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Kiporby	01/04/2014 10:02AM   quote OldGreyGoose: "Goby, I've heard or read something about Lemay, but can't recall what, at the moment. There may have been a BWJ article that mentioned it. I wish we had had more time when we went through Kawnipi and the Poets. Would like to have checked out several lakes off that route." There are 2 ways into lemay. Follow lemay Creek which can be paddled most of the way. The other is a portage from kawnipi that goes directly east into the west thumb of lemay into the lower half. Nice camp on the point between the two lobes. I've researched this before. Haven't done it myself yet.
OldGreyGoose	01/04/2014 08:37PM   Kiporby, paddling the creek sure sounds way better than the info I have on the portage, but "most of the way" leaves a lot of "ifs." I wonder if the creek is sometimes too low? (Beavers falling down on the job?) --Goose
TomT	02/27/2014 10:30AM   Ho Ho, I just want to know why you like the lake so much being that you don't fish. Is that the lake where the rainbows always end?
DancesWithTrees	01/10/2014 08:21AM   quote tumblehome: "quote Old Hoosier: "Gary, I have often wondered about the lakes outside Quetico park proper - but still relatively remote. " I haven't paddled into lakes outside of the Q either but I've looked at a few maps and satellite images of those lakes. The downside to this is that they log up to the Q border and there are also plenty of backroads all over the place outside of the Q. Therefore, I don't know if traveling outside of the Q will provide for a better experience. This summer I hope to travel on a bunch of lakes east of the Q and east of Kawnipi and end up at Northern Lights Lake NE of Sagananga so I will have a good perspective of what that place looks like. Folks that have paddled some lakes outside of the Q have talked about messy campsites and lots of furniture. With no environmental regulations, things go amok on those lakes. If you're like me and are trying to find the most remote wilderness lakes in the Quetico region, staying in the park might be the best option. Tom " If you want to talk shop, I've been in various eastern parts of the park a number of times (even just outside of it). The NE corner of the park is my favorite area, in that it is the least used and most remote. We did a trip via Sag/Sag, going to Ross, Cullen, Munro, etc., then took that apparently unnamed creek from the Munro area to the north end of the Falls Chain near Kenny Lake. That is a nice area, saw no one from Ross through to Kenny, and the creek (as long as water is reasonably OK) is a very scenic and fun trip. Ross is mostly outside the park. That is an area you almost never hear people discussing, but I recommend it. We wanted to get further north to Mack though, and didn't make it up there. Also done a number of trips via Baptism Creek into Baptism, Trousers, Cache, and to MacKenzie. I love that area. The east "leg" of Trousers is near the park boundary and no one goes there. And then, there's Zephira. I will get there someday. Have also always wondered about that creek that trends more of less N-S just east of the NE part of the park, I think it is maybe Tilly Creek (without looking at a map at the moment).
OldGreyGoose	01/10/2014 09:35AM   DWT: If Tilly Creek is navigable from where it looks accessible from logging roads off of Hwy. 11, you could follow it to the Wawiag, then up Greenwood Creek to Mack Lake and get flown back out. That would be some "creek" trip. (Have to ask Jim Clark about Tilly.) --Goose
DancesWithTrees	01/09/2014 08:13AM   quote snakecharmer: "I highly recommend a side trip to Albert. I'll get back there some day. From my 2006 trip report ~ "Our plan this morning was to fish for lake trout in Albert Lake. After a breakfast of instant oatmeal and coffee, we paddled into Ceph Lake and located the 24 rod portage into Albert. What we found on the other end of the portage was one of the clearest lakes any of us had ever seen. You could easily see the bottom in 20’. As you moved further away from shore and the bottom dropped out, the water took on this wonderful emerald green color. The research I had done indicated some lake trout presence so we dragged large flashy spoons along Albert’s shore lines in search of them. We didn’t find any. We did catch a number of nice sized pike, all between 6 and 12 pounds. We agreed that if we ever returned to this area, we would spend a night on Albert and fish for the trophy pike that most certainly swim its waters."" Now I really wish we'd made it there.
tumblehome	01/09/2014 08:54AM   quote Old Hoosier: "Gary, I have often wondered about the lakes outside Quetico park proper - but still relatively remote. " I haven't paddled into lakes outside of the Q either but I've looked at a few maps and satellite images of those lakes. The downside to this is that they log up to the Q border and there are also plenty of backroads all over the place outside of the Q. Therefore, I don't know if traveling outside of the Q will provide for a better experience. This summer I hope to travel on a bunch of lakes east of the Q and east of Kawnipi and end up at Northern Lights Lake NE of Sagananga so I will have a good perspective of what that place looks like. Folks that have paddled some lakes outside of the Q have talked about messy campsites and lots of furniture. With no environmental regulations, things go amok on those lakes. If you're like me and are trying to find the most remote wilderness lakes in the Quetico region, staying in the park might be the best option. Tom
OldGreyGoose	01/09/2014 12:40PM   quote tumblehome: "quote Old Hoosier: "Gary, I have often wondered about the lakes outside Quetico park proper - but still relatively remote. " This summer I hope to travel on a bunch of lakes east of the Q and east of Kawnipi and end up at Northern Lights Lake NE of Sagananga so I will have a good perspective of what that place looks like." Tom, a trip report on travel East of the Q would be nice. --Goose
Thwarted	01/09/2014 03:48AM   I was on Ram last June and was somewhat underwhelmed by the lake. Pretty, but comparatively ordinary. So many beautiful, dramatic lakes in the Q and Ram is neither. The port is easy however and there is a massive beaver dam about half way to Ram. One of the highest I have seen and maybe worth the walk.
OldGreyGoose	01/09/2014 08:13AM   There was a huge one between Badwater and Omeme when we were there a couple years ago. Sounds like a topic for another thread -- biggest beaver dam you've seen. --Goose
OldGreyGoose	01/07/2014 12:05PM   Thanks for the link, TomT.
TomT	01/07/2014 09:34AM   I wonder if there are any secrets being kept by people from the days of fly in fishing trips in quetico. I have to figure that groups once flew in to lakes like Zephira and thoroughly checked it out for camping and fishing. A good book to read about such lakes is the new Tim Mead book. He describes a few very fine out of the way lakes in it and it's a good read too. Quetico Adventures
OldGreyGoose	01/04/2014 07:54PM   Don, We think alike. I can't drive down that road (or even the highway) without thinking the same thing. Some of those lakes might disappoint, but if I were younger and had a young partner who would go, I'd try it. There may be some "issues" with camping, though, especially being from the States. Might need to rent a piece of equipment (which I do anyway) and get "Crown Land" permits. --Goose
OldGreyGoose	01/02/2014 12:02PM   Happy New Year, aficionados! I was thinking recently about lakes that are “one portage off the route” I have made, and some I’ve not made. (I’m not talking about bushwhacking, just taking the road less traveled.) For example, on my first Q trip, while fishing on Jean Lake, I noticed a blaze on a tree and portaged over to the un-named lake (west of Ivy Island) with just my fishing gear. Fishing from shore, and after saying “just one more cast,” I hooked and landed a fat 20” smallmouth. On that same trip, I was advised by Jim at Canoe Canada to check out the un-named lake north of Jesse, for walleyes. I never caught a walleye – just a nice perch and some small pike, I think – but totally enjoyed being off the grid for half a day. (By the way, there is a submerged reef in this lake that you couldn’t miss.) Last year I portaged into Polaris, off the main route through Birch Lake and had a blast catching bass, investigating campsites and just loving this beautiful gem. (This excursion was “planned,” not spur of the moment, but that counts too.) Some “one portage off” lakes I WISH I had been able to visit on past trips are Halliday, Ram, and Draper, and quite a few others. This summer, I hope to go through the Burntside area and check out Ceph and Albert. If you have some favorite lakes that fall into the “one portage off” category that you think others would be interested in hearing about, please share. --Goose
Ho Ho	02/26/2014 09:08PM   Mine is called "Not Telling Lake." And that's from a guy who posts every detail of his trips.
ZaraSp00k	02/26/2014 06:17PM   quote snakecharmer: "I highly recommend a side trip to Albert. I'll get back there some day. From my 2006 trip report ~ "Our plan this morning was to fish for lake trout in Albert Lake. After a breakfast of instant oatmeal and coffee, we paddled into Ceph Lake and located the 24 rod portage into Albert. What we found on the other end of the portage was one of the clearest lakes any of us had ever seen. You could easily see the bottom in 20’. As you moved further away from shore and the bottom dropped out, the water took on this wonderful emerald green color. The research I had done indicated some lake trout presence so we dragged large flashy spoons along Albert’s shore lines in search of them. We didn’t find any. We did catch a number of nice sized pike, all between 6 and 12 pounds. We agreed that if we ever returned to this area, we would spend a night on Albert and fish for the trophy pike that most certainly swim its waters."" when I was there I caught 2 6-7 pound lake trout, but this lake is small enough that the fish in it could easily change over the years due to fishing pressure. One of the lake trout I caught had marks on it that showed something had tried to make it it's meal. I also caught a smallie that was the same size as my lure. This is a headwater lake so yes, the water is very clear. The portage into this lake is steep up and down, and the shoreline is a continuation of the bank, not easy to land and put in! The outlet had a beaver damn when I was there, thought about portaging over it and paddling down the stream but it didn't look like enough water.
OldGreyGoose	02/27/2014 08:37AM   HoHo, I probably have read every detail of all your trips with great enjoyment and I therefore entirely respect your secrecy! (I have one bass lake that I treat that way, too.) --Goose
boonie	02/27/2014 09:24AM   quote Ho Ho: "Mine is called "Not Telling Lake." And that's from a guy who posts every detail of his trips. " Well, I guess there's no telling where that lake is...
OldGreyGoose	01/10/2014 09:38AM   Meant to add, you might need a couple of BIG saws. --Goose
tumblehome	01/10/2014 12:09PM   Dances w/trees. I will definitely talk to you sooner than later about my trip. I haven't picked my route but am pretty set on that part of the park. I've been everywhere in the Q except the eastern portion. I tried to get a crown land permit late in the fall last year but I was unable to get once since the outfitters had closed up. I'll try again for a spring trip. Probably starting a Cache bay into the Saganogen lakes then north skirting the Q until I head west and end up in Kawnipi somewhere. Prolly gonna exit through Agnes. so we'll talk. Glad I know of your past travels. Tom
DancesWithTrees	01/10/2014 10:28AM   quote OldGreyGoose: "Meant to add, you might need a couple of BIG saws. --Goose" Yeah. Speaking of creek trips, in case I haven't mentioned this before... do NOT attempt the upper Cache River (the part that empties into the north end of the lake). We once were doing the slog that is the Trousers-Cache portage going southbound, which crosses the creek halfway. Looked navigable, and logic said it should get stronger going downstream to Cache Lake, so we gave it a shot. Got on about midday. Got off about midday, THE NEXT DAY. Holy crap was that tough. So many drags and slogs, so much brush to get around, under or over. It looked like no one had been through there in... well, forever. Not recommended.
OldGreyGoose	01/07/2014 07:32AM   Primitiveman: Only map I have handy calls the lakes north of Lemay Quinn and Tario. (I didn't mean to include bushwacking, but since you brought them up: Gamp, off of McEwen Creek lakes looks do-able but Zephira -- between Cache and the eastern park border -- might be not be unless there is an old portage or some winter trails there. I bet many of the lakes a person could bushwhack to are "underwhelming" except for the satisfaction of getting there.) --Goose
Primitiveman	01/06/2014 08:07PM   I went to Lemay on June 18 2013. The portages along the creek were recently and frequently used. This was the day after Scott and I fished with BND at McKenzie bay narrows for several hours. The fishing in Lemay was underwhelming and Scott was mad at me for not going back to the Narrows. We caught lots more fish trolling on Kawnipi on the way to Lemay than we did in Lemay. there is a little lake north of Delahey we bushwhacked to many years ago. I believe it is called Roulston on some maps. Fantastic fishing for very small Northerns there. I still hope to get to Zephira and Gamp some day. Jon
OldGreyGoose	01/03/2014 04:22PM   Goby, I've heard or read something about Lemay, but can't recall what, at the moment. There may have been a BWJ article that mentioned it. I wish we had had more time when we went through Kawnipi and the Poets. Would like to have checked out several lakes off that route.
Old Hoosier	01/03/2014 06:50PM   Gary, I have often wondered about the lakes outside Quetico park proper - but still relatively remote. Examples might be some of the lakes at roadside on the last single track leg into Beaverhouse. One could launch from the roadside and paddle one or two lakes further and probably never see a human for weeks. Also have taken some long looks at the lakes just north of BH at the west end. Lots of "backwater" areas and small likes down there. And the river at the west end haunts me - gotta get there some time! Old Hoosier
DancesWithTrees	01/03/2014 02:49PM   That old beat up car frame on the BH-Quetico Portage might hint at the remnants of that road - maybe it goes from there down to Sly? I bet the Rangers at BH could give some directions to where to find the old road, if it is even passable anymore.
OldGreyGoose	01/03/2014 03:49PM   OH, the lake near Sly (s/o Sly Creek) is "Curtis." If you look at old Fisher maps, there are MANY black dashed lines from logging days. (90 years ago) The Beaverhouse "portage" from the parking lot follows an old road/RR grade. It once continued down the East side of BH (the portage from BH going towards Cirrus also follows it) and crossed the "river" at where the old car body is on the BH-Q portage. It continued south and crossed the mouth of Sly Creek -- you can see the old trestle posts in picture #3 above. I paddled an estimated 1/3 mile past (west of) the old trestle and ran out of paddle-able water. I looked around on the shore -- on the south side of the trestle, but found no trails. OH, the only way I can see to get to Sly from BH would be if the trail that went to the fire tower behind the ranger station is usable, then trying to find a small "creek" (squiggly line, anyway) and following it into Sly from the NE. If you guys want to meet up and have a grand time trying to find either Sly or Curtis, let me know! What fun we would have! --Goose This pic is from the south shore looking north across the Sly Creek bog. You can see the trestle.
Goby	01/03/2014 04:07PM   The un named lake to the West of Louisa, about half way up the lake. There is a seldom used portage there, but that lake was gorgeous when we were there. I'm betting the fishing is good, but we couldn't get anything going when we went. There is a lake due East of Kasie Island on Kawnipi that looks interesting, but I haven't been. The PCD lists the lake as Lemay. I wonder if I can convince my old man to explore it this spring....
OldGreyGoose	01/03/2014 05:07PM   Goby, about Lemay . . . my map notes from several years ago (just in case we had time) . . . moose, walleye, 3-star campsite with log benches, mucky portage that may not be maintained. Sounds great, eh? --Goose
DancesWithTrees	01/03/2014 09:34AM   I tried for Albert once - older maps show a portage from the south shore of Jean, over the ridge to Albert. Never got there - very steep ridge, and the portage appears to be long gone. Did find some old telegraph wire though. Best to try for that one via the south route. My favorites: --Not exactly a seperate lake, but the east branch (right leg?) of Trousers is pretty, off-route (and the route is little used anyway), and had some nice smallmouth fishing in my short time there. --Similar to Trousers, not a seperate lake might might as well be, but the part of Conk that is west of the mid-lake marsh is highly recommended for wildlife and fishing opportunities. --There is an unnamed lake off the south shore of Sagonagons, off a bay with a little island and a marsh/creek leading to it, caught a couple really nice pike. Ones on my short list: --Zephira (actually a bush crash, but felt I had to include it) --Ferguson (off MacKenzie) --Bellaire --Sly
fishnfreak	01/28/2014 01:49AM   Goby, I have been in that lake west of Louisa as well and indeed the fishing is really good. Another lake is an unamed lake north of the portage between East and Jeff lake. When you portage between these two lakes you come within 20 feet of it and don't realize it. That lake is full of lakers.
Springer2	01/28/2014 11:39AM   We went into Lemay in 2009--the water levels were normal (in a dry year the walking portage west to Kawnipi is inaccessible on the Kawnipi side unless you have an airboat to traverse about 200 yards of muck in the bay. Paddling upstream going in is a pleasure--there were a couple low beaver dams we pulled over and one short portage around another. I don't think many people actually camp on LeMay but there were daytrippers when we were there and it's not that big of a lake. Unfortunately it was brutally windy the day we were there and fishing was difficult, although we managed to catch a few walleyes, which the lake is known for, and some nice smallies. The campsite is on the west side of the long point and it's pretty nice, but was exposed to the wind. The ridge above camp overlooks the lake and is great for cocktail hour. The portage to the west, in the SW bay, was pretty rough in late May with trees down and some steep climbs, but someone had marked it with orange plastic flags although we had a hard time finding the head of the trail on the Lemay side. Here are a few photos.
OldGreyGoose	01/28/2014 01:36PM   Springer2, thanks for the pics, especially of the creek. I often wonder how paddle-able the "creeks" and other squiggly lines on the maps are. That's a nice one! --Goose
TomT	01/14/2014 08:42AM   In the current issue (winter) there is an article about how to get solitude in the BW and the array of quest writers all contribute their thoughts. Stu the publisher goes first and actually has a list of dead end lakes in the BW and Q. One lake he mentions is Pietro in Quetico. This is also a lake that Tim Mead wrote about in his book. All i'll say is get Tims' book to find out what makes this lake so special.
Goby	01/08/2014 11:54AM   quote OldGreyGoose: "Kiporby, paddling the creek sure sounds way better than the info I have on the portage, but "most of the way" leaves a lot of "ifs." I wonder if the creek is sometimes too low? (Beavers falling down on the job?) --Goose" OGG & Kiporby, Thanks for the Lemay info. I did a search on here and found similar info. Is Lemay creek feeding Lemay from the south or North? I'll be there in spring, so maybe I'll have high waters?
OldGreyGoose	01/08/2014 02:05PM   Good info. Thanks, Chicken. Any other "one portage off" lakes? Let's hear about some other areas in the park. --Goose
snakecharmer	01/07/2014 08:11PM   I highly recommend a side trip to Albert. I'll get back there some day. From my 2006 trip report ~ "Our plan this morning was to fish for lake trout in Albert Lake. After a breakfast of instant oatmeal and coffee, we paddled into Ceph Lake and located the 24 rod portage into Albert. What we found on the other end of the portage was one of the clearest lakes any of us had ever seen. You could easily see the bottom in 20’. As you moved further away from shore and the bottom dropped out, the water took on this wonderful emerald green color. The research I had done indicated some lake trout presence so we dragged large flashy spoons along Albert’s shore lines in search of them. We didn’t find any. We did catch a number of nice sized pike, all between 6 and 12 pounds. We agreed that if we ever returned to this area, we would spend a night on Albert and fish for the trophy pike that most certainly swim its waters."
Chicken	01/08/2014 12:12PM   I have been to Lemay twice. This year we also paddled back into Quinn. (I think I had to get out of the canoe once on my way to Quinn.) The Lemay portion was not bad, the first portage is easily found. I saw lots of foot prints. The second is not as friendly, but still short and fairly easy. I went on the east side of the creek the first time. This year the water was lower and west side seemed to be the way other groups had traveled. Caught northern, walleye and bass. I did not do extensive search for the other portage, but we did paddle over there. I saw no obvious signs of a portage that had seen recent use. (Creek flows from Lemay to Kawnipi, but there was no real current)
OldGreyGoose	01/07/2014 10:22PM   I hope to get to Albert this summer, Snakecharmer. --Goose
OldGreyGoose	01/03/2014 01:09PM   DWT: Let me know when you get to Sly!!! In 2011 I tried to get to where I could possibly portage or bushwhack from "Sly Creek" into Curtis and was thwarted. African Queen-like canoe paddling. "Creek" was a slog in the bog. Totally enjoyed it though. --Goose
Old Hoosier	01/03/2014 01:24PM   Goose, I was also interested in trying to get into Sly - since that is my grand daughters last name. Kind of a namesake issue. Asked the Rangers at Beaverhouse about it. They said there was an old road into the lake, but he had not personally been there in years. Said it was good fishing and they used to go there a lot. I was going to try to follow the creek bed from BH pictograph area on the south side. Estimate it at about 2 mile walk. Seemed the shortest and was low risk of getting lost. I decided not to try since I had only my grand daughter with me. If we had a party of 4 with more men, I would have attempted to portage in. Still interests me, but not sure when I'll try it. By the way - the McKenzie map shows a "Cirrus Lake" next to Sly just due south of the ranger station. Are there 2 Cirrus Lakes in this area, or is it some kind of map error? Old Hoosier
walllee	01/02/2014 06:22PM   Small no name lake to the south of Poohbah on Poohbahs east end. Great fishing and seldom seen.