I was scheduled to enter Woodland Caribou PP this Saturday for a 4-night trip. There is a large fire within the park and my entry point just got shut down since the fire made a 20km run to the north. So now I'm all packed with nowhere to go.

I'm thinking about planning a trip to the Q instead. I would enter Canada through International Falls (I don't have an RABC permit) Saturday morning.

Does anybody have a recommendation on a 4-night trip where I can catch walleye and lake trout? Any help is greatly appreciated since I only have two days to plan!

With four nights you could really explore Pickerel Lake, an excellent place to find walleyes and lake trout of all sizes in a wide variety of places.

Or you could drop down to the Walter Lake area (put in at Nym Lake) and fish those nice lakes.

Enter at Beaverhouse and head into Quetico, portage over to Kasakokwog, then take the portage to Cirrus and back out to Beaverhouse. This gives you a short loop and provides excellent fishing opportunities. If you want diversion, there are quite a few pictographs on Quetico (and one on Cirrus), and easy access to Sue Falls on Cirrus (almost directly across from the portage to Kas).

I'm starting a my second Quetico trip of the year heading that direction in July (but proceeding on eastward).

If you can get to Atikokan early enough the day before (shouldn't be a problem based on where you live), you can pick up your permit and avoid paddling across the lake to the ranger station on your entry date.

Too bad about the WCPP fire. Looks like it burned over almost all of the route I took back about 5 years ago.

dd

I'm leaning towards entry at Beaverhouse and then towards Quetico. Looks like plenty good fishing and a lot of areas to explore. Thanks for the information! I will have to get the permit on Beaverhouse. I likely won't get there until late morning. Thanks!

I don't exactly know what your prior experiences are with travel in Quetico, so this could be totally unnecessary.

Unlike WCPP, where you can simply let the park know where and when you are entering, you must be "pre-approved" for an entry point for Quetico. So, don't show up at the Beaverhouse Ranger Station (unannounced) and expect to be issued a permit. (And I don't think there is a specific permit for Beaverhouse. They are typically assigned to either Cirrus or Quetico lakes.) They have an online registration system, but based on the short lead time you are faced with, I'd recommend making a phone call to the park to confirm availability of a permit for your entry date. You will pay $100 (CAN) to secure the permit, which will be applied to your camping fees for your trip.

On a "sights to look out for" level, you might also encounter relics from logging days of old on your journey through this area. One in particular that you might encounter is a abandoned automobile (early 1900's vintage) that lies along the portage from Beaverhouse to Quetico.

I wish you luck on securing a permit. (You might also want to check out the possibility of acquiring a Lerome permit if other permits for the area are not available. Running this route drops you into Sue Falls area of Cirrus, previously mentioned.)

dd

Thanks dentondoc- I was able to secure a permit for entry through Quetico Lake on Saturday. Since I'll be heading up Saturday morning I'll need to get the permit at Beaverhouse. The online issuing system was pretty user friendly. I just need to pick up a few deep diving Rapalas and I should be in good shape.

quote karola: "I was able to secure a permit for entry through Quetico Lake on Saturday. Since I'll be heading up Saturday morning I'll need to get the permit at Beaverhouse. "

No Saturday office hours yet at the Atikokan ranger station or you're just choosing to save the trip into Atikokan and get the permit on Beaverhouse? Since you're coming from Int'l Falls / Fort Frances, it can be a toss-up on which way to do it.

quote Jackfish: "No Saturday office hours yet at the Atikokan ranger station or you're just choosing to save the trip into Atikokan and get the permit on Beaverhouse? Since you're coming from Int'l Falls / Fort Frances, it can be a toss-up on which way to do it. "

I will be staying in Virginia Friday night and leaving from there early Saturday morning so my only option will be Beaverhouse.

karola,

Don't forget about the Quetico fire ban. Just looked this morning and it is still in effect.

To quote.... The Restricted Fire Zone remains in effect in the Northwest Region and enforcement patrols are ongoing. Charges and fines have been laid as a result of these patrols.

Have a great trip. Beaverhouse and Quetico are amazing.

Side note - these are BIG water lakes. No room for error. Be safe.

Old Hoosier

quote Old Hoosier: "Don't forget about the Quetico fire ban. Just looked this morning and it is still in effect.

To quote.... The Restricted Fire Zone remains in effect in the Northwest Region and enforcement patrols are ongoing. Charges and fines have been laid as a result of these patrols."

I did see that about the ban, I was prepared for that in WCPP as well.

The forecast isn't currently calling for strong winds so that's a plus. I plan on camping on the far east side of Quetico so should have plenty of options for fishing should the winds pick up.

Thanks to all of you who provided input on my question. It was overall a great, but wet, trip. We got our permit at the Beaverhouse Ranger Station Saturday afternoon and headed into Quetico Lake afterwards. Fished a bit on Sunday in the rain, caught one northern for dinner and hung out under the tarp for the rest of the day.

Monday was beautiful and we trolled Rapalas/spoons along the shoreline. Caught a bunch of northerns and a few walleyes.

Tuesday was a soaker and we packed up camp and headed to Beaverhouse for the last night. Caught walleye dinner in the rapids between Quetico and Beaverhouse in a matter of 5 minutes. Camped on a nice beach near the rapids and in bed by 8pm.

Next day trolled Beaverhouse all the way to the entry point. Never caught a lake trout. I'm guessing that was due to the heavier, white line leader we were using? I guess it is a trade off between catching lake trout and losing Rapala/spoons to pike.

I'll be going to Woodland Caribou next May and then Wabakimi in 2018. I will definitely be returning to Quetico after that. Heck, I can get there in 5 hours from my house!

Always nice to hear back after one trips. Thanks.

Glad to hear you made the trip and had some success with the fish!