Which way does the current flow Bisk Pickerel portage?

I checked another site and found out the portage is downhill going from Pickerel to Bisk. So I would think the current would be flowing from Pickerel to Bisk.

Yes, the water flows past the damn at Pickerel down a river channel into Bisk. This is all considered the Pickerel River where if flows into Upper Sturgeon Lake and joins the Maligne River at Sturgeon Narrows.

the Pickerel to Bisk portage is not that bad for elevation change, very gradual. Only challenge is the wet spots depending on water levels in the river. The portages through the B chain are around scenic little rapids. They are short, fairly easy and interesting. Have your camera ready. The long portage between Fern and Oliphant along the Pickerel river is another story. Lots of elevation change (going either way) as is travels up and down through the river gorge. Sometimes you're right along, or in the river, sometimes you're high above the river. It's a heart thumper. Don't be fooled by the one spot where it looks like you can put your canoe back in a pool and paddle for a little ways....it's a short stretch and not worth it. Stay on the portage to the end.

quote cowdoc: "The portages through the B chain are around scenic little rapids. They are short, fairly easy and interesting. Have your camera ready. The long portage between Fern and Oliphant along the Pickerel river is another story. Lots of elevation change (going either way) as is travels up and down through the river gorge. Sometimes you're right along, or in the river, sometimes you're high above the river. It's a heart thumper. Don't be fooled by the one spot where it looks like you can put your canoe back in a pool and paddle for a little ways....it's a short stretch and not worth it. Stay on the portage to the end."

What cowdoc and Kiporby said.

Due to the fact we were coming from Olifaunt Lake, we were traveling upstream to Pickerel Lake. Pictured below: walking the rapids upstream on the Pickerel River, short portage on the "B Chain", and campsite on Olifaunt Lake.

Hans Solo

quote cowdoc: "the Pickerel to Bisk portage is not that bad for elevation change, very gradual. Only challenge is the wet spots depending on water levels in the river. The portages through the B chain are around scenic little rapids. They are short, fairly easy and interesting. Have your camera ready. The long portage between Fern and Oliphant along the Pickerel river is another story. Lots of elevation change (going either way) as is travels up and down through the river gorge. Sometimes you're right along, or in the river, sometimes you're high above the river. It's a heart thumper. Don't be fooled by the one spot where it looks like you can put your canoe back in a pool and paddle for a little ways....it's a short stretch and not worth it. Stay on the portage to the end."

Thanks for the description of the portages I was looking at doing this section this year.

IT IS BEAUTIFUL!

SunCatcher

Might add that the Pickerel-Bisk portage is often used by those basing on Pickerel who carry a canoe and fishing tackle down to fish the in-flow, or to go further on day trips. And YES it is a beautiful, underrated area. --Goose

Fern to Oli not for the faint of heart but a must see in Quetico. Our group did the entire trip from Sturgeon to Pickeral in one day. I do not recommend one day. Try to do it in two. Fern is a gem of a lake and an excellent lay over spot. I will go back and maybe take several days or a week to enjoy this area. Pics do not do it justice. The flow of water through here is amazing.

We went from Russel to the campsite at the Bisk/Beg junction in a day via Sturgeaon and Oli. Had to line our canoes up through some heavy current spots a couple times, and had to really dig into some current below a couple portages a couple times. (Those spots would have been nice to have shot through going downstream) It was a fairly long day. The next day, we paddled from that campsite all the way out to French.

quote cowdoc: "Those spots would have been nice to have shot through going downstream."

They were ;-)

Above the dam is Pickerel Lake; below the dam the water flows into Bisk Lake (shot Sept. 2014 standing adjacent to the Pickerel/Bisk portage). Despite the flow you see here, the final riffle you can paddle through when you enter Olifaunt seems very tame.

Other spots on the map show D for dam and are earthen dams. The picture shows this one is a real dam. Wonder when this was built?

Originally built by logging company almost 100 years ago. Present structure dates to c.1958. There was talk about removing part or all of it and letting Pickerel return to it's former level. --Goose

quote OldGreyGoose: "There was talk about removing part or all of it and letting Pickerel return to it's former level. --Goose"

I seriously wish they would remove the dam. It really doesn't serve much of a purpose anymore and it's just an unattractive wart on an otherwise beautiful landscape.

I find the Historical relics of the Dawson Trail and the logging days fascinating and part of Quetico's "personality". But the concrete dam is ugly and looks horribly out of place.

Hans Solo

quote OldGreyGoose: "Originally built by logging company almost 100 years ago. Present structure dates to c.1958. There was talk about removing part or all of it and letting Pickerel return to it's former level. --Goose"

Great idea.

Great area, easy portages and good fishing untill you get to the Fern Oliphant portage, that is mostly down hill but long.

Encountered my first bear on one of the island campsites on Fern lake, we left after we could not run it off.

Anthony

Planning to do the Pickeral lake this year,just debating the Nymph(sp) 0r the French lake entrance. Like to go in May or early June.

quote Pinetree: "Planning to do the Pickeral lake this year,just debating the Nymph(sp) 0r the French lake entrance. Like to go in May or early June."

It's Nym. I did that way last year and it's really not that bad of a portage from Nym into Batchewaung Lake and then over to Pickerel Lake. If you put in at French Lake there are no portages to Pickerel.

My 2 cents...For me, Nym and the portage to Batch is a waste of paddling and energy BEFORE I actually get to Pickerel. Entering at French Lake (EARLY AM!!!) you immediately are on the beautiful, meandering river arm and then hit Pickerel at "The Pines." Unless winds are horrific from the West (that's why I said "early AM") you are camping somewhere in mid to Western Pickerel with no portages. On the other hand, from Nym you have to paddle Nym -- and you need to take a compass bearing for the portage before leaving shore -- find the portage, do the portage, then paddle Batch, which is almost always into a headwind, even with an early start, and you're probably going to want to camp by the time you clear Batch Bay and reach Pickerel Narrows. IF Pickerel Narrows IS your final destination, say for base camping, then Nym makes sense. Again, just my 2 cents. --Goose

quote Pinetree: "

quote OldGreyGoose: "Originally built by logging company almost 100 years ago. Present structure dates to c.1958. There was talk about removing part or all of it and letting Pickerel return to it's former level. --Goose"

Great idea."

While I don't disagree with this sentiment, I DO wonder what impact removing the dam would have on a practical level.

The dam looks like it probably raises the water level on Pickerel by at least 5 feet (probably more). What would Pickerel look like if it were 5 feet lower?

Certainly the multiple islands north and north-northwest of the dam would become a single land mass. Some of the islands shown on many current maps do not have a navigable waterway between them, and others that do only amount to less than a foot of water.

The passage to Rawn through Rawn Narrows is likely less than 5 feet deep in spots, especially in the reed covered area. This would mean a new portage in all likelihood.

Would the river between French Lake and Pickerel be navigable? Most certainly the exit from French into the river would become a large flat marsh of only a couple of inches of water. Would this force the entry into Pickerel to be from Stanton Bay?

There are likely other issues that haven't come to mind, but at least those gives me some pause concerning removing a structure that is clearly an eye sore (seeing all the orange buoys strung across in front of the dam from the other side of the photo I posted is just butt ugly).

dd

quote OldGreyGoose: "My 2 cents...For me, Nym and the portage to Batch is a waste of paddling and energy BEFORE I actually get to Pickerel. Entering at French Lake (EARLY AM!!!) you immediately are on the beautiful, meandering river arm and then hit Pickerel at "The Pines." Unless winds are horrific from the West (that's why I said "early AM") you are camping somewhere in mid to Western Pickerel with no portages. On the other hand, from Nym you have to paddle Nym -- and you need to take a compass bearing for the portage before leaving shore -- find the portage, do the portage, then paddle Batch, which is almost always into a headwind, even with an early start, and you're probably going to want to camp by the time you clear Batch Bay and reach Pickerel Narrows. IF Pickerel Narrows IS your final destination, say for base camping, then Nym makes sense. Again, just my 2 cents. --Goose"

I agree with Goose, but it depends WHERE on Pickerel Lake your intending to ultimately travel or camp, that is if you're base-camping.

If you're heading to the "B Lakes", (i.e., Bisk, Beg, Bud), south of the concrete dam on Pickerel Lake, then entering at French Lake and traveling through Pickerel is the best EP choice.

A nice loop is to enter at French Lake and travel through Pickerel, then south through the "B Lakes" to Olifaunt Lake. After that, you can portage out of Olifaunt Lake to Sturgeon Lake, and eventually head north through Deux Rivieres, Twin Lakes, Dore' Lake, Pine Portage Bay and back through Pickerel to French Lake.

If that your intended route, then the Nym Lake EP would be a waste of time and energy as Goose mentioned.

I personally like the Nym Lake EP, but it's best accessed for heading south through Jesse Lake down to Sturgeon Lake and beyond, or turning west at Jesse Lake and traveling west out to Quetico Lake, or heading through Batchewaung Bay and then traveling west to McAlpine Lake and the long lakes along the northwest region of the Park.

The Batchewaung Bay area has some very nice island campsites, and the Pickerel Narrows, (both pictured below), has proven to be a real Small-mouth Bass hot spot; at least for us.

Hans Solo

If you are being dropped off by a local outfitter, or have Canadian plates, I believe Stanton Bay is the quickest EP to Pickerel.

quote AdamXChicago: "If you are being dropped off by a local outfitter, or have Canadian plates, I believe Stanton Bay is the quickest EP to Pickerel."

Absolutely. But that road condition varies from year to year and sometimes outfitters may steer you away from it. Aside: sometimes great SMB fishing at SB and in the channel from SB to Pickerel! --Goose

@HansSolo

We are going in through Nym first weekend of June and looking to basecamp in the Pickerel narrows east of Batch bay. Any tips for fishing that area? I’m sure it’s all good. Also, any campsites in the narrows you’d recommend for a basecamp? Or would you basecamp in batch bay and day trip over into the narrows for fishing?

Thank you!

Regarding the dams.

Agreed that they are out of place. However, I think we love them more than we realize at times. I'm not sure what what Pickeral would look like without it. I was thinking about the dam at Prairie Portage. Think about how the Moose Lake chain would look if the dam was gone. I think it's got to be a 15' tall dam?

Tom

dentondoc: "Above the dam is Pickerel Lake; below the dam the water flows into Bisk Lake (shot Sept. 2014 standing adjacent to the Pickerel/Bisk portage). Despite the flow you see here, the final riffle you can paddle through when you enter Olifaunt seems very tame.

"

I remember reading that Pickerel Lake is currently at it's natural level, or very close. In the picture, you can see the slots in each spillway that were used to add height to this dam. They have been removed, and I believe that removing the dam would only make a minor change in the level of Pickerel Lake.

Edit to add:
All the nice sand beaches on Pickerel are a result of the years of higher water levels before it was returned to natural levels.