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Kawishiwi Lake EP 37 August Strategy

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Last Visit: 09/10/2010 02:01AM
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Jonesy

07/28/2010 09:04AM

I've got a permit reserved for August 9 and was wondering what the odds were of getting one of the known Forest Service campsites on a Sunday evening? If they're full, we may just sleep in the van.

I'm hoping to get to Koma/Malberg on the first day (single portage), then spend a couple nights somewhere North of Malberg. We'd spend the last night on either Malberg/Koma/Polly so we can get out fairly early Friday afternoon.

It does look like all the permits for Sawbill/Kawishiwi are gone, so I'm wondering what sort of strategy to use in finding decent campsites and a little solitude.

Thanks,

Bryan

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Lightfoot

07/28/2010 11:53AM

One option for your couple nights north of Malberg would be to head to Beaver Lake (Elbow Lake on some maps) or Adams. The site on Beaver right where you would turn to head into the east arm is very nice. Also the Island site on Adams is nice. These 2 lakes are off the main travel along the Kiwishiwi R and may give you a better shot at a little solitude.

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jamotrade

07/28/2010 03:21PM

I wouln't count on getting one of the official sites at Kawishiwi. if you get one, awesome, but there's an unofficial site just off the othr side of the parking lot that would suit you just fine for a night. Way better than the van...

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Bannock

07/28/2010 03:28PM

I agree with jamotrade.

Also once you get north of Malberg you shouldn't have a problem finding a site and relative solitude. On first day you might want to grab the first vacant site on Koma or Malberg.

Bannock

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Jonesy

07/28/2010 04:09PM

All,

I appreciate the responses. I was kind of figuring if we were a little tired once we got to Koma, we'd take whatever we could find.

If we still had good daylight and were feeling up to it, we'd push on into Malberg. I was planning on just going North, then head to the East arm for sites.

I'll take this as confirmation to not be too picky about the first night campsite.

Thanks,

Bryan

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Jonesy

07/29/2010 08:25AM

A quick question on Amber lake...from the Kawishiwi R. do we have to take the portage or can we go through the the stream marked on most maps?

Thanks,
Bryan

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wcummin1

07/30/2010 08:51AM

Bryan,

I'm heading up this way next Thursday (August 5), and it seems that we are on the same wave length. Your trip sounds eerily similar to mine. While I hope to fish Malberg and the lakes to the north (Kivaniva and Pan), I've heard great things about Adams and the surrounding lakes. I look forward to hearing how your trip went.

I'm sure we will pass each other on the ninth, for that is our departure day. Look for two rather large, young guys busting their asses...dreaming about greasy food and comfortable beds.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep - Robert Frost

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Jonesy

07/30/2010 03:25PM

I'll be on the lookout for you. We'll be a group of 3 guys and 1 canoe.

I did fish Kivaniva last year in early July and caught quite a few pike along the Western half of the lake and the NE shore. We didn't have much luck on Beaver/Malberg, but then we don't fish too hard.

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fishscales

07/31/2010 09:23AM

We were in Beaver this spring and stayed on the campsite in the western bay. Very nice, good fishing around camp and nearby for smallies and big bluegill. Day tripped to Adams and had the entire lake to ourselves. Caught lots of smallies, largemouth and northerns. The island campsite on Adams is very nice.

As far as traveling through the area, we made it to Beaver in one day double portaging, 9 hours. Tough, but not terrible. Coming out we stopped at Malberg for the night and came out the next day.

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lindstromsg

08/02/2010 10:14PM

Heading the same direction at the end of August. Would be interested in access to Amber as well.....and what luck you have fishing there.

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UPBoy

08/06/2010 12:39PM

Amber lake. You should be able to paddle in to Amber with just about any water levers. The first site on Amber is a 5 Star.

We did OK fishing but not great. You will need to move away from camp because the water is shallow and sandy around the camp site

I can only hope that when I die, my wife does not sell my fishing equipment for what I told her I paid for it

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vinnie

08/06/2010 02:44PM

when you guys portage from malberg to the kawishiwi river,don't step off to the side of the path where the two rocks are where the water runs over the path, it goes from 12 in deep to 4 ft deep in one step.

vinnie

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Jonesy

08/15/2010 12:32AM

We just got back from our trip out.

Had a really nice trip, but as expected it was pretty busy this time of year. Weather was a bit warmer than anticipated, with a little rain each night. I think we had around 1" of rain on Wednesday morning (thank goodness for the CCS tarp).

We managed to find the last campsite at the Kawishiwi campground available Sunday night, so we grabbed it. Lots of thunder/lightning that night. We got to the peninsula campsite on Koma in 5 hours from the EP and decided to setup camp for the next 3 nights. We headed back to Kawasachong on Thursday AM and setup camp on the NW site. It was alright w/ a nice view of the lake. No great shade trees around the site, and the firegrate area is a little small. We noticed what seemed like beehives close to each of the better tent pads. It sufficed for the last night. We headed back to the EP early Friday AM.

The Monday morning we headed in was just a spectacular day to be on the water. Calm, foggy, relatively cool, plus we were the first ones out. I told the guys in our group (newbies) to savor this.

We were pretty sure we saw a 4-man family canoe go through Kawasachong Thursday PM, probably make the long portage to Polly, only to see them come back through later that afternoon. If it was the same group we felt pretty bad for them.

It was a good trip, but we'll probably cross August off the list due to the busyness.

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