My current plan is to do a loop trip at the end of Aug into Sept that would start at Stanton Bay, go down through Kawnipi and return through Cache Lake to French Lake. Any of you experienced trippers care to share experiences, advice, warnings, route suggestions or anything else?

I will be a few days short of 68, on my second solo trip (first was 10 days in BWCA) and interested in solitude, fishing and wildlife. Not being a very experienced canoeist, my biggest worry on a solo is large water and high winds, which I avoided last trip by sticking to small lakes. Yes, Pickerel is not small.

You mention not being a very experienced canoeist. If that is the case, you might want to reconsider getting back to French Lake via the Cache Lake Portages, as these are in the top 5 toughest portages in the park.

A great part of the park, though...

Thank you. That's helpful information. My inexperience as a canoeist might not be as important for the portages as my age. Are the portages tough in terms of length or in terms of ankle turning boulders and such?

You would recommend returning from Kawnipi to Stanton Bay perhaps by a different route or is there another destination you recommend besides Kawnipi? My thought about Kawnipi is that I might settle in somewhere for a few days and explore and fish from a base camp.

I always appreciate hearing from experienced people. Thanks again.

David B

The Cache Lake portages are long and through a lot of deep muck. Each portage is over two miles long. Kawnipi is an excellent lake, but your route back might have to parallel the route you took in if you want variety--maybe veering down through Heronshaw, Baird, Camel, Fred, and Sturgeon Lakes, and back up to Pickerel.

Leaving or entering Pickerel Lake you also have a couple of choices to get to/from Sturgeon:
Pine Portage Bay, Dore, Twin Lakes ---or Bisk, Beg, and Fern Lakes.

I agree with artic. I'm 72 and at 68 I would never have considered the Cache Lake option. BTW, the B lakes(Beg, Bud, Bisk) are beautiful and lesser used. If you went in that way and out via Dore/Twin you would be going downhill on the 1 miler from Fern to Olifaunt. Anyway you slice it, you'll have a challenge with this plan. Any reason for starting and ending around Pickerel? What about options involving a shuttle to say Beaverhouse? --Goose

Thank you, Grey Goose. I think I will set the Cache Lake to French Lake idea aside. Really my reason for thinking about the Pickerel Lake start and finish was that I became intrigued with Kawnipi as a lake that was big enough to keep me exploring and fishing for more time than I would actually have but be narrow enough so as not to be as pushy as the bigger lakes like Pickerel. That and the fact that I am driving from CT and it is closer than the Beaverhouse entry.

I also had a nice interaction with Doug Chapman at Quetico outfitters a couple of weeks ago. I would be very interested in hearing any specific suggestions you would care to make. Have you experience with good outfitters on the Beaverhouse side? My goals are wilderness solitude, fishing and wildlife. Small lakes without too many other people that also have walleye are ideal.

Lots of questions. What do you think?

Doug is a great guy. He will be shuttling us and renting is canoes as he has done twice before for our trip in August. He can drop you at any of the Northern entry points and pick you up at a different one. We are going from Stanton Bay on Pickeral and out to Beaverhouse this year.

Having done the reverse loop (entry at French to Cache and back out at Stanton), I can confirm that you made a wise selection to pass on it. What OGG wrote about the B-lakes stretch is spot-on. Smaller lakes; light traffic; fishing has been good (though I've never had great success in August in general). You might try basecamping on upper Sturgeon or Russell. If you are considering looping back via Deux Riviere, bear in mind that shallow water levels in August/September can make this stretch a bit more of a hassle.
Paddle on...
AdamX

Here is some advice which might be helpful to an inexperienced soloist......after you establish your base camp and decide to head out fishing you will need some weight in your boat. Empty solo boats can be a bit "tippy" so I usually add some rocks but you could bring a plastic collapsible water dispenser of sorts (several gallons). Something which will add weight to your vessel. I am looking at canvas type grocery bags so I am not lifting just one or two large rocks......plus they have a handle.

Kawanipi is an excellent choice but is probably a bit bigger than you might envision. The solos handle bumpy water quite nicely however (as long as current isn't thrown in with the waves....then things can get dicey). Having said that I am a believer in staying near shore when it's rough.....you will encounter some "bounce back" or deflection waves but I generally have little issues with those and you can just Bob around like a cork.

I do advocate that you go out on some rougher water.....again staying near shore so if you do dump you will be able to self rescue. You will find that the choppy stuff can be quite fun and exhilarating and navigated with a high confidence......but I repeat......avoid being offshore during rough water regardless of confidence.

Getting to Kawnipi and spending much time there could be a problem with just 10 days, starting from Pickerel. (Most peole targeting Kawnipi enter via Cache Bay on the MN side I'd say.) Also, K can be quite popular and is so big that you could spend weeks exploring. Some "specifics"...

From either Pickerel entry I would take the B lakes route down to Sturgeon, then take the Cutty Creek lakes--Camel has awesome walleyes--which are little traveled to Kawnipi's West end. Heading back you could take the Poet Chain lakes back to Sturgeon then come out to Pickerel through Twin and Dore. If you don't have time to see much of Kawnipi, at least you will travel what I consider "the heart of the Park." This route is almost entirely small lakes. Some solitude should be found especially on the Cutty Creek stretch. Fishing options abound, especially with all the inflows and outflows you will pass. Fish below each falls on the Poets for sure. Wildlife is hit and miss, but with luck you might see moose. --Goose

Do not try the Deux River in August. You will wade muck and fight leaches more than anyone cares for.

Thank you both for the information. My previous solo I did figure out that the weight in the boat and the distribution of the weight were both important determinants of how the canoe handled. I like the idea of many smaller rocks in a garbage bag instead of a few big ones and I will do that. In windy conditions is it best to shift the weight forward in the boat if going into the wind and rearward when away from the wind?
Grey Goose, the loop you suggested seems like a good option though I was not certain what comprises the Cutty Creek Lakes, or where the Deux River is. I think I need better maps.
Finally, with respect to solitude, I expect that the later I go the more solitude but I will have to balance that against less predictable weather and shorter day length. I have appreciated all of the help. Now I guess I need to get on with a concrete plan.

Not a guest paddler, just forgot to login. David B

Another suggestion would be to go down through Dore to Fred and then down through Cutty Creek to Kawnipi and then back up through Alice to Russell and then up through the Lonely Chain to Mosquito Point and then hug the north shore of Pickeral until you get to French. This would not give you more than one day in Kawnipi but you would see many small good fishing lakes. In addition you would be on the North shore of Pickeral which usually is a plus. The longest portage is no more than half a mile and none of them are through bog. I have taken over 25 trips through Dore in late August and have only had to walk part of the creek to Sturgeon once and that includes all the drought years.