Hey all,

We are heading up to the BWCA in late May - early June. The plans is to head in at EP#23 Mudro Lake....then make our way north through Crooked Lake and beyond. This is a new route for us but I've heard good things. Anyone with information on this area, cool things to see/do, or any suggestions would be much appreciated. We're a group of 23 year-olds and are up for anything.

Happy Travels,

Justin
Saint Paul, MN

Are you headed to Crooked through Fourtown and Gun-Boot-Wagosh etc or going up through Horse and the Horse River to Lower Basswood or are you doing a loop and going through both areas.

Answer the route question for me and how many days you have in the trip and I can give you lots of info on the area, sites to see and campsites. I do not have any info on the fishing, but I know others will and I hear it is good in Fourtown and I know it is good on Crooked.

Thanks for the quick reply. We are headed up through Horse and the Horse River to Lower Basswood...then the plan is to spend the majority of our time on Crooked, ultimately making our way west through Crooked and Iron...etc. Trip dates are looking to be Monday May 30 - Sunday June 5 (give or take), so around 7 days for the trip...we'll be on Mudro early monday morning.

Any waterfall, campsite, cliff or deep woods hiking info would be great.

Waterfalls

Lower Basswood between Basswood and Crooked Lakes
Curtain Falls between Crooked and Iron
Rebecca Falls flows out of Iron north of Curtain
There is a waterfall between Fourtown and Horse if you get over to the western shore of Horse

Artifacts

Horse Lake-large campsite/meadow across from the portage from Tin Can Mike has artifacts as does the campsite on the western point of the narrows

Fourtown (although it sounds like you won't go through there) has an old truck and iron beds and other trash on a site eastern side in the bay north of the three most southerly camp sites on the lake.

Cadillac Narrows-there is another old car on Crooked lake, the Canadian shore near a small island north and east of Friday Bay. Paddle along the northern Canadian mainland shoreline, you can see it easily from the water.

Pictographs-

famous Crooked Lake pictos at the overhanging rock cliffs just north of Basswood Falls

Lac La Croix pictos marked on the map

Campsites

Any of the campsites around Lower Basswood Falls are great if you can get one.

Saturday Bay point that faces west-big sand beach and great sunset views

Iron Lake southern site tucked back in bay

Lac La Croix Tiger Bay Island site

Have fun-good luck and you will have a great time along this route. Only thing to be cautious of is wind as you have lots of big water to travel over With Crooked Lake and Lac La Croix. I assume you are exiting Moose River EP 16

Thanks alot for the information, it seems as though the posibilities are endless in that neck of the woods. I have one more question to pose on you and it regards fishing. We plan on doing a little fishing; concentrating on walleye and smallmouth. I don't need to know every 'honey hole', but just some info to get us started and enough food for a shore lunch. APPRECIATE YOUR TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crooked Lake for smallies!!!! Go down into the bays and find some areas that are less deep and more quiet. One that has worked for the boys is Saturday Bay, back around the corner to the east-fish in there and the small bay that shoots north until it almost reaches the main partof the lake again. There is just a sliver of land seprating the bay from the main channel of the lake. Last year Michael (my son) hooked a 20 plus inch smallie. Iron is also known for good smallie and walleye fishing as is Lac La Croix.