At the beginning of August I am looking at going to Alpine Lake. How good is the walleye bass and pike fishing? Also how is the wind on the lake? I am going with my parents and they don’t like windy lakes. Also how are the campsites? With the recent fire that went through do the sites have mature trees to hang bear bags?

Alpine has lots of islands and bays that can help provide shelter from wind, depending on where you are and the direction of the wind. It can still vary a lot.

The bigger challenge is crossing Seagull which is a much bigger lake and can be much more wide open. You can arrange a tow part way on Seagull, but not the whole way. Make sure you get a good weather report in terms of wind direction. Then try to plot a route that provides you as much shelter as possible. Sometimes getting a really early start can help you avoid wind.

That or get a tow part way on Sag and head down through Red Rock.

cyclones30: "That or get a tow part way on Sag and head down through Red Rock. "

Alpine is in the running for our lake to go to this year, and this is the way I was going to get there. Does anyone know how far they will tow on Seagull? Why won't they go the distance?

Cc26: "

cyclones30: "That or get a tow part way on Sag and head down through Red Rock. "

Alpine is in the running for our lake to go to this year, and this is the way I was going to get there. Does anyone know how far they will tow on Seagull? Why won't they go the distance?"

tows go as far as the west end of Three Mile Island.
map

bobbernumber3: "

Cc26: "

cyclones30: "That or get a tow part way on Sag and head down through Red Rock. "

Alpine is in the running for our lake to go to this year, and this is the way I was going to get there. Does anyone know how far they will tow on Seagull? Why won't they go the distance?"

tows go as far as the west end of Three Mile Island.
map "

I rarely ever say things without thinking, but I always seem to type, read, and press submit without thinking. I should have known the motor issue on seagull. duh. haha

Alpine Lake is OK, been through there a few times and camped at the south end. If I were you, I'd prefer to stay/camp on Red Rock, one easy portage away.

Most of Alpine is in a burn area, and bigger mature trees are tough to find at most sites, (I know, I hammock).

Only the southern 1/3 of Red Rock is a burn area, the northern and eastern parts are not, and there are some very nice sites on Red Rock. In my experience fishing is about the same in each lake. About 4 years back my son caught this walleye from shore on Red Rock:


At the south-eastern tip of Red Rock is a shallow, reedy bay that held a lot of bass and pike when we were there.

Also from Red Rock you can take a very short portage (about 20 steps) into Red Rock Bay and then into Sag if you want, to find bigger waters, or day trip down to Alpine. In Alpine fish the area where the falls flow from Jasper into Alpine, especially at dusk for walleye.

straighthairedcurly: "Alpine has lots of islands and bays that can help provide shelter from wind, depending on where you are and the direction of the wind. It can still vary a lot.


The bigger challenge is crossing Seagull which is a much bigger lake and can be much more wide open. You can arrange a tow part way on Seagull, but not the whole way. Make sure you get a good weather report in terms of wind direction. Then try to plot a route that provides you as much shelter as possible. Sometimes getting a really early start can help you avoid wind."

+1 , as far as the fishing on Alpine - it is a good walleye lake with prime spawning habitat , but it has seen better days in the early 90's and you'll find pike and smallies through out these lakes.

Check with Tow operators, but I think you could probably get a tow all the way to the portage into Red Rock via sag. It's east of American Point, so I think it's legal.

Cc26: "

bobbernumber3: "

Cc26: "

cyclones30: "That or get a tow part way on Sag and head down through Red Rock. "

Alpine is in the running for our lake to go to this year, and this is the way I was going to get there. Does anyone know how far they will tow on Seagull? Why won't they go the distance?"

tows go as far as the west end of Three Mile Island.
map "

I rarely ever say things without thinking, but I always seem to type, read, and press submit without thinking. I should have known the motor issue on seagull. duh. haha"

I usually think that I've paid pretty close attention to changes like this, but were any other areas modified in 1999, or was this a one-off? If the history is a touchy one, I'll do the googling myself...

Voyageur outfitters says on their site they'll take you right to the Red Rock portage.

schweady: "I usually think that I've paid pretty close attention to changes like this, but were any other areas modified in 1999, or was this a one-off? If the history is a touchy one, I'll do the googling myself...
"

Did you see how Alder and Canoe were closed to motors after the 1998 truck portage compromise?

analyzer: "Check with Tow operators, but I think you could probably get a tow all the way to the portage into Red Rock via sag. It's east of American Point, so I think it's legal."

This is correct, Seagull Outfitters towed us to the Red Rock portage 2 years ago, and that portage is only about 20 steps long, no exaggeration.

I would rather paddle through Red Rock, which is a pretty lake, than paddle across Seagull if you're headed to Alpine.

inspector13: "

schweady: "I usually think that I've paid pretty close attention to changes like this, but were any other areas modified in 1999, or was this a one-off? If the history is a touchy one, I'll do the googling myself...
"

Did you see how Alder and Canoe were closed to motors after the 1998 truck portage compromise?



"

I did. Some reading last night reminded me of the never-ending struggles to protect this area. Crazy how those two lakes could have remained motor destinations for so long after the wilderness designation. And here, I thought that all of the acreage expansion had stopped in 1978...

I wonder which party was responsible for the irony in keeping Canoe Lake motorized back in ’78.

Alpine is a big lake. Ok...not like Seagull big but yes...if it's windy and you're out paddling you do need to take precautions. That should go without saying, right?

Boppasteveg: "Alpine is a big lake. Ok...not like Seagull big but yes...if it's windy and you're out paddling you do need to take precautions. That should go without saying, right? "

All of those unique lakes in that area -- long, narrow, east-west orientated -- are prone to funneling strong breezes at times that can be tricky to battle.

cyclones30: "Voyageur outfitters says on their site they'll take you right to the Red Rock portage.


"

+1
Can confirm. We have this shuttle to RR portage booked with VCO this summer.

schweady: "

Boppasteveg: "Alpine is a big lake. Ok...not like Seagull big but yes...if it's windy and you're out paddling you do need to take precautions. That should go without saying, right? "

All of those unique lakes in that area -- long, narrow, east-west orientated -- are prone to funneling strong breezes at times that can be tricky to battle.
"

+1 it's+ crazy how the islands and higher shorelines can funnel the wind , 1 second it's at your back next in your FACE !
the long narrow lakes of the east side can get rolling also.