I am heading to the BWCA and have no idea if I need to take my normal trout flies - Mayflies, Caddis, terrestrials, etc. I have poppers, pike flies and the like. Are there match the hatch emergences for risers?
Boundry Waters Canoe Area Fly Fishing
I am heading to the BWCA and have no idea if I need to take my normal trout flies - Mayflies, Caddis, terrestrials, etc. I have poppers, pike flies and the like. Are there match the hatch emergences for risers?
With the exception of a few large mayfly imitators, you can leave your standard trout flies at home. Wooly bugger variants, Clouser minnows, bunny leeches, crayfish imitators, poppers, Dahlberg divers, and double bunny flies are the kind of flies that you will need to catch smallmouth, walleye and pike in the Boundry waters. I have never run into much of a hatch in that neck of the woods.
I would definitely bring a sinking or sink tip line to get flies deep.
Add a couple of Gill Busters tied Clouser style with weighted hour-glass weights. Black is great, white for walleye. Some of the lakes up there have sizeable bluegill, too. Basically an untouched population. Smallies, too. JGW
Don't forget the DEET and the Sting Stop.
To imitate the Black Flies there you might want a black fly imitation tied on a #2 hook. Or you can catch one, cut it up into small pieces and use it for chum.
jed
There are trout lakes in the BWCAW, otherwise there are also lot of lakes with "Bronze-back" Small-mouth Bass, and Lake Trout.
If you need the name of the trout lakes, what type of trout are in the lake, along with the GPS position, send me an email.
~Parnelli
I went to the boundary waters a few years ago. That place will stay etched in my mind as one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
I seem to remember catching a few decent sized pike, two walleye, and several smallmouth. The smallmouth seem to like the big patches of lilly pads which can be found at near the banks of some of the lakes.
I wish that I would have known where the trout were. The lake trout are usually down pretty deep, from what I understand. At least I never caught any.
This is the listing of Trout Lakes inside the BWCAW, complied from Fly Fishing Minnesota's Trout Lake by John Hunt (Highweather Press, Saint Paul Minnesota)
Directions always start from a nearby town in the county where the lake is located.
AHSUB
County: Lake
GPS: 48.00.00 91.21.00
Size/Depth: 58 acres/78 ft
Delorme: page 89, D9
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Ensign Lake East
Directions: 18 miles east of Ely on CR 18, north on forest rd to Snowbank Lake; 0.5 miles portage to ?Disappointment Lake; 40 yard portage to Ahsub.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
ALRUSS
County: St. Louis
GPS: 48.02.35 91.48.05
Size/Depth: 29 acres/ 48 feet
Delorme: page 88, D5
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Fourtown Lake
Directions: 9 miles north of Ely on Echo Trail; 4 miles east on USFS 459; 1.2 miles north on USFS 457 to ?Picket Creek: ?Picket Creek to Mudro Lake; 0.1 portage to Alruss.
Trout Species: Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout
BENCH
County: Cook
GPS: 48.03.20 90.14.15
Size/Depth: 26 acres/16 feet
Delorme: page 79, B8
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Pine Lake West
Directions: 18 miles north of Hovland on Arrowhead Trail to McFarland Lake; 2.5 miles across McFarland to Pine Lake; 6.5 miles across Pine; 0.3 mi south to Bench.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
BINGSHICK
County: Cook
GPS: 48.05.00 90.5345
Size/Depth: 45 acres/37 feet
Delorme: page 78, B2
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Gillis Lake
Directions: 48 miles northwest of Grand Marais on Gunflint Trail;3 mil west on Kekekabic Trail
Trout Species: Brook Trout
CONCHU
County: Lake
GPS: 47.55.25 91.35.30
Size/Depth: 53 acres/67 feet
Delorme: page 89, E7
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Ojibway Lake
Directions: 12 mile east of Ely on ?North Kasishiwi River?; 200 yard portage north to lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
FOUND
County: Lake
GPS: 48.01.45 91.27.50
Size/Depth: 58 acres/38 feet
Delorme: page 89, D8
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Ensign Lake West
Directions: 16 miles east of Ely on CR 18; 2 miles north on FR 438 to public access; 7 miles east by boat to Newfound Lake?; oirtage 165 yards to lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout, Rainbow
GADWALL
County: Cook
GPS: 48.03.25 90.10.00
Size/Depth: 20 acres/52 feet
Delorme: page 79, B8
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Pine Lake West
Directions: 18 miles north of Hovland on ?Arrowhead Trail? to McFarland Lake; 2.5 miles northwest across ?McFarland Lake? to ?Pine Lake?; 3 miles west across ?Pine Lake? 0.2 miles south on trail to lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
GOGEBIC
County: Cook
GPS: 48.04.40 90.14.40
Size/Depth: 70 acres/60 feet
Delorme: page 79, B8
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Pine Lake West
Directions: 28 miles north of Grand Marais on ?Gunflint Trail?; 4 mile east on CR 65 to ?Clearwater Lake?; 7 miles east across Clearwater: portage to ?West Pike Lake?; portage 0.2 miles south to lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
JACOB (Louise)
County: St. Louise
GPS: 48.02.35 91.49.05
Size/Depth: 24 acres/50 feet
Delorme: page 88 D5
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Fourtown Lake
Directions: 9 miles north of Ely on ?Echo Trail?; 4 miles east on USFS 459; 1.2 miles north on USFS 457 to ?Picket Creek?; ?Picket Creek? to ?Mudro Lake?; 0.1 mile portage to ?Mudro Creek?; 0.2 mile portage west to lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout. Rainbow Trout
LIZZ
County: Cook
GPS: 48.02.00 90.30.20
Size/Depth: 30 acres/ 30 feet
Delorme: page 78, B5
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: South Lake
Directions: 31 miles northwest of Grand Marais on ?Gunflint Trail? to ?Poplar Lake?; south across ?Poplar Lake? to ?51-rod? portage to lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
MAVIS
County: Cook
GPS: 48.03.40 90.50.15
Size/Depth:11acres/55 feet
Delorme: page 78, B3
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Long Island Lake
Directions: 47 miles northwest of Grand Marais on ?Gunflint Trail?; 1 mile southwest to ?Round Lake?; 0.5 miles southwest across ?Round Lake?; 0.5 mile portage south to lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
MISSING LINK
County: Cook
GPS: 48.03.30 90.58.45
Size/Depth: 41 acres/25 feet
Delorme: page 78, B3
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Long Island Lake
Directions: 47 miles northwest of Grand Marais on ?Gunflint Trail?; 1 mile south to ?Round Lake?; 0.5 portage south to lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
MULLIGAN
County: Cook
GPS: 47.57.35 90.39.05
Size/Depth: 31 acres/62 feet
Delorme: page 78, C4
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Brule Lake
Directions: ?Caribou Trail? from Lutsen to ?Brule Lake; across Brule Lake; portage to ?Lily Lake?; across ?Lily Lake?; portage to lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
NEGLIGE
County: Lake
GPS: 48.03.00 91.18.10
Size/Depth: 36 acres/58 feet
Delorme: page 89, D9
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Ensign Lake East
Directions: 16 miles east of Ely on CR 18: 2 miles north on FR 438; canoe through ?Newfound Lake?, ?Ensign Lake?, ?Vera Lake?, ?Trader Lake?; 0.2 mile portage west to lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
PEMMICAN
County: Cook
GPS: 48.06.15 90.10.20
Size/Depth: 40acres/51 feet
Delorme: page 79, B8
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Pine Lake West
Directions: 28 miles northwest of Grand Marais on ?Gunflint Trail?; 4 miles east on CR 66 to ?Clearwater Lake?; 5 miles east across ?Clearwater Lake?; poartage into ?Mountain Lake?; 7 miles east across ?Mountain Lake?; 0.2 mile portage south to lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
RAM
County: Cook
GPS: 47.57.30 90.27.00
Size/Depth: 67 acres/40 feet
Delorme: page 79, C6
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Lima Mountain
Directions: 21.5 miles north of Grand Marais on ?Gunflint Trail?; 6 miles southwest on ?Lima Mountain Road?; west on trail to lake.
Trout Species: Rainbow Trout
ROG
County: Cook
GPS: 48.06.55 90.59.00
Size/Depth: 55 acres/40 feet
Delorme: page 78, B2
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Gillis Lake
Directions: 53 miles northwest of Grand Marais on ?Gunflint Trail? to ?Seagull Lake?; 6 miles southwest across ?Seagull Lake?; 0.1 mile west on trail to lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
SKULL
County: Lake
GPS: 48.01.25 91.26.50
Size/Depth: 28 acres/38 feet
Delorme: page 89, D9
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Ensign Lake West
Directions: 16 miles east of Ely on CR 18; 2 mile north on FR 438 to public access; 7 miles east by boat to ?Newfound Lake?; 130 yard portage south into lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
SOCK
County: Cook
GPS: 48.05.00
Size/Depth: 20acres/23 feet
Delorme: page 78, B5
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: South Lake
Directions: 35 miles northwest of Grand Marais on ?Gunflint Trail?; 2 miles northeast on trail past east end of ?Mayhew Lake?; 0.2 miles west on trail to lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
TOPPER
County: Cook
GPS: 48.05.05 90.34.10
Size/Depth: 51 acres/28 feet
Delorme: page 78, B5
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: South Lake
Directions: 34 miles northwest of Grand Marais on Gunflint Trail; 0.6 miles north past Mayhew Lake; 0.3 miles north on trail to lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
TRYGG (Twigg)
County: St. Louis
GPS: 48.20.05 92.11.35
Size/Depth: 25 acres/35 feet
Delorme: page 88, B2
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Takumich Lake
Directions: 200 yard portage from either Lac lac Croix or Takumich Lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
VALE
County: Cook
GPS: 48.03.30 90.11.00
Size/Depth: 20 acres/ 34 feet
Delorme: page 79, B8
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Pine Lake West
Directions: 18 miles north of Hovland on ?Arrowhead Trail? to ?McFarland Lake?; 2.5 miles northwest across ?McFarland Lake? to ?Pine Lake?; 4 miles west across ?Pine Lake?; 0.2 miles south on portage to lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
WEE
County: Cook
GPS: 47.51.20 90.46.40
Size/Depth: 13 acres/34 feet
Delorme: page 78, D3
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Sawbill Camp
Directions: 17 miles north of Tofte on Saw bill Trail; 6.9 mile northeast on FR 165: 1 mile north on logging road midway between ?Moore Lake? and ?Crescent Lake?; 0.8 mile north on trail to lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
WENCH
County: Cook
GPS: 47.56.45 90.45.15
Size/Depth: 25.0 acres/ 59 feet
Delorme: page 78, C3
U.SG.S. 7.5 minute Quad: Cherokee Lake/Brule Lake
Directions: Caribou Trail out of Lutsen to ?Brule Lake?; 5 miles west on Brule Lake to northwest bay; portage northwest into lake.
Trout Species: Brook Trout
~Parnelli
Okie_Noodler:
To help those etchings in your mind about your time in the BWCAW, may I suggest two books written by the man, most responsible for the BWCAW becoming reality! Those who are planning to experience the BWCAW, I highly recommend reading these books before your journey inside the BWCAW. It will make your time there much more meaningful. ~Parnelli
Author: Sigrud Olson
Titles:
"The Singing Wilderness"
"The Listening Point"
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