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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Quetico Forum :: Quetico paddling season, beginning middle and end
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| Author | Message Text | ||
| AmarilloJim |
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| mapsguy1955 |
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| rick00001967 |
up here, our spring thaw can be in early april or mid may. it varies. the same can be said for the fall. it varies. last year we had summer like days even in november. early spring (typically may) has the advantage of zero bugs. the lake trout fishing can be good / easier / shallower. smallies and walleye not so much (walleye is closed til the long weekend in may). daytime temps can be comfy if it is sunny. not so much on cloudy days. but the nights will be cold. you need to be prepared for nights down around 0c. water temps can still be dangerously low. mid summer (late june thru aug??) will usually be quite buggy with this year being a bit of an exception. we had such a dry spring that the bugs were unusually low. walleye and smallie fishing will be good. july and early aug can see a lot of rain with severe thunder storms during hot stretches. water temps obviously are higher and can be quite nice mid july through mid sept depending on water levels and weather. fall (sept thru late oct??) is my favorite time of year hands down. usually around labor day there is far less outdoor activity going on in this area as the kids are back to school, so the park is much quieter. it is a much better time to see critters with less human traffic around. bugs have either significantly tapered off or are basically gone. the days can be hit and miss but we often get stretches are fantastic weather along with less rain. the winds can be a problem but when aren't they? lol night temps are usually decent in sept but quickly start to drop as the weeks go by. similar to spring.....you would need to be prepared for some cold nights. pay more attention to the forecasts as we getting later into the year. things can change quick up here. one thing i really like about being out in the later part of the season are the shorter days. it might sound weird but i enjoy waking up and starting a little fire while it is still dark or just at sunrise. same goes for the evening. you dont have to stay up til 10 or 11pm to enjoy a fire. but thats just me. personally i also enjoy the change of colors in the fall. maybe i have just been lucky but i seem to see the most spectacular sunsets that time of year as well. i have nothing planned after labor day yet for this year but am def hoping to get at least one more trip in before the snow flies. maybe two. depends on mother nature. sometimes we have snow by halloween. booooo |
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| LarryS48 |
I also do trips right after ice out. Planning is harder since ice out varies. The bugs are few at least at first. Although it depends on weather, but as a rule of thumb, you get about a week between ice out and bugs out. The water is cold and you have to be careful about not dumping. Swimming is for the hardy. |
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| TrailZen |
TZ |
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| Luckee |
I'm curious enough about this fairly general question that I hope this post will find some paddlers eager to reflect on the finer points of the different times of the paddling season in Quetico. I've only travelled in Quetico in early summer, and have found it to be absolutely wonderful, despite some spells of bugs and strong weather. How would it be different later in the season, like right now (mid-July) and getting on into autumn? Seems like September could be a great month. Would October start to get too cold for most mortals? Normally I guess you'd see: -- lower water -- fewer bugs! And I wonder if you would also see -- poorer fishing generally (after a season of pestering by humans) -- different weather patterns -- more or fewer people? Maybe fewer kids. As you might guess, I'm feeling strongly tempted to make 2025 a two-fer and do a late season trip as well as early (I drove out from California in June, and would definitely fly the second time). |
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| AdamXChicago |
Enjoy your trip! AdamX |
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| Luckee |
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