I am leading a group in this year from EP23 which I have never gone out of. I understand that there is parking at the former bar, so questions are:

1. Is the parking lot located just north of the creek between Picket and Mudrow? Best directions to EP?

2. How long is the portage to Mudrow?

3. Where do you enter the lake - in the creek or actually on the lake? Coordinates?

4. Is Fenske best spot to hole up the night before?

Thanks for responses,

Esenjay

1. Yes, that's where the parking lot is. To get there, go down the Echo Trail about .25 miles past the Fenske Lake campground to "North Grassy Road" (there are also signs for the Fenske Lake Cabins and other businesses there, and very small sign for "Mudro Access"). Follow the road, keeping left at all intersections, until you get to the parking lot. It's a number of miles.

2. Not sure, but not long (depends on creek levels).

3. In the creek.

4. If you want to camp the night before, Fenske is closest, and it's a nice campground.

You won't get many more responses, HoHo covered it all very well.

Where are you going from Mudro? Fourtown? Horse? Jackfish Bay?

HoHo - Thanks a ton, exactly why I go here to get questions answered!

Kevlar, we are going up to Thursday Bay. It is a longer paddle, but we trip well together. We are focusing on fishing for this trip, and will be up there for six days, with a day each way for travel, for a total of eight glorious days on the water. We may take a few overnight excursions to neighboring lakes, I guess we will see.

On my gps software, it is about 19 miles up there - anyone paddled that route before? So you know, we are taking the eastern route through Horse then along the border rather than the western route through Fourtown.

Any inside knowledge on this route is appreciated.

Thanks again Santa,

Esenjay

We have done all of this trip on seperate trips though. Once we went up through Boot and Fairy, then up the Beartrap river and into Iron, then around through Crooked and down the Horse river from Mudro. Also, a diff trip last year, we traveled from Moose River, through Iron and into Crooked, then down through Thurs bay, through the Moosecamp river and out Mudro.

There will be a lot of people at Lower Basswood Falls, but it is a pretty cool pair of waterfalls. The campsites there fill up quick and are close together. Fishing on Crooked is great. Lots of walleye up there. Curtain falls is pretty cool, so check that out. We had lots of success with the walleyes above Saturday Bay. There are a couple nice campsites there too, the island North of Sat. bay is great as well as the beech one on the mainland across from the island site.

We caught plenty of walleye trollin raps right around the border in between the islands above Sat bay, as well as a couple in the bay itself. Lots of pike up by Curtain falls and scattered bass around the same places as the walleyes. All fish are decent size. Iron is a pretty good lake to fish too, so consider makin at least a day trip over there.

The 300 rod portage south of Wagosh is actually a very easy portage. Very level and maintained, so if you are considering a loop going out that way, dont let that portage deter you. The Beartrap river is actually a lil slow going since there is a bunch of beaver dams all over the place, so plan on that route taking a long day if you so choose. Great area and lots of good fishing around up there.

Canoe Dude, have you paddled from Beartrap to Iron using the Beartrap River. Do you know if it will be paddleable in early July?

quote esenjay: "I am leading a group in this year from EP23 which I have never gone out of. I understand that there is parking at the former bar, so questions are:

1. Is the parking lot located just north of the creek between Picket and Mudrow? Best directions to EP?

2. How long is the portage to Mudrow?

3. Where do you enter the lake - in the creek or actually on the lake? Coordinates?

4. Is Fenske best spot to hole up the night before?

Thanks for responses,

Esenjay"

When is your entry date?

That's a long day, esenjay, but I know of people who've done it (I have not done it in one day). Here's a little more info -

The portage from Mudro to Sandpit is very steep in both directions, but you will be going more down than up on the way in. The portage from Sandpit to Tin Can Mike is the easiest half-mile portage you will ever see, very straight and level, it's an old railroad bed. The portage from TCM into Horse is kind of average, nothing remarkable.

Going down the Horse River there are three (?) main portages and several more spots that you may need to line or portage your canoe through or around rapids depending on water levels and your group's approach to rapids. That makes this stretch somewhat slower going than the mileage would suggest. It's really nice though. The lower Horse is slack water. It can be a muck fest in very low water, so you should try to get up-to-date info if you are going later in the season.

The portage around Lower Basswood Falls that I have taken is on the Canadian shore. It is really spectacular, with the path right along and overlooking some of the best falls in the area. Just be careful approaching because the takeout is not that far upstream from the falls. I cross over to the Canadian shore further upstream and then approach right next to shore, making sure the stern lands first (so the canoe does not swing around).

On Crooked, you have to factor in time to see the amazing array of pictographs about a mile below the falls. At several narrow points you will have a noticeable current the first several miles on Crooked, going your way on the way in.

Hmm, wish I were doing it right now!

Click on my trip report to the left for info on this route....fairly detailed report with fishing and fun focal point.

Great route. Everyone else has covered the details well. Lots of history with voyageurs and Native Americans. Crooked is a beautiful place to paddle.

Big Zig,

We are going in on June 2.

Hoping that the return trip will be ok, not sure about the current as we paddle south.


Ho Ho,

I am hoping for decent water levels due to early season. It will be a long day, but through beautiful country. I have read about the portage between Mudro and Sandpit - at least it is early... on the way in.

Great advice on the LBF - thanks. The areas with current on crooked, have you paddled these going south?


mbeyer - great trip report, thanks for the link.

Esenjay

Just a little more info about your first leg...

1. Its about a 20 Rod portage into Mudro and you follow a swift and narrow stream through the weed beds so make sure you steer well.

2. I am also going up to Beartrap, but we are getting there in two days but just base camping. from everything I have seen/read so far it is a pretty easy voyage up there. Hardest part is the 160 Rod portage to Fourstown that is uphill and rocky, then there is another portage to enter Fourstown (10 rods? or so) but the landing is on an almost sheer rock face so be careful.

I've been there once before and it was awesome! Really great lakes and pretty good fishing along the way as well. Cant wait for May 22!

We will be going in at Mudro on May 25th. It sounds like good fishing in this area. Man vs BWCA why the attraction to Beartrap? We are thinking of camping near gun for a couple nights. Any other suggestions would be welcome.

We have paddled the sections of Crooked with a current when we were heading south. There was a strong wind from the south too. For a moment, forward momentum slows down. It's that strange sensation when you put your paddle in and there just isn't as much resistance against it - making it harder, of course, to propel yourself forward. But the spots with significant current are short and the current is not strong enough to actually cause problems. It's just a fun thing to experience, the lake is a lot like a river in those areas.

Thanks Ho Ho,

Unless we make an on the fly change, I think we will return on the eastern side the same way we went up. I will post a trip report saying how it goes for us as we paddle against the current.

Esenjay

quote wannabeoutthere: "We will be going in at Mudro on May 25th. It sounds like good fishing in this area. Man vs BWCA why the attraction to Beartrap? We are thinking of camping near gun for a couple nights. Any other suggestions would be welcome.
"

The attraction to Beartrap for me is two fold: first the great walleye fishing on the lake, and secondly the solidarity of this lake as it is a longer journey for many.

Other suggestions, the farther you get from Mudro the better the fishing. Also check out the maps on this site for good fishing sites as they are usually pretty well dead on.