Moose River - LLC - Oyster - September 2025
by Pete2Paddle
Trip Type:
Paddling Canoe
Entry Date:
09/14/2025
Entry & Exit Point:
Moose/Portage River (north) (EP 16)
Number of Days:
8
Group Size:
2
Discuss Trip:
View Discussion Thread (2 messages)
Day 7 of 8
Friday - Wind, Trout-Dreams and a Hike
The weather forecast for the day wasn't great. Wind, rain, and much colder temps. The rain started early in the morning, but the previous day's exertion plus effort to deplete our whiskey rations last night made it easy to doze in and out, listening to rain on my hammock tarp. I was grateful for the extra hours of sleep.
The rain broke just after lunch, and the winds started to pick up, so we put on extra layers and rain gear and decided to make another attempt at lake trout. We drifted down the western shoreline while jigging and then switched to trolling as we paddled around the perimeter towards the north-eastern shore. The fish finder showed plenty of marks at the depths we were trying to get our lures into, but not a single bite. We made a stop at the northernmost site on the east side to stretch our legs and have some trail mix.
We spent some more time jigging towards our campsite, but the wind and cold were getting to us. We noticed the rocky bluffs to the south of our campsite and decided to head in and see if we could hike to the top. This ended up being one of the highlights of the trip. There are a number of paths heading along the shore on the south side of the peninsula that we followed. Eventually, they become less and less obvious, and it became a full-on bushwacking adventure. We saw openings in the rock face that looked like a perfect spot for a bear den. I got spooked and wasn't sure we should continue. We skirted them by continuing to the SW so we could approach the summit from that direction.
I am so glad we kept going because the rock at the summit was super cool. A massive rock that had split into two giant pieces with a fissure running between them. We could see that some braver souls had climbed down and scrambled between them, but I was content to look from above. It was nice to do some walking / hiking without the weight of a canoe or pack and the view at the top was worth the effort.
After resting at camp for a bit, we decided to target some Bass on the north side of our site because it was sheltered from the wind. We carried the canoe across our site to put in on the opposite side and headed out. Both of us caught 3-4 bass with a few hammer-handle northern mixed in. Nice to feel a tight line after striking out on the lake trout.
Our last night and campfire wasn't as late so we could get an early... (*early) start towards the car in the morning.
The weather forecast for the day wasn't great. Wind, rain, and much colder temps. The rain started early in the morning, but the previous day's exertion plus effort to deplete our whiskey rations last night made it easy to doze in and out, listening to rain on my hammock tarp. I was grateful for the extra hours of sleep.
The rain broke just after lunch, and the winds started to pick up, so we put on extra layers and rain gear and decided to make another attempt at lake trout. We drifted down the western shoreline while jigging and then switched to trolling as we paddled around the perimeter towards the north-eastern shore. The fish finder showed plenty of marks at the depths we were trying to get our lures into, but not a single bite. We made a stop at the northernmost site on the east side to stretch our legs and have some trail mix.
We spent some more time jigging towards our campsite, but the wind and cold were getting to us. We noticed the rocky bluffs to the south of our campsite and decided to head in and see if we could hike to the top. This ended up being one of the highlights of the trip. There are a number of paths heading along the shore on the south side of the peninsula that we followed. Eventually, they become less and less obvious, and it became a full-on bushwacking adventure. We saw openings in the rock face that looked like a perfect spot for a bear den. I got spooked and wasn't sure we should continue. We skirted them by continuing to the SW so we could approach the summit from that direction.
I am so glad we kept going because the rock at the summit was super cool. A massive rock that had split into two giant pieces with a fissure running between them. We could see that some braver souls had climbed down and scrambled between them, but I was content to look from above. It was nice to do some walking / hiking without the weight of a canoe or pack and the view at the top was worth the effort.
After resting at camp for a bit, we decided to target some Bass on the north side of our site because it was sheltered from the wind. We carried the canoe across our site to put in on the opposite side and headed out. Both of us caught 3-4 bass with a few hammer-handle northern mixed in. Nice to feel a tight line after striking out on the lake trout.
Our last night and campfire wasn't as late so we could get an early... (*early) start towards the car in the morning.
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