Boundary Waters, Trip Reports, BWCA, Stories

2023 Pine Lake solo adventure
by Kayaktom

Trip Type: Paddling Kayak
Entry Date: 09/19/2023
Entry & Exit Point: Pine Lake (EP 68)
Number of Days: 2
Group Size: 1
Day 2 of 2
Wednesday, September 20, 2023 Today was all about fishing. I considered a trip to Johnson Falls, but the wind out of the east was picking up, and it would have been a brutal 5 mile paddle back to the campsite. The day was spent catching bass and trying for an elusive walleye (unsuccessful). The wind picked up throughout the day, and I was alone, so I didn’t venture more than a mile or two away from my site. The night was spent with a fire and listening to baseball on the transistor radio I brought. Interestingly, I was picking up stations from Chicago and Cleveland, but couldn’t get WCCO from the Twin Cities. The sun was down by 7:45pm, so it was another early night in the hammock. I headed out the next morning, fishing along the way. Thankfully the wind shifted and I had it at my back again as I paddled out. I caught some big and aggressive smallies in McFarland as I went back to the landing. Sadly, a nasty storm was coming in from the west, so I had to high-tail it back as past as I could paddle. It’s a good thing I did, because the rain and lightning started as soon as I closed all my doors. A great trip overall! I got a nice mental break from work and everything back home. Pine is a beautiful, huge lake. The campsite was amazing, and the smallies were biting. The wind on Pine is no joke, so I recommend getting out there early or late in the day.