More detailed trip report with photos to follow - just returned from 3 nights on Clearwater. Every time I go back there so impressed with the scenery - fun trip. 6-10 inches of ice, medium-significant slush - which made for hard travel conditions because the temperature caused immediate ice up of slush on our sleds. Took a couple of day snowshoe hikes. Tried to hike the border route trail, but because of a storm in December with heavy snow many, many trees tipped over blocking the trail, so pretty much hiked on the lake. Limited fishing time due to teens below zero as highs a couple days with a brisk wind. Pretty much total solitude - usually on the way in you see the permanent fish houses but since no driving this year they were not there - only person we saw was in a portable eskimo on the way out.Surprised there were no other winter campers as this is usually one of the busier areas with easy access and the 3 day weekend for many!

Sound like a great time you had!
Our group is entering Daniels lake on Friday. Hoping for less slush and more fishing. Weather will not challenge us as much as you have experienced. Just west of Stillwater and hopefully as much solitude.
I'm glad you had a tremendous trip. Any Wolf sounds?

Where id you park at Clearwater?

Mike

Heading to Clearwater for some camping and fishing on Friday. Looks like beautiful weather for camping. How's the fishing out there?

Thanks for the update. Sucks about the slush. I hadn't heard the no driving change. What exactly is that? Does this mean no ice road on Clearwater? No snowmobiles? Thanks.

perhaps he means that no one had driven on the lake yet since it just froze over early January-ish

quote jake68: "More detailed trip report with photos to follow - just returned from 3 nights on Clearwater. Every time I go back there so impressed with the scenery - fun trip. 6-10 inches of ice, medium-significant slush - which made for hard travel conditions because the temperature caused immediate ice up of slush on our sleds. Took a couple of day snowshoe hikes. Tried to hike the border route trail, but because of a storm in December with heavy snow many, many trees tipped over blocking the trail, so pretty much hiked on the lake. Limited fishing time due to teens below zero as highs a couple days with a brisk wind. Pretty much total solitude - usually on the way in you see the permanent fish houses but since no driving this year they were not there - only person we saw was in a portable eskimo on the way out.Surprised there were no other winter campers as this is usually one of the busier areas with easy access and the 3 day weekend for many!"

I think the cold and thin ice this year slowed down trout fishing in many areas but not all.

One trout lake on the Fernberg had 80 portable fishouses Saturday.

No wolf sounds. We parked right at the launch and the road is very well plowed all of the way to it. The no driving referenced no vehicles because ice too thin - usually a plowed road on ice for couple hundred yards because bwca starts further up. Look forward to hearing how Daniels is.