the wind isn’t too strong. Camping on Alice sure got us hooked.

We now trip off the Gunflint Trail and haven’t been out of Ely since the mid-90s. Looking at this old photo, I want to go back.

I'd bet money that you guys were the only people in history to play volleyball on Alice lake....kind of neat, more people have been to the moon then have played volleyball on Alice!

quote Majohnson73: "I'd bet money that you guys were the only people in history to play volleyball on Alice lake....kind of neat, more people have been to the moon then have played volleyball on Alice!"

Looking back at it... i still can't believe we did it. We brought the net, poles and a ball with us. Totally insane. How much space did that take up in one of the duluth packs? I would NEVER do that again. But it was great fun at the time. Then again, in our older age, we would never travel all the way to Alice in one day either :-)

Badminton anyone? That would be lighter...

Pine tree, your right it is somewhat of a falls. I didn't get the impression that it was a fish barrier though.

I have a cabin in northern WI. A system near my cabin had alewives introduced by some moron. Cthey preyed on the walleye hatches. No more walleye. The DNR introduced brown trout to control the alewives, and so the cycle continues. The fish finder shows a solid mass of baitfish at a certain depth throughout the lake. A trophy walleye lake has been reduced to a mediocre brown trout stocked fishery. Very sad.

quote Exo: "Pine tree, your right it is somewhat of a falls. I didn't get the impression that it was a fish barrier though.


I have a cabin in northern WI. A system near my cabin had alewives introduced by some moron. Cthey preyed on the walleye hatches. No more walleye. The DNR introduced brown trout to control the alewives, and so the cycle continues. The fish finder shows a solid mass of baitfish at a certain depth throughout the lake. A trophy walleye lake has been reduced to a mediocre brown trout stocked fishery. Very sad."

One way or the other,apparently it wasn't big enough.

never made it to any of the beach sites.
stayed at a nice site on the southern shore and caught some nice northern.

We stayed on the north shore of Alice in August 2012. (Site 1175) The campsite had a sandy beach, just like the ones on the east shore, but had much less chance of being windbound. The site was small, but it had quite a bit of shoreline that you could hike as well. In the photo, we hiked east from the site out to a small peninsula and enjoyed the view of the lake as well as looking back at camp. We used this as our layover day site on a trip from Kawishiwi Lake to Snowbank lake. Here is the trip report, including campsite reviews.

quote Doughboy12: "Badminton anyone? That would be lighter..."

That would be a blast

does anyone have any pictures of alice lake?

quote Majohnson73: "I'd bet money that you guys were the only people in history to play volleyball on Alice lake....kind of neat, more people have been to the moon then have played volleyball on Alice!"

Haha--great stat! And likely true!

quote sdebol: "

quote Majohnson73: "I'd bet money that you guys were the only people in history to play volleyball on Alice lake....kind of neat, more people have been to the moon then have played volleyball on Alice!"

Haha--great stat! And likely true!"

I'm starting to think about doing it again ;-)

We are talking about going back to Alice this summer...with two of the people from that first trip. The couple that dragged us along and got us hooked on the BW. Between our two families, we have had too many kids to trip together in nearly 15 years. but are thinking of going on an adult-only trip this summer for our 25th wedding anniversary.

quote Majohnson73: "does anyone have any pictures of alice lake?"

The NE "Chute".