We slept in for us on this trip, like 7:30am. Got moving and made Oatmeal with our fresh Blackberries and a fruit bar. We decided to pack up all the food into the gear pack and take all of our food, cooking, cleaning, and fire equipment with us as we planned to have a day on the lake and eat a shore lunch somewhere.

We started out fishing at the mid lake rock hump on the W side of the lake where we picked up some fish the night before. We picked up one walleye on a jig and a leech and through him back. I didn’t want to drag it all the way across the lake. I had to assure Chris we would be fine and catch plenty of fish to eat. We got a massive tangle, and while I was working it out, Chris once again paddled us half way across iron lake. We began fishing again, and trolled to the other side of the lake toward curtain falls. I picked up a small pike with a giant spoon (2.25oz Canadian Spoon from BPS). I thought it would be fun to fish and try to catch a big pike, but this one wasn’t big, but I didn’t have much confidence in the bait and that was about all the action it saw on this trip.

On our way over, we saw the first people we have seen the entire trip, they were staying the west end island campsite, and just hung their food and looked to be heading to the falls. They must have went on the Crooked for the day, because we made it over to the rapids below curtain falls and didn’t see them again. We paddled into Canada waters (not fishing), so Chris could say he was in Canada. Then fished the current below the falls. Chris quickly caught a walleye, pike, and bass on his “Sprinkles” lure (Bomber deep diver color sprinkles was hot on two BWCA trips for me this year). We measured Chris pike at 22” and I told him that didn’t seem right it looked longer than that. But we wanted to eat a pike on the trip so we put it on the stringer. I told him I brought my son’s little retractable measuring tape from his kids tool kit, made in China and perhaps it was off a bit. (When I got home from the trip I measured the little measuring tape to a real work measuring tape, the 22” fish was really 29”, thankfully just legal).

We caught some more fish, had a couple walleye and a pike on the stringer, then parked the canoe at the portage to see Curtain Falls. I was here in July of 2020 and told Chris it looks like more water going over the falls now then there was that year, and after looking at pictures, there was absolutely more water in late Aug of this year then late July of 2020. We kept our life jackets on (always), snapped a couple pictures, and back down the portage. We were going to fish the current a little more before heading the closest campsite to make a shore lunch. I started throwing a tube bait and really got into the smallmouth in the current. Even was taking one off, threw the tube over the side of the canoe, and caught another while I still had the other bass in my hand. After a short barrage of SMB, we were hungry and headed to clean the fish. We stopped at one of the small islands on the way to clean the fish, and were greeted by a bald eagle, watching from atop a tree. He was giant, I wish I got a picture but as soon as I pulled out the camera he flew away, and relocated to watch us from a distance. We headed over the closest campsite to the falls (1841), in 2020 this site was taken all week assumed it was a really nice site, but it was far from that. The fire great was out on a rock with no shade or cover. Tent pads looked, okay at best. I know this site got a lot of use during the recovery efforts in the spring and maybe that played a part, but I’m glad we didn’t stay here. It was fine for a shore lunch, of fried fish. We cleaned dishes and fished/paddled our way back to the other side of the lake. In 2020 I stayed on the SE campsite in a bay an knew of a rock hump in that area and told Chris we should fish that. First cast with “sprinkles” and he hooked into a large pike. I paddled us over to shore so that we could measure the fish and get a good picture for Chris. I told him that thing was over 30” and was a nice fish. It had some real shoulders on it and put up a good fight for Chris. We got a quick measurement, 26”. I was like no, measure it again. 26”. I don’t believe this measuring tape. Took some pictures and revived the fish and off she went. (After returning home, the 26” pike was actually 34.5”. Don’t trust stuff made in China!).

We paddled back to the campsite picking up a few more fish trolling. Then rested relaxed, made a Mountain House Beef Stew for dinner. Chris had a flint on his knife and though he couldn’t start a fire with it, we let him light the stove with it. Saved a few matches.

After dinner we got a fire ready, but decided to hike to the west end of our island campsite to watch the sunset. We got a really cool view of a family of like 30 birds/ducks, passing through the glare on the lake at sunset, it was pretty cool. The Swans were everywhere so far on this trip, and we listened to the honk and fly around at the campsite while we made a fire. Once the stars came out, we hiked back to our rock on the W end of the island to gaze at some stars, until once again the moon kind of ruined the star gazing. Off to bed with a travel day ahead of us.

Campsite Rating 1837(4*) – awesome fire grate/kitchen, landing was really nice, latrine had a nice view and open/breeze so not too buggy, it was a big open campsite, tall pines, perfect with a S wind. 1 nice tent pad for us, with a few other options, would be a great hammock site. Shallow water/No fishing from shore, but close to good fishing. We got a good bear hang for 2 people but it would be tough to find a good spot for a hang for a large group in the tall pines.

Fish Total – Walleye (7), Pike (8), Bass (12)