Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Group Forum: Quetico Afficionados :: Trip Suggestions Wanted
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OldGreyGoose |
(I have only used Canoe Canada in Atikokan and Jeremy runs a good place, but since Dave's is nearer to Beaverhouse, using him would probably make more sense.) |
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mamorgan |
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Jackfish |
Having been entering at Beaverhouse since the mid 1980s, I can tell you that the road is still rough in spots, but NOWHERE EVEN CLOSE to what it once was. It's gone from having an oil-pan removal rock every 50 yards back then to a relatively nice road all the way to the parking lot. Could you take a car in there? Absolutely. Is it better to have a truck? It's your call. If you want to go to Beaverhouse and only have a car, do it. You'll be just fine. ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Jackfish |
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OldGreyGoose |
According to the 2009 Quetico guide, "Overnight parking at STANTON BAY is restricted to residents of Canada only. Non residents accessing Pickerel Lake from the Stanton Bay area must utilize the services of a Canadian outfitter for all overnight trips." No mention is may of other entry points. As for the BH put-in, 1/3 mile to the water would be normal; in August 2007, it was an additional 100 yard walk to canoeable water. By the way, according to the Chrismar map, the access road from Highway 11 to Beaverhouse is 21.6k, or about 13.4 miles. |
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Obergut |
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Jackfish |
By the way, back in the good ol' days, that 14 mile trip used to take about an hour. Really. Now it's about 30 minutes. |
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Old Hoosier |
Last time up in Sept 2007 we followed the Ranger lady in for last 6 miles. She was driving a rental car every day and commuting to/from town due to the spring at the Ranger cabin had dried up. She even had a motor boat she crossed the lake with (about 4-5 mile trip) from the parking lot to Ranger station. We were laughing about this "unknown lady" who was REALLY lost driving a car with a Hertz sticker on the bumper down the back roads to Beaverhouse about 20 miles from the nearest pavement. Turned out she gave us our entry permit at the Ranger station! HA! Joke was on us! If there is a law against over-nighting in the parkng lot - I broke it. Did this twice. No problem. I also outfit myself, so don't use an outfitter. Plan to get an early start. Beaverhouse is big open water, so recommend you plan to get started early to avoid wind. Also leave a day or so cushion coming out in case wind is up. Due West wind makes it really tough to get out. Picking up the permit at Atikokan is a good idea if it is on your way. We come in from Int'l Falls, so it is easier to paddle to the BH station. Otherwise, the Atikokan permit would save a couple of miles of paddling. Instead of going to th eRanger station, you could go directly to the falls portage that goes into Quetico. ![]() |
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jdddl8 |
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Jackfish |
He's about a mile off of Highway 11 on the road leading into Beaverhouse Lake (Flanders Road). Watch for the signs after you turn south on the gravel road. |
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Old Hoosier |
Omeme is pure solitude, and excellent fishing. Cub and Bearpelt are nearby and very easy to get to with excellent fishing also. Cub has one weedy bay that you can catch pike all day long in 3 to 10 lb class - so it is really great for new fishers or young kids who need fast action to keep them interested. Omeme is probably a 2 day trip to get to unless you single portage or travel long day in summer. I usually go in Sept so we run out of daylight (AND ENERGY!) Badwater is the most versatile base camp, but you might see a few trippers passing through that you would not see on Omeme. You can fish 7 or 8 very isolated lakes from Badwater. Can even day trip into Omeme. Plus there are several un-named lakes easily day tripped that hold lots of fish. The Badwater portage is a bit longer than most (i.e.- fewer people), but they have dried out the swamps with wooden plank paths in recent years so it is easily handled regardless of weather patterns. Used to be a nightmare in wet weather. Also highly recommend you not overlook Beaverhouse itself. It is chocked full of smallmouth, so we usually spend a day or 2 on the way out searching for new SM "honeyholes." Using plastic flukes with no weight at the base of the falls on the portage from Beaverhouse up into Quetico is a great start. Will see more people as this is the main avenue in/out, but it is worth it. |
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Obergut |
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Chicken |
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OldGreyGoose |
Obergut, the first question is, (assuming you are not Canadian) can non-Canadians park there at all? (I don't know. I know they cannot at French Lake.) Anyway . . . I have only used B'house by getting a van ride from CC in Atikokan. In '97 the road was pretty bad; much improved in 2007 but you probably would not want to take the 'vette. Parking and space in general is very limited and I personally would not overnight there, but yes, if you had a truck, were self-outfitted, I don't see why you could not drive there, park and sleep in the truck. |
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mamorgan |
I think our ideal trip would be to travel hard on the 1st day or 2, foregoing fishing if necessary, to get to a base camp. Base camp for 2-3 days taking fishing and site seeing day trips. Then, paddling back out probably more leisurely than we did on the way in, maybe taking 2-3 days to cover what we did in 1-2 on the way in. We'd also be looking for a Canadian Entry Point. No one in our group has done that yet. And, we wouldn't want to do a fly-in. If anyone has suggestions of Entry Points, Routes, or Outfitters, I would greatly appreciate it. One last note. As far as the Outfitter, we would probably only need to rent canoes and maybe a couple of miscellaneous items. We have most of the gear we would need. Thanks a lot for any suggestions you guys might have. |
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hexnymph |
Nym would also put you onto good fishing (Batch and Pickeral) but you'll see more people. Outfitter: Canadian Quetico Outfitters is the only one I've used up there but Doug is the best. Hex |