Hello All,
I am in the process of planning my first trip to Boundary Waters next August. Right now I have group mostly first timers of 7 that are interested. The one person that has been went 20 years ago. I was a pretty avid canoer prior to joining the service and have found recently I am still comfortable in my handling knowledge. My portage experience is mostly over flat paved ground so this will be something new even for me. I have six entry points in mind (Listed Below). My group hasn't fully decided yet on what all we are doing such as if we are going to camp at a different spot everyday or set up a base camp and do canoe trips. I am looking for some input as to complexity of the water ways, difficulty of the portages, fishing info, and wildlife info for the six listed water ways for first timers.
1. Saganaga Lake
2. Moose Lake
3. Fall Lake
4. Sawbill Lake
5. Lake One
6. Trout Lake

The other question I have is if we plan on canoeing and portaging to other lakes near our entry point do I need a permit for those lakes as well or just a permit for the entry point? for example entering at entry point 55 and canoeing around to Red Rock lake. Do I need a permit for Red Rock Lake?

Another question is due all campsites have the required forest service fire pits? And is fallen dead wood prevalent enough for cooking over a fire?

Welcome! You'll find lots of help on this forum. Exciting to plan a trip and you've got plenty of time to enjoy the process. I encourage you to review the trip reports on this site for each of the entry points you listed. You will glean lots of good information from those reports. Will you be using an outfitter? If so, they can also help answer your questions too.

No, you do not need a specific permit for any of the lakes. For example, if you have a Saganaga permit you can go into Red Rock and beyond however you'd like. Permits open in late January so you have plenty of time.

If possible, you might get your group out paddling and camping before then, just to help dial in the realities of the trip. Enjoy the process!

Another welcome. Over the years I have been to most areas and while I do have favorites there is no bad place to go. I'll second reading some trip reports.
By regulation all camp sites have a firegrate and a fiberglass potty. Camping is not allowed at unofficial sites. You can stop and take a break or shore lunch, no open fires.
Downed firewood can get scarce by August, especially on entry and primary travel routes. It is recommended you paddle along a shoreline looking inland for fallen wood, don't cut from wood right along the shore. And it is possible there will be a fire ban if conditions are hot and dry.

Thank you your input. I will advise the group to try to get out and camp. We are spread across the country with a few exceptions.

And another welcome :). You may want to consider purchasing one of the guidebooks such as "Exploring the Boundary Waters", by Daniel Pauly (see the book tab at top of page. It will cover most of the basics of rules and regs, etc. as well as suggested routes with varying degrees of difficulty for each entry point. As you know you'll need an entry permit. It permits entry at one specific entry point only and on one date only. After entry there isn't a restriction on where you can go. The permit group is limited to 9 persons and 4 watercraft and must enter together and camp together on one designated site. All designated sites have a firegrate and latrine, and are first-come, first-served. No food in cans or glass bottles, pack-it-in, pack-it-out, LNT style. There may or may not be a fire ban so something else to consider in planning. I'd advise to make sure all members of the group are familiar with the rules as they make affect your planning and your trip.

Besides the guidebook it will be useful to check out the planning information here. Checking outfitter websites will provide a lot of useful information as well as suggested route options for the entries they service.

As far as complexity of the waterways (I'm assuming means in terms of navigation) and difficulty of portages, there's considerable variation. Some portages are long, some short, some have better or worse trails, some are flat, some steep. Plan to double portage - you'll walk each portage 3X, 2 loaded, 1 unloaded. You need to be packed efficiently for doing that. Portages are measured in rods; 320 rods = 1 mile. Some will have awkward landings. If you go to the maps and entry points tab here you can get portage information. Click on Sawbill entry, click on map, go north to Kelso River, click on the yellow portage line, click view portage detail then go north through Kelso Lake to Lujenida Lake and do the same for the Lujenida-Zenith portage. Just be aware that the conditions can vary year-to-year and even throughout the season.

Ease of navigation varies considerably although most of the lakes you have selected are quite large and will likely require follwing a compass bearing. The only one I have experience on is Sawbill, which is the smallest by far of the lakes you have chosen. Navigation there is quite easy and mostly a line of sight process. another consideration is that larger lakes can be more difficult paddling if windy.

BTW, how long is your planned trip?

I also am wondering how long a trip you are planning. Also whether fishing is a focus or just looking to explore and see the sights.

For planning books, my favorites are the 2 by Robert Beymer (one for the eastern region and one for the western region of the BWCA).
BWCA: western region

I also recommend reading some of the trip reports on this website. Click on "Maps & Entry Points" then select entry points. Chose one of the points you are considering and then check out the general notes and read some of the trip reports for that entry.

Some general notes:
Saganaga - one of the largest lakes in the area so wind can be an issue, though it can also be very calm...just plan flexibility into your trip. If inexperienced navigators, Saganaga (known as Sag for short) can be a challenge due to its size and many islands. It is possible to get a tow by motorboat over to American Point.

Moose Lake - very popular entry point and you will see lots and lots of people. Many groups get a tow to either Prairie Portage to get into Basswood or to Splash Lake portage to get into Ensign. Personally, I'm not a fan of tows and have never used one because I come to paddle, but if you have an inexperienced group it can allow you to get farther on your first day. Basswood Lake has too many motorboats for my taste.

Fall Lake - Also too many motorboats for my taste.

Sawbill Lake - a wonderful entry point with a campground and outfitter right at the entry. Quite a few options for travel direction though to the east you will be competing for campsites with folks coming in from other nearby entry points. Though things seem to be getting back to pre-pandemic levels of travel so it is not quite as big of an issue.

Lake One - a very popular entry point and it can be hard to reserve a permit, but lots of great travel options around there.

Trout Lake - You will have to cross lake Vermillion to access this entry point and it is a busy motorboat lake. Some people have said it is possible to arrange a tow, but you don't see this as often here. Once you get to Trout Lake and then to Pine Lake, there are some off the beaten track options to get away from crowds and motors if you are willing to put in the work.

Helpful hints: sturdy footwear, do NOT overpack (think like a backpacker), dress in layers (temps and weather can vary wildly), be flexible (all the research in the world can't predict the weather or whether a specific campsite will be available or whether the group can handle the chosen route).

Have fun! It is an amazing area and a precious resource.

As others have said, trip length and fishing needs (okay, "general interests"...but fishing or not fishing is a big one) play a role.

I have been in (or out) through all of those, save for Trout--but do have a lot of time on Vermilion. If I were going to take Trout, I would probably elect a tow. Vermilion is not a lake I'd want to canoe on, whatsoever. The most boat traffic of all of those by far, at least in my opinion.

Pretty much anymore, if we can take a tow, we do...we single portage, and we like to go in as far as we can on day 1, and that helps immensely. (Plus, having paddled all of those at least once, some I would not do it again...Moose, in particular, I am looking at you :D) Just as an FYI, "tow" does not mean they actually hook up and tow your canoe (like a tow truck). The boats usually rack on top of the motor boat, and off you go. You, and your gear, will unload at the end of the motor zone (or you chosen site/designation). You may or may not portage along side of the motorboat, depending on where you go. For the dropoff, some will find the closest land to the motor line, and you will get out there--transferring gear and people on relatively dry ground. Others will flip your canoe into the water, and you all just hop on in from the boat in the middle.

Most all of these entry points have many beginner friendly options...IMO, Lake ONe is probably the most "beginner friendly" (assuming you will be doing some paddling and/or portaging, and not jsyt getting dropped at a site)...and it's also relatively high traffic and permit availability can be tricky.

Others have talked about the wind/navigation issues, so I'll leave that off...but really, which one is best for you depends on what you want to fish for/if fishing matters, and what your group is looking to do.

My top on that would be Fall (assuming you would consider a tow)--but I am biased. We found a "home" on Crooked, and have been spending a week or two up there every year for the last 7 years or so. But Basswood is also a great lake (and honestly, the motor areas are not that bad and have never bothered me. ANd, of course, you can get out of the motor zone entirely. Lower Basswood up into Crooked is a fabulous area though--not crowded, relatively speaking, fanTASTIC fishing, lots of wildlife, and stuff to do for non-fisher people...pictos, artifacts, waterfalls, etc. Fall is a great way in, bc you can do the tow and it's about the same time wise as coming in Via mudro/horse river to get there--but there are substantially more permits for Fall. You can get towed out, or make a loop and come out mudro.

If you have more info on length of trip and what you're interested in, I am sure people will be happy to give more specific feedback :D

Planned trip length is 5 days.

Fishing in on the menu to supplement our food packs.

Straighthairedcurly,
When you say "East" of Sawbill are you talking up in the Ada Creek campsites or Smoke Lake Campsites?

My first trip ever was EP 55: Sag - Red Rock - Alpine - Seagull over 4 days and it was awesome. Sag was windy though and required some hard paddling and competent navigation. The portages were not difficult as far as I can remember.

I've done a couple of trips in the Sawbill area and can give you a little information about the options. I'm pretty sure she was talking about the Fire Lakes - Smoke/Flame/Burnt - which lie between the Sawbill Lake EP to the SW and the Baker Lake EP to the SE. Both of those EP's can take you to the Fire Lakes, both also lead to Cherokee Lake to the N - a popular destination - and are part of a loop through Cherokee. The chain of lakes N of Peterson is also a popular destination. Once you leave Sawbill to the N into Ada Creek, there are no campsites until you get to Cherokee. To the W of Sawbill (and Alton) is the Lady Chain - Beth, Ella, Grace, Phoebe, Knight, Hazel. People sometimes do it as a point-to-point between Kawishiwi Lake EP and Sawbill Lake, but just going to Grace or Phoebe is an option. I have done the Baker Lake-Cherokee-Sawbill-Baker loop. I have not done the Lady Chain, but we had it as a short option for a trip, but had a good forecast for the week (last week of Sept.) and decided to do a longer loop from Kawishiwi Lake to Polly-Malberg-Pan-Little Saganaga-Hub-Mesaba-Zenith-Lujenida and out at Sawbill. The only really tough part on the Baker loop was the Sitka-Cherokee portage. It's a bit of a tester. That trip was later in Sept. also. Let me know if you have any questions about any of it.

A thing to keep in mind reading trip reports and guidebooks is that things could have changed. Some routes go through more or less recent burn areas. Some sites in a burn area may be less suitable if you are hammock campers. I've not had much trouble finding a site but I'm usually solo or a pair and just about any site is useable. The only time was when we came south from Lujenida to Kelso to camp, but unseasonably good weather the last weekend of Sept. had the area full and we were lucky to snag the site next to the Sawbill-Smoke portage. Made for an easier exit the last day.

I'm an east side person. So I recommend Sagnaga Lake. Dukes mentioned the Red Rocks route. I agree. For a first time trip it is a wonderful area that will get you a taste of large water and small water areas. Light on portages and easy on paddling. Lots of outfitters to bunkhouse with as well.