I understand that it can get quite windy in the BWCA. Are there entry points or seasons that would have a greater chance of less wind (if that makes sense)?

It'd be less about entry points and season than it would be about the size of the body of water that you're paddling. The larger lakes are open, exposed and much more susceptible to wind. Smaller lakes and rivers are usually protected by trees and bluffs.

If wind is a concern for you, and I know it is for me. the factors to be considered most are not the area or season. Instead, I offer these points of consideration.

-Time of day. Mornings are usually the best for paddling, the early bird DOES get the worm. There have been many times out there when travel was good in the morning, but very difficult by afternoon.

-Size and orientation of lake. This fall, my dad and I were on Brule (large lake) The wind was quite stiff out of the north but we were hugging the north shore so it was quite easy. As a note, the waves can be alot harder to manage than wind. small lakes, streams and rives are generally easier to manage without putting yourself in harm's way.

-landscape, as mentioned earlier in this post. coves, bays, peninsulas, and islands provide much needed reprieve. Cliffs can funnel the wind in strange ways, good or bad.

-Experience. Knowing when and how to turn in the wind and waves, and how to hop from shelter to shelter. how to read the lake. Once I learned how to "crab" life was alot better. Knowing what you can and can't do safely. being comfortable with yourself, your paddling partner, and your canoe in rough weather is invaluable.

-Canoe. some designs just get pushed around alot more than others. some designs cut into waves others just kinda roll. height of bow and stern, amount of freeboard (more isn't always better), rocker (is that the right word?). primary and secondary stability.

-Strength. I can't mussel a canoe around like some folks. but usually I can find the finesse and endurance to just keep picking away. patience is also a good thing.

If nothing else, bring extra food. the wind can't last forever.

good luck, hope some of this helps

If you want to avoid wind look for an EP with small lakes, and lakes with lots of islands.

The worst winds I have encountered were on Brule lake.

We did our honeymoon on Brule in '82 before we had any idea what we were doing. We had some serious wind trying to cross the lake late in the morning. The worst we've had in recent years was on a couple of the lakes in the NE section of the BW. Alder was a complete no-go well into the evening. East Bearskin was a tough go too.

you can easily get pinned down on some pretty small lakes, with the right wind.

I agree- Brule has been the nastiest for me as well. Although Basswood has its moments.

I have a Basswood moment. First trip I went on, was guided trip with John Herrick of Moose Bay Company. Great guy and small outfitter right on Moose Lake, by the way. We were coming back from Ranger bay, and the wind was nasty out of the west. We get to Washington Island, and the lake looks bad. Guide says "we're going", who's to argue? Towing our canoe from his motorized square stern, double bridle set up hooked on both sides to front thwart, maybe 30' of rope. Famous last words from him, "make sure you are straight behind me" to me and my dad. We take off, and the waves sure enough were right behind us, so not too bad. However, by the time we got about 1/3 of the way back to Prairie Portage, they were so big that the lead canoe would go over the top of a wave and literally disappear for a second or two. Only thing you could see was our tow rope cutting thru a wave. Crazy. We were steering our butts off to stay in a straight line. By the time we got near Bailey bay, I swear the waves were 4 foot rollers, seriously. Directly from behind, and only rarely breaking, but huge. For 15 year old, was fun, but my dad was not a happy camper when we got to prarie portage.

basswood can get really bad.

Buz that's CRAZY!!

I've had some moments on Bayley Bay of Basswood when going north to Quetico. Those westerlies come right down the length of Basswood and get you broadside.

In 2000 I was solo doing this and caught up to a couple inexperienced paddlers loaded down in a tandem. I passed them and they were getting blown off course. I imagine they got beached somewhere and had to wait it out. Or worse!

Seagull can have its moments also. My lady and I were returning from a trip and had to paddle from the Alpine lake portage to the boat ramp on the far end of the lake. I consider myself a strong paddler and Erin can hold her own and it was a straight up fight to move at all. I didn't have a yard stick but I would guess a minimum of 3 ft rollers. We pulled into a camp sight to sit it out and watched a father and son tandem get sideways and flip. Off we went straight into the wind they were only a couple hundred yards away but it seemed like eternity to get to them. They were to heavy and to wet to pull into the canoe so we had to turn the canoe and ride the waves back with them hanging on the gunwales. It reminded me of the pictures you see of Hawaiians riding the surf back to the beach. They were a little freaked out and cold but unharmed. Luckily they had lashed there bags into the canoe which was pushed up against an adjacent island and recovered. Without their pfd's things could have gotten ugly in a hurry.

Last June the wind got horrible when we were at Lynx. It was kinda scary looking out at the lake. We knew we were ok though cause we did have enough food for a few more days if we couldn't move. We got lucky and the next morning things died down a bit and we were able to paddle. I think Pitch sums it up best when he says bring extra food and just sit tight until it passes. Also, remember to tell loved ones back home that you may be out a few days late if you run into bad weather so they don't worry.

It's my belief that the winds have increased substantially in the last couple of years, particularily in the spring. Anyone else think so?

Make sure you are aware of conditions before heading out into open water.
We were leaving Saganagons heading into Cache Bay. The wind was at our backs out of the northwest as we headed back to the ranger station because one of our group wanted to buy a sweatshirt.
It wasn't until we were well out into the open water that we realized that these waves were big,bigger than we had the skills to paddle,but I felt we had no choice but to continue our course to the island since trying to turn around would have put us broadside to these waves.
My bow paddler was a rookie so I just told him keep paddling on whatever side I told him.
The scariest part was when your paddle would grab only air or I would brace on the surface of the following waves as we slid down the face.
If we had paid attention to conditions we could have followed the western shore and been a lot safer.
When we beached the canoes at Hook island to wait for our tow I kneeled down as kissed mother earth it felt good to know we were safe and dry,and yes we stopped and bought sweatshirts it always reminds me of the "fun ride"on Cache Bay.

Let's just hope there isn't another derecho incident.

The key to avoiding wind in the Boundary Waters is to know the daily rhythm. On a typical summer day in the Boundary Waters, the winds kick up in the afternoon between 1 pm and 5 pm when the heat of the sun stirs things up. The winds and water are normally always calm first thing in the morning and at sunset, and those are the best times to put miles on if you really need to get somewhere. After about 17 trips to the BWCA and Quetico, I've come to expect the wind in the afternoons. It's just a matter of how windy it will get. If it gets too windy during the afternoon, just pull in to a campsite or a clearing and take a nap until later in the day when the winds die down. Knowing and working with the rhythm of nature is one of the fun parts of going to the wilderness. Some others made a point about the size of the lake, and that's very true. Bigger lakes are going to generally be more windy with bigger waves. One of the most challenging is Saganaga Lake at the end of the Gunflint Trail.