Greetings everyone,

Our group is looking for some advice about routes or lakes that are both overnight motor and canoe friendly? The make up of our group with the ages of kids are such that the older kids are ready for the canoes and have kept the younger kids in the motor boat. I guess I'm not ready to be outnumbered in a canoe by kindergartners. :) Last year we went to Saganaga and had a great trip. Are any of the other overnight motor boat entry points as friendly to each?

We'd have two or three canoes and one 25hp motor.

Basswood & Lac La Croix come to mind.

Lakes with 10 Horsepower (HP)
Limit
On these lakes, the possession of one
additional motor no greater than 6 HP is
permitted, as long as motors in use do
not exceed 10 HP:
• Clearwater, North Fowl, South Fowl,
Seagull (no motors west of Three Mile
Island), sections of Island River within
the BWCAW.
Lakes with 25 HP Limit
On these lakes or portions of these lakes,
the possession of one additional motor no
greater than 10 HP is permitted, as long
as motors in use do not exceed 25 HP:
• Basswood (except that portion north of
Jackfish Bay and Washington Island),
Saganaga (except that portion west of
American Point), Fall, Newton, Moose,
Newfound, Sucker, Snowbank, East
Bearskin, South Farm, Trout.
Lakes with no HP Limits
• Little Vermilion, Loon, Lac La Croix
(not beyond the south end of Snow Bay
in the USA), Loon River.

This is a list copied from the BWCA Forest service planning guide

Tony

The motorized lakes are going to be bigger in general, and if the wind is up, can be a little tough on tippy canoes, especially with little kids.

Seems like you made the right choice in Sag last time. By staying in the islands, you can break some of the wind, and give the kids some sheltered areas to paddle about in, while still having the opportunity to do a day trip or two, like to Red Rock.

You might consider going to Crescent Lake. It's not in the boundary waters, but is right across the street from Baker Lake Entry point. Crescent lake has the feel of a boundary waters lake. It's very clear, and allows motors. It's car camping for the most part. There is walk-in campsites on a peninsula. I don't think there are any houses on the lake.

Another idea might be to go to Voyageurs National Park. Those lakes allow motors, but has a boundary waters feel to it. The campsites have stainless steel bear boxes which is convenient.

About half the campsites are on the water. Some campsites are first come first serve, so even if you don't see something available to reserve, they likely still have openings. That would give you day trip options to go to Sawbill, Kawishwi, Brule, Baker etc.

I was four or five when my parents stuffed me in a canoe. I’ve tripped with a 9 month old in a canoe.

Consider not taking the motorboat(s). It’s no fun having a motor boat and a canoe in the same group.

Tom

tumblehome: "Consider not taking the motorboat(s). It’s no fun...
Tom"

Sounds like they've already been and had a great trip on Saganaga.

We had a great trip back into Red Rock Bay. I get it and I agree its not a trip for the purists but if it helps getting young kids up there I'm all for it. Once the kids are able to handle the front of a canoe, surely we'll go back to that. We are still planning but this year we may have kids ages 14, 10, 7, 7 and 6.

The last two Memorial Day weekends we went to Red Rock Bay. The fishing has was pretty sporadic. We have been talking about returning to Sag for a third year but also really enjoy seeing new areas as well.

The first one that came to mind was Moose Lake. From a site on Moose/Newfound/Sucker, a canoe can go west to Wind, north to Birch, and east to Splash and Ensign.

With a 25hp your options are sag, basswood, and lac la croix.

I am a huge fan of sag and would recommend branching out from the red rock Bay Area if fishing is important to you. I would key in on the sites tucked in bays amid the series of islands that stretches from munker all the way over to conner’s and sag falls.

Separate question, out of curiosity— for this kind of trip do you need to pull both overnight motor and overnight paddle permits, or just an OM and list the canoes as your additional watercraft?

You can have canoes on a motor permit.

I'd go back to Sag! Check out those islands.

Thanks so much guys! Permits are booked for Sag! As always, this year is going to be drastically different than the previous two. Odds of a late spring (like we've had the last two years) seem to be nonexistent.