Fishing Minnesota?

[wily]

The good camp sites are only accessible by boat...but you can use motor boat unlike the boundary waters

There are some camp sites that you could access with a kayak...lost lake is basically straight across from the main public access ...there are a handful of others within a couple miles 

the coolest way to think of it is the boundary waters that you can use a bass boat 

i would suggest calling John at sunset resort...he’ll rent you a small cabin.l for the first night...and would take you out and drop you off at your campsite....and then come back and pick you up

If he won’t...I promise one of the resorts on ash river trail will. 

Ya...I’d say you’re confused...i wouldn’t drive 800 miles to plan on sleeping under a bridge ✌️

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Maybe @Macsimus can give some advice.   

[Mark]

I've researched quite a bit and am on BWCA forum. I get it that the real way to experience the boundary waters is by canoe or boat where permitted. For various reasons (mainly I'm 62 and some physical issues), I'm wanting to base camp out of my truck on the water preferably for free and on a small stream to wade. The BWCA forum posters gave me a few good leads for lakes for free camping. But I've been amazed that there are so few free camping places on water with the thousands of lakes in the Northwoods, and haven't found one on a stream. (Yes, I know I can primitive camp in National Forest but must be 300 feet from water for dispersed camping.) Guess I'm spoiled in MO with so many free places to camp on our streams. I did find last night an Ash River State Park for $14 per night w/well water and vault toilets. I can handle that, but amazed most campgrounds at resorts were $25-30+, and cabins are out of my price range travelling solo. I'm hoping to explore the area in 10-14 days but travelling on a frugal budget. I'll want a shower and bed (and civilization) every 3rd or 4th day, and long travel days, so there's $400-500+ in lodging alone.

Thanks for tip on resort people hauling you in and out. I can handle that. Or I can afford to rent a canoe for a day or two from base camp. Solo camping out of a canoe can be a lot of work

I guess I'm hoping for someone to give me their secret free honey hole not on the map! LOL I am amazed that with all the wilderness that there aren't primitive Forest Service camp from vehicle sites on the water for $10 per night everywhere. Quite the opposite.

[wily]

You could base camp easily in the bwca....seagull outfitters and others will motor you out and pick you back up

ash river isn’t a wade fishing river like around here...

ive got quite a few maps and books on bwca I’ll look this evening or maybe tomorrow but I know you could do what you’re wanting to do in the arrowhead region...because I was basically planning to do the same thing until I decided on lake Kabetagoma 

i didn’t want to work as hard as I think it would’ve required to canoe camp...with wife and two kids.  I think I would’ve been bitching and complaining the whole time...plus didn’t want to go without beer for that long

pm your email address and I’ll send you some stuff that might help 

[wily]

You should also check sylvania wilderness in upper peninsula Michigan...we almost went there too.  I think it might be perfect for what you’re looking to do...it’s like bwca light

 

[wily]

I just got home from fishing but there’s lots of forest service camping spots in the arrowhead section...not in bwca...but nearby...some are on rivers.  

I’d say just head that way...and you’ll find something you like

this is just a snapshot...I’ve got other better maps but this came in one of the guide books

camping along superior shore would be cool too...big lake...find one of the rivers that run into it and camp along it.  Fishing should be good if you time it right

[Mark]

I'm thinking July. I'll probably do as you say for camping and ,yes, plan to take US 61 along Lake Superior. 

You seem to know your way around there...besides streams, if you had to pick one area for scenery and fishing, where would you go? I've never caught a walleye, pike, pr nuskie. And more interested in smallies than trout. If you said "go here and you'll catch walleye" where would that be? Also, travelling solo after a couple days I'll be ready to find a brewery or bar and socialize a little, so I'm going to camp within a half hour of a town.

 

 

[Macsimus]

There's some very good river trail info on the MN DNR site. Here's a interactive map that shows accesses, camp sites, etc. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/watertrails/interactive_map/index.html
https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/watertrails/index.html
Both the Upper Mississippi and Rum rivers are excellent for SM. But, their scenery is not that of the northwoods and the Arrowhead areas. It is more rolling and agriculture in nature. The North Shore is beautiful but I believe it to be more trout country than SM. 
Other suggestions to check out are the Root and Zumbro rivers in SE MN. This area is Mississippi River bluff country and it is beautiful but in a very different way than the northwoods. The terrain can be rugged, especially closer to the Miss River and it's more of an ag/mature forest mix vs the northwoods which are more pine forest. Feeders to these rivers are most likely trout streams but the rivers themselves are warmer and very good for SM. I wish I could be more specific in recommendations but I have spent very little time stream fishing. There's just too many lakes to explore. 

Over the years, I have found the folks at the DNR Fisheries Offices to be extremely helpful and a call to one or more of them would be well worth your time. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/index.html
For the SE MN rivers, I'd contact the Lanesboro office. For the Rum and Upper Miss, the Little Falls office. 

I should add that for most, if not all of these rivers, if they've got SM then they more than likely have Walleye.

 

 

[Macsimus]

On 4/25/2020 at 12:03 PM, Ffer said:

We are supposed to go to Canada end of May. Would be our 4th in a row. Mainly smallmouth, don't target pike but they show up too.  Don't have the slightest idea if Canada will open then , so we're trying to come up with a plan B.;  Fished some lake near Bemidgi (sp)? probably 40 yrs ago. Know  zero about where to look at.  Any ideas?  TIA

 

If you're after SM, especially big fish (who isn't?), take a look at Woman Lake near Longville. Late May (other than the weather) can be very good.  

[Ffer]

Thanks all for the help and ideas. May just have to blow this trip off this year. If we could go to Canada we may or may not have to quarentine for 2 wks. That's not happening. Hell even if MN opens up, they're are so many ppl chomping at the bit to get out to somewhere, I doubt we'd be able to find a place to stay. Looks like a Truman trip may be in our future. Thanks again for your input.