BWCA Luella Lake - Anybody been there?? Boundary Waters Group Forum: Wabakimi
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      Luella Lake - Anybody been there??     

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01/22/2014 05:52PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
 
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mrcanoe
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01/22/2014 07:12PM  
For a simple question, a simple answer ... yes.

Now what do you really want to know?
 
01/23/2014 06:11PM  
Well, if it's wallee askin' I'm bettin' there's gonna be fishin' coming up... ;)
 
01/23/2014 07:27PM  
quote jcavenagh: "Well, if it's wallee askin' I'm bettin' there's gonna be fishin' coming up... ;)"
Yes, you are right! I was wondering if anybody has wet a line there, and could give me a report. I will be there for a week this summer.
 
01/24/2014 11:55AM  
Yep, Was there with Wabakimi Project trip last June. With only modest fishing, we were able to get walleye for dinner (in particular, along the flowage of Atwood River towards Atwood Lake). Did not try much fishing at flowage from Kilbarry up towards Luella, but Mattice Lake Outfitters maintains a portage at that end and you might try for walleye (and brookies in the good flow/high aeration areas) there and also at the outflow end (where Wabakimi Project team cleared a portage towards Atwood Lake. Talked to a fisherman on Luella who uses a #9 flyrod and mouse fly (!) for brookies (up to ca. 24"). When I asked why the pretty heavy rod weight, he remarked that he does not like to play the fish for long, as they get stressed (the water is not real cold, but the brookies seem to do OK in the well-aerated stretches at the bottoms of flowages). Are you using Mattice Lake Outfitters? They are great folks.
 
01/24/2014 12:52PM  
Yes, we are using Mattice outfitters . Have heard nothing but good things about them. Hope the fishing will be good . I wan't to target Lakers and Walleyes. I will spend a day or two on the river for Brookies.
 
01/24/2014 07:43PM  
Tried the outflow pools between rapids towards Atwood Lake and had only walleye (but nothing wrong with that). Others had luck (for brookies) on the bottom of that flowage, though it can take some work to get to. When you go for brookies (speckled trout),it seems you are most likely to get them at the very bottom of the flowage, in really well aerated spots. I have caught them on other tributaries to the Albany on spoons (using a spinning rod); had not brought a flyrod to the Wabakimi Project. It is a beautiful piece of country.
 
01/24/2014 08:11PM  
PS, the outflow fishing (from Luella towards Atwood L.) in pools and drops was from shore spots, river left (expect to do some wading, if you want some decent casts). There are good pools along the way, but they probably rarely ever see a canoe (or larger boat). There is a rough trail river-left (Mattice can fill you in); I was not on the (Wabakimi Project) week that did the portage on river right, so I have no info on that. Am sure it connects up to the river below, though. Would love a trip report, if you are inclined. Best, Wabi folks.
 
01/24/2014 08:49PM  
Thanks rtallent, this is the kind of info I was looking for. I have heard Luella holds a native strain of Lake Trout. I sure hope we find them.
 
01/25/2014 03:26PM  
I've paddled through Luella while on a 22-day loop. There is a fly-in outpost there. The Atwood River between Luella and Atwood Lakes was in severe flood when we passed through, making some of the most dangerous water I had ever paddled. All portaging was gnarly bushwhacking, followed by critical maneuvering in churning river segment. I understand that the Wabikimi Project cleared the portages through there last year.

Both Luella and Atwood Lakes contain walleyes and lake trout (as well as the usual pike), and I suspect the annual run of brook trout coming up from the Albany utilizes the area. I fished for brookies along the lowest half-mile of Weese Creek (a decent-sized stream flowing into the north shore of Atwood Lake), but caught none, as it was late in the season (August) and the water was pretty warm. A well-used fisherman's trail leads up the the east side of the stream. I suspect there might be a significant harvest of brookies from that stream when they are in there.

On a different trip, way back in 1986, we saw some huge brook trout in the Atwood River itself, well below Atwood Lake.
 
BV
member (25)member
  
01/26/2014 04:42PM  
Walllee,I can vouch for what rtallent has related about Luella and the Attwood. He, myself,and four other participants spent about seven days locating and clearing the old portage on river right, which bypasses the many set of rapids on the Attwood out of Luella. There is now one access point to the river that could be fished about 200m from the start of the portage on river rt. At the end of the original 1100m portage, we found a steep embankment with no good landing, or place to fish. We extended the portage another 400m to bypass another set of rapids, through a blow down, and to a more gentle slope with a good natural landing below another set of rapids. After we carried the long portage, we dipped our lines; and I was delighted to land a nice Brooke. There is one more set of rapids down river before the Attwood becomes free of obstructions on its way to Attwood Lk. We caught lots of Walleye through the rest of the river. I have no information on Lakers, but Mattice Lake Outfitters are the best and will be able to give you advice. Their outpost camp is over 3 miles SW of the river's outflow.




Come join The Wabakimi Project for fabulous canoe tripping!
 
01/26/2014 06:53PM  
quote BV: "Walllee,I can vouch for what rtallent has related about Luella and the Attwood. He, myself,and four other participants spent about seven days locating and clearing the old portage on river right, which bypasses the many set of rapids on the Attwood out of Luella. There is now one access point to the river that could be fished about 200m from the start of the portage on river rt. At the end of the original 1100m portage, we found a steep embankment with no good landing, or place to fish. We extended the portage another 400m to bypass another set of rapids, through a blow down, and to a more gentle slope with a good natural landing below another set of rapids. After we carried the long portage, we dipped our lines; and I was delighted to land a nice Brooke. There is one more set of rapids down river before the Attwood becomes free of obstructions on its way to Attwood Lk. We caught lots of Walleye through the rest of the river. I have no information on Lakers, but Mattice Lake Outfitters are the best and will be able to give you advice. Their outpost camp is over 3 miles SW of the river's outflow. Thanks for the info. The Wabakimi project sounds like something I would like to be a part of. I will see you guys in Madison in a few weeks.






Come join The Wabakimi Project for fabulous canoe tripping!"
 
BV
member (25)member
  
01/26/2014 08:13PM  
Yes, do stop by The Project's display in the atrium or main hallway outside of the entrance to the Expo's showroom! Many participants will be there to answer any questions you might have. I think there will be at least five of us attending the show who were on Luella.
 
01/26/2014 08:30PM  
will do!!!!
 
mrcanoe
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01/26/2014 09:07PM  
I'll be in Madison too. I can't vouch for Luella, but I can vouch for Bill as a fisherman.
Nice walleye from Savant Lake, Wabakimi Project 2009.
 
BV
member (25)member
  
01/27/2014 09:40AM  
Mrcanoe, thanks for being my guide when fishing for that Pickerel! We're sure glad you can come to Mad Town this March! Have a safe trip on the long drive to here.
 
walter
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01/28/2017 11:02AM  
I know it was some time back, but how was it?! We are planning a Wabakimi trip for this year and this area sounds great. Did you canoe or did you stay at the outpost? How was the fishing, did you find those lakers?

Would a canoe trip be possible in this area? We will be in contact with an outfitter, but are wondering if Kilbarry through Luella to Attwood would be a possible trip over 7 nights. Fly in Fly out, maybe a night on Kilbarry and 3 each on Luella & Attwood? We love to fish and this area sounds appealing based on the limited info we've been able to find...
 
BV
member (25)member
  
01/30/2017 08:49PM  
Walter, I spent three weeks with The Wabakimi Project in 2013 on the Attwood River, part of the time with rtallent. It is a wonderful river and the lakes are fun! You certainly can make a great canoe trip of whatever length you want. You have lots of flexibility for put in and take out points, as Mattice Lake Outfitters has some fishing outpost camps in the area. These make loading and unloading the canoes easy for you and the pilots. However, they will also drop you off and pick you up on the water. As mrcanoe pointed out, Vol. 4 of the maps by The Wabakimi Project has this route completed.

We had good fishing for Pickerel, Northern and an occassional Brooke Trout. I have no idea about Lakers, but Mattice Lk. Outfitters can help you. I was in the area the second through fourth weeks of June. There are great campsites all the way from the SW end of Kilbarry to Hurst Lk, except for the stretch on the river between the outflow of Kilbarry to Portage Lk. You would probably just travel through this area anyway on your way to Luella. There is one 1520 m. portage from Luella to the river leading to Attwood Lk. I would love for someone to travel that as there was a lot of time and energy expended there! Have a great trip!
 
02/01/2017 01:12PM  
Hi Bill and Walter,
Here is a link to a trip report by Vern Fish of Iowa. I had the pleasure of chatting with him at a canoe get-together in Cedar Rapids a short while back. He and his partner, Hank, went through that route in 2016. Seems like they had more difficulty coming out of Pine Bay on Shabuskwia than we had (we were able to paddle/walk the creek with some pullovers); I suspect they hit lower water conditions. They also noted the portage from Luella to Atwood was challenging, due to down logs. Bill and Jim Kerler and their spouses spent a great deal of work to map and clear that trail in 2013. Something we talk about on the Wabakimi Project: we can map and clear the trails, but they need some traffic and help to stay clear. Hope this doesn't dissuade you, as that is some fine country. Ray T.
 
02/01/2017 01:29PM  
Oh yeah, the link: http://canoeing.com/rendezvous/triplogs/triplog17_vfish.htm Vern Fish canoes Wabakimi area
 
BV
member (25)member
  
02/01/2017 02:23PM  
Ray, Thanks for the link to Vern Fish's 2016 trip report of his 20 day excursion through some of the territory you, I and others on The Wabakimi Project have experienced! His report brought back many memories! Your comment about needing trippping use was driven home by Vern's description of the bad conditions he encountered on the long portage between Luella and Attwood Lakes. It only took three years to mess up our work! We can clear and document, but nature is always working to reclaim what we create. Vern and Hank are to be commended for their long and successful trip. The trip report was great!
 
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