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EP #23 Mudro to Beartrap Lake Trip Advice/Questions

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Mustangt125

03/05/2012 04:55PM

Alright I know I have been in and out with a ton of questions during my time on here but I wanted to make (at least) one more topic where I could have most of my information, and hopefully move closer toward final decision making.

1. For our trip there will be four people total and we will all be 24 year old men and it will be a 4-5 day trip. We have no experience canoeing in this manner but we have camped and boated before, we've all fished, and one is in the military so I think we should be able to handle ourselves.

2. I e-mailed an outfitter in Ely with our trip parameters, expectations, and wants. He recommended multiple routes available for our needs and one that I loosely settled on was a base camp trip entering at #23 Mudro Lake. Yes, you heard it right. Our preferred destination is the coveted camp 1882, the southern most campsite on Beartrap Lake. I am fully aware that it's likely taken and we will be prepared with walkie talkies to double back for another site.

3. We plan on arriving in Ely the night before and starting early...hopefully around 7 am. When can we expect to arrive in the Beartrap/Thunder/Gull/Gun area? We were hoping to get past Fourtown and Gun in an attempt to cut down on others paddling around all the time.

4. We want to fish a lot. Does anybody have an fishing tips on those lakes or good stories? What bait works best up here? What species can we expect? Preferably bass, northern, walleye...etc. We planned to basecamp in that area so I would like to know if any surrounding lakes that we could day trip to had good reputations for fishing.

5. If there's anything else in the this area that you would recommend we should check out, feel free to throw out any ideas like the pictures on the wall at LLC, we would love to cliff dive if there's any in the area. If there's a hiking trail nearby, etc.

6. Two of my uncles have been BWCA regulars so I have a good list to start from equipment wise. We will be able to get most of our equipment at home, but will need to rent some from the outfitters. Is this time of the year or area extra conducive to mosquitoes or those bastard black flies? We'd like to avoid the flies big time, we can handle the skeets with DEET.

7. Any additional information would be appreciated and I'll be back later to answer any questions that may help you help me.

Just looking for additional information or any questions that can help me make this a more enjoyable trip for all of us.

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tom m

03/05/2012 07:15PM

The wife and I,starting about 7am at Mudro late last May, reached, and camped on, Gun by noon, and made Beartrap by noon the next day on our way to Sunday Lake. We took our time double portaging, both days. The weather was rainy so we didn't fish that much but caught some smallmouth on Gun. There was lots of campers on Fourtown, no one on Fairy, no one on Boot, one other group on Gun and Gull and no one on Thunder or Beartrap when paddled through, tom

TOM

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friman001

03/05/2012 07:18PM

I did this trip last August...we made it to Beartrap but the site was taken, huge bummer. We ended up staying on Thunder and enjoyed it. Avoid the Northern most site on Thunder at all costs, worst I have ever seen. I never keep track of time while in the bwca so not sure exactly how long it would take to get there. We made it to Fairy and decided to post up for a couple nights. We were tired by the time we got there but still had plenty of time left in the day for travel. Our best fishing was on Fairy but August proved tough for us. Portages from Fourtown on were easy. I recommend coming back down through the Moosecamp River. Really cool paddle. I dare you to take a jump from the cliff on Boot....you will know when you see it.

I didn't notice a trip date (could have skipped over it) so advice on bait, skeeters, etc is a little difficult. Provide a date and I am sure others can chime in.

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Clod

03/05/2012 07:28PM

There is a good cliff diving spot on Gull Lake. I believe it is on south side of the lake. I have also caught some nice Walleyes along this area of cliffs.

Clod

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walllee

03/05/2012 08:40PM

It has been awhile since I have been to this area.The one thing that stands out in my mind was the color of the Walleyes in Beartrap. They were the prettiest walleyes I have ever seen. The color was outstanding.

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Kevlar

03/05/2012 09:54PM

Friman is right. The northern campsite on Thunder may be the worst in the BW. The other Thunder site is good, Beartrap site is good, the east and west sites on Gull are good. Bring walkie talkies so you can hold one site and send another canoe ahead to check...and test the damn things.

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PaddleAway

03/06/2012 08:37AM

We stayed on Beartrap in May 2008. Campsite is very nice, & we caught a few pike right off shore. Our attempts to catch a walleye or two failed, but plenty of people have said they're in the lake.

Only guessing, but I'd bet it would take six hours to get to Beartrap from Mudro EP if you hustle; also depends on whether you're single portaging or double portaging. We tend to meander, & it took us 4-5 hours from our first night's camp on Fourtown to reach Beartrap.

If you're looking for adventure, day trip up the Beartrap River. There's an old, unmaintained portage just south of the river on the west side of the lake. River, beaver pond/dam, then another old portage on the east side of the river right after it jogs north. Plenty of wild country back there.

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Mustangt125

03/06/2012 08:45AM

Sounds good guys thanks for the advice.

I would love to cliff dive up there but I'll have to get a look up close and personal before I do!

I guess I forgot to put what time we we're looking at. My trip will likely be in late June or August, leaning heavily towards June at the moment. July is pretty much out due to active duty for a Guard member.

So any info on bait, skeeters, black flies etc with June in mind would be great.

Cheers

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mirth

03/06/2012 10:03AM

It took me & my buddy about 4 hours to paddle out from the 4 star site on Gun to the EP w/a stiff headwind most of the way last September. We were double portaging & stopped for a snack before we continued on Fourtown.

As far as mosquitos & ticks are concerned, treat your clothing w/permathrin before you go. It'll be effective the entire trip & you'll only need to worry about treating exposed skin. For skin protection I recommend Ultrathon or Sawyer controlled release lotion (both essentally the same thing). Often a single application will last me an entire afternoon & evening.
For the flies, I've seen people take duct tape & attach it sticky side out to the back of their hats and use it as a sort of fly paper. Seems to work....

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Lightfoot

03/06/2012 12:09PM

A couple suggestions:

1. Maybe setup your base camp on Gull. From there you have easier access to fish several lakes in that area. You could fish Gull, Gun, Thunder, Bear Trap, or Home. Also from Gull, you could make a day trip over to Angleworm Lake to fish and just to see it. Angleworm is a real beauty, surrounded by very high hills all around.

2. If you are sure you will be going to this area, reserve a permit for EP #22. This entry is also for Mudro but does not allow camping on Horse Lake. Since you would definitly not be on Horse, there's no sense taking up a permit that allows camp on Horse (as EP #23 does).

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WhiteWolf

03/06/2012 12:11PM

Was on Beartrap and the campsite for fishing opener May of 09'. Leeches on jigs to find them then on slips. Island furthest north of the campsite and directly west of the port into thunder has classic walleye break on the SW side. Can be fished from canoe or even from shore with slips,, though can be a bit tough navigating the shoreline with puckerbrush,deadfalls and rocks--- ie-- wear knee high rubber boots-- and bring a small landing net. THe lake is weird like stained. The PH of the water is way low or high (we bring PH strips to test different lakes-- and this one was off the charts one way or the other,, I forget) BUT-- make sure to filter all water, we usually do but sometimes we just go out in the middle and collect it without filtering ,,, and presto, about 10 days later I had beaver fever. Home creek enters on the SW side,,, not much flow but we picked up a few eyes and caught minnows there in trap nets-- but leeches out performed minnows- at least in May.
IMO-- the site is not that great- 3.5*
Go in June,, the fishing will be much better.

"What good fortune for governments that the people do not think." — Adolf Hitler

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snakecharmer

03/06/2012 12:40PM

quote Mustangt125: "Sounds good guys thanks for the advice.

I would love to cliff dive up there but I'll have to get a look up close and personal before I do!

I guess I forgot to put what time we we're looking at. My trip will likely be in late June or August, leaning heavily towards June at the moment. July is pretty much out due to active duty for a Guard member.

So any info on bait, skeeters, black flies etc with June in mind would be great.

Cheers

"
June is the sweet spot for bugs. You'll get to enjoy almost every insect northern MN has to offer :)

"Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after"
~ Henry David Thoreau

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Mustangt125

03/06/2012 02:08PM

Thanks for the tips.

As far as camppsites, we are definitely prepared to have to alter our plans for one reason or another. I don't think we'll be too picky but we might as well at least try for preferred ones.

Good fishing info. From what I have gathered it is the leeches that they can't stop biting at. We'll be sure to take some of those up. I gotta believe unless we find a real hotspot that we will move around and try multiple spots.

It's looking like June is going to be our month. There's not an easy way to gauge it, but are the bugs bad enough to ruin this? I can only do so much with bug spray and nets, etc to keep them away. I don't want to have to be swatting a fly away every ten seconds.

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WhiteWolf

03/06/2012 02:49PM

quote Mustangt125: "Thanks for the tips.

As far as camppsites, we are definitely prepared to have to alter our plans for one reason or another. I don't think we'll be too picky but we might as well at least try for preferred ones.

Good fishing info. From what I have gathered it is the leeches that they can't stop biting at. We'll be sure to take some of those up. I gotta believe unless we find a real hotspot that we will move around and try multiple spots.

It's looking like June is going to be our month. There's not an easy way to gauge it, but are the bugs bad enough to ruin this? I can only do so much with bug spray and nets, etc to keep them away. I don't want to have to be swatting a fly away every ten seconds."

You will get used to the bugs. The first night will be the worst. The fishing will help. You will be swatting bugs no doubt, but get out in the canoe at dusk and you will miss the worse. The bugs seems to take a break about 2 hours after sunset if your up that late,, that's when our crew cleans the catch. Worst bugs are in early to mid June, for what it's worth from my experience.

"What good fortune for governments that the people do not think." — Adolf Hitler

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Mustangt125

03/06/2012 11:34PM

Are there any waterfalls or pictographs, or anything in this area that you recommended we see?

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Ho Ho

03/07/2012 10:26AM

If you are first-timers canoe camping, my main recommendation would be to make sure you really have a grip on what is involved in portaging before you go. The first three portages on your route - from Mudro to Fourtown - are pretty rugged (the portages after that are pretty easy). You guys need to know how to carry a canoe and have your gear packed efficiently, knowing who is carrying what. Most people "double portage," which means they carry their gear across in two trips. Some people "single portage," carrying all their gear at once. I recommend starting out double portaging so portages don't ruin your trip. It's also nice to check out the scenery along the trails when you are walking back for the rest of the gear between trips.

There will be bugs in June, but they shouldn't ruin your trip if you have the right attitude. I went in this area last June and mostly just had some black flies in the evening, no problem. If you want some idea what to expect, you can look at my trip report here.

In terms of sightseeing, one thing you might consider is paddling out via the Moosecamp River, which has some cool old artifacts from logging days and lots of beaver dams and different scenery. Given the dry weather we've been having, just check on the board before you go to make sure water levels aren't too low for the river, which has some shallow sections where you could get mired in muck without enough water. See the third day of my trip report for more on that route.

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Mustangt125

03/14/2012 02:39PM

Were any of the areas I plan on heading into seriously affected by the fires?

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inspector13

03/14/2012 02:46PM

quote Mustangt125: "Were any of the areas I plan on heading into seriously affected by the fires?
"

No, the fires happened east of Ely.

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Mustangt125

03/14/2012 02:51PM

quote inspector13: "quote Mustangt125: "Were any of the areas I plan on heading into seriously affected by the fires?
"

No, the fires happened east of Ely.

"

Okay thanks. Just wanted to make sure I didn't manage to overlook something as huge as a giant forest fire...

Regarding outfitters, I will be going to either Piragis or VNO. A while ago I exchanged emails with a guy from Piragis and he was very helpful (without asking for money I might add).

We don't plan on renting many things. Canoes, paddles, maybe creek chairs, and a bear barrel.

I plan on just arriving a day before we go into the water and checking out the outfitters, so because we're only renting a few items I figured we didn't need to reserve ahead.

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boonie

03/14/2012 05:18PM

I have used both Piragis and VNO, and they are both good. Although it's probably not absolutely necessary, I'd go ashead and reserve the canoes that you want since you'll be there at one of their busier times. It certainly simplifies things. I usually arrive the afternoon before I enter and get my permit and gear and have everything packed for a quick start in the morning. Have a good trip.

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Mustangt125

03/15/2012 06:25AM

Does Moosecamp River lead down from Moosecamp and come out at the top of Fourtown?

If so that sounds like a good way to paddle out or take a daytrip.

Another day trip I will keep in mind is the trip over to Angleworm for fishing and sightseeing.

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mirth

03/15/2012 06:50AM

Yes, Moosecamp flows into Fourtown. Several people have said it's a scenic paddle with many historic artifacts along the river. Where it empties at Fourtown the large meadow looking area has remnants of an old logging camp, check it out if you have time.

That was on our to do list last September but winds kept us camping when we wanted to be paddling so we weren't able to check it out.

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PaddleAway

03/15/2012 07:04AM

The Moosecamp River is gorgeous, probably the highlight of our summer trip last year. Lots of beaver dams, but it just kind of meanders its way down to Fourtown, not much current, lots of turns & wiggles. I'd take this route out from the north again over the lakes to the west in a heartbeat.

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