Fly-In Fishing Recommendation for Northern Minnesota/Southern Canada

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Father Time is catching up with the older hunters in my family, and I'm looking for ways for us to continue taking trips together to spend time outdoors. Our once annual-ish Colorado elk hunt is no longer doable for my grandpa, and my dad's bad knees forced him to call it quits early last year. I'm entertaining the idea of a fly-in fishing trip to a remote lakeside cabin as a less physically demanding excursion that still gets us into the "backcountry." The "boundary waters" around/along the northern border of Minnesota and into Canada seems to be a likely place for such a trip, and I'd like to hear recommendations (for or against) any outfitters in the area. Feel free to PM me if you'd rather not share your recommendations publicly.
 
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Jimbob

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Do you mean Northern Ontario? Southern Ontario is major farm/private land.

Anyways, I think you want to look at North Western Ontario. I have a friend that guides in the Lake of the Woods area. I have never fished there though.

Shouldn't be hard to find a good outfit.
 
OP
Mighty Mouse
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Do you mean Northern Ontario? Southern Ontario is major farm/private land.

Anyways, I think you want to look at North Western Ontario. I have a friend that guides in the Lake of the Woods area. I have never fished there though.

Shouldn't be hard to find a good outfit.
Apparently I'm not great at Canadian geography. Yes, I was thinking around Lake of the Woods and/or the general boundary waters area.
 

WCB

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There are a few fly in outfits in Southern Ontario just East of Lake of The Woods. Also look at eastern Manitoba lots of outfits in that area.

Unless you are set on fly in trips you could also book at the resorts on Lake of The Woods in Minnesota and have great fishing and the north woods experience. Heck come up ice fishing at one of the resorts for something really different than you are probably used to.
 

def90

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If you want a great fishing experience there are tons of great resorts and fishing in northern Minnesota, no need to fly in. If you really want the fly in/remote wilderness experience then there are thousands of fly in resorts/services all throughout Canada and Alaska.

Most of the Boundary Waters area is non-motorized so you won't be flying in to there.
 
OP
Mighty Mouse
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Thanks for the suggestions so far. I'm not 100% committed to flying in, I just figured that would be a surefire way to ensure ourselves peaceful, quiet fishing away from other folks.

I also didn't mean to imply that I specifically want to fish the Boundary Waters Wilderness Area. I'm looking anywhere in the general "boundary waters" lying around/along the northern Minnesota border and into Canada.
 

NEWAoutdoors

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Not fly in but fished rainy lake years ago as my graduation present with my dad. It was awesome. Fished out of international falls Minnesota which is right on the border. It was excellent pike, walleye, and smallmouth fishing
 

Riplip

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Check out Canoe Canada. The have outpost cabins that they can fly you into, they will outfit everything or you can bring you own gear. We went to Batchewaug cabin, we canoed ourselves out to the cabin but hired the float plane to bring in beer and additional alcohol! The cabin is the only grandfathered cabin in the area actually on an island. Super cool place with absolutely incredible fishing. We went in early June when the small mouth fishing was the best, had a few days that I stopped counting after 50 fish. Tons of Walleye and Lake Trout as well. Perfect for what you are looking for, and the owner and staff are top notch. PM me if you have other questions.
 

Scottyboy

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I only ever fish lake of the woods in the winter, been twice this year and will be going again in 2 weeks.

boundary waters is (or can be) quiet, but for the physically limited (and I mean nothing by that) it is not the place to go. It’s not overly physically demanding but some portages can be a pain. Add in mosquitos and it can make for a long week

if you were to come here fishing I would first think about what you want to fish for and then pick your spot based off that.
 

DJB

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Depending on what you want you could rent a house boat on Crane lake in N MN or go to Voyageurs National Park. Both you would want to bring fishing boats with you.
 

keller

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ive rented a houseboat from ebels in voyager national park.also did a fly in fishing trip out of nakina ontario.both were great trips.better fishing on the fly in by far.
 

JR Greenhorn

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For the Boundary Waters, check out the Paddle Planner map:
https://www.paddleplanner.com/tools/maps/bwcaqueticomap.aspx

If you zoom in, the partner outfitter (which is most of them) logos show up. Also, if you click on the 3-bar menu button on the top left of the map, you can turn on the motorized overlays, which is pretty much any large lake that's partially in and partially out of the Boundary Waters. Generally those lakes have outfitters who will ferry your crew, gear and canoes in via motorboat. However, that also makes them popular locations.

You do need a permit to camp overnight in the Boundary Waters. Permits became available the last Wednesday in January, so many have already been booked. Last year was a record year for visitation, so you'll need to check what's still available: https://www.recreation.gov/permits/233396

A permit allows you to enter and camp overnight, with max group of 9 people and 4 boats. I believe you don't need a permit for day trips.

I haven't done a fly-in trip myself, but I know that Canadian Border Outfitters on Moose Lake does fly-in outfitting, and I recommend them based on a trip I did departing from their docks.

Fenske Lake Cabins/Echo Trail Outfitters (north of Ely) is my favourite outfitter up there. No fly-in outfitting, but they are connected to enough lakes that you can do a small Boundary Waters-style trip without actually entering the Boundary Waters. You could also stay in their cabins and day trip across a few portages to fish. The cabins are nice, but there will be people in the other nearby cabins, as well as in the NF campground across the lake.

If you go up to Grand Marais on Lake Superior's North Shore, and then follow the Gunflint Trail to the Boundary Waters, Rockwood Lodge & Outfitters, Tuscarora Canoe Outfitters, and Clearwater Outfitters are three I've used and recommend. Clearwater's historic lodge is something to see. If you're in that area, make sure to plan to stop for a meal at Trail Center Lodge on Poplar Lake.


Bottom line, you're going to have to work really hard to find true seclusion (i.e. not seeing another human for at least 1-2 days) in the Boundary Waters between mid May and Labor Day. However, it can still be a worthwhile experience if you don't get hung up on that. A silent wave to fellow canoeists passing by your campsite isn't the worst thing.

If you're not familiar with all of it, pick an outfitter and they can walk you through selecting a route, get permits, etc.



From what I hear, it's not realistic to expect to do any fishing in Canada this year. If it were, Ontario's Quetico Provincial Park borders the Boundary Waters and is roughly the same size. In normal years, you can book a fly-in trip to Quetico and paddle back to the outfitters docks. Not this year, though. If the border were open, you can cross freely if you get a Remote Area Border Crossing permit from Canada, but not this year. However, you are free to use the portages on the Canadian side of the border waters per the Jay Treaty of 1794. We did this our last trip up there, in 2019.


The area between the Boundary Waters, Grand Marias, and Grand Portage in MN can be relatively secluded, as not a lot of tourists make it past Grand Marais. There are State and National Forests in that area, as well as tribal lands and a National Monument. All have different rules. If you go to that area (instead of up the Gunflint), I recommend Sawtooth Outfitters in Tofte, MN. Let them know the guy who put a gash in a brand new canoe 2 years ago on the Pigeon River sent you (I need to build some good will back with them!).


Finally, based on what you're describing, you may want to look at Isle Royale also. You have different rules and options there, too. It's technically part of Michigan, but much closer to MN and ON, with the shortest ferry ride leaving from Grand Portage. The Park Service called off the ferries for the year last year, but I haven't heard what the plan is this year. Northeastern MN was so busy last year, I can't imagine they can be shut down again.


Further west, as others have mentioned, any of the cabins or outfitters around International Falls, Baudette, or Warroad would be more than happy to set you up. Fishing trips are these guys' bread and butter, but most aren't anything like a wilderness trip.

Also, I just read that MN's Northwest Angle (MN's "chimney") is really suffering, as you have to drive through Canada to reach it by road, and you can't do that right now. If you can find a way to fly in there, I'm certain it would be uncommonly quiet this year.
 

Okhotnik

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Do a trip in Quetico National park, Have done many canoe trips there and incredible scenery and fishing and camping.

For more comfortable cabins. Have been here a few times on fly in trips. Fishing was decent

 

30338

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Received a call just yesterday from the Canadian border control folks. My applications for remote border crossing are denied indefinitely due to covid. Any 2021 trips will need to be MN it seems. Good luck.
 

DJB

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You do need a permit for day trips into the BWCAW. If your nonmotorized it's a permit you fill out and leave at the entry point your doing your day trip from. If it's motorized you need to get a motor permit.
 
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