It's that time of year when people are starting their canoe trip planning. The phone is ringing with questions about Boundary Waters permits and people wanting to buy Boundary Waters maps. Maybe the snow and cold weather are keeping people inside and they can't help but think of warmer days ahead. We don't care why they are calling, we're just happy they are.
One question we get asked when people are doing their canoe trip planning is, "When is the best time to come to the BWCA?" This is a good question and thankfully if they are wanting to come canoeing we can eliminate half of the months when the lakes are frozen.
The paddling season in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness generally begins the first week in May and extends into October. The temperatures vary considerably as do the water levels, fishing and bugs. These things are closely related to when the ice goes off and what sort of weather we've been experiencing.
It would be nice to say, "The ice goes off the lakes on May 2nd, the lake trout start biting on the 15th, the walleye bite begins on the 22nd, the mosquitos arrive on the 25th, the black flies begin on June 4th, the smallmouth bass start hitting on June 10th and so on and so forth. Unfortunately that isn't how it works and we must say things like, "Our ice on Saganaga usually goes off the first week of May, but one time we still had ice on the fishing opener and another time we were able to use a boat during ice fishing season."
Canoe trip planning involves alot of things. If you have questions you can feel free to call or email us. Check out our list offrequently asked questions and with a little luck and a little help from us, you'll plan the perfect canoe trip.
One question we get asked when people are doing their canoe trip planning is, "When is the best time to come to the BWCA?" This is a good question and thankfully if they are wanting to come canoeing we can eliminate half of the months when the lakes are frozen.
The paddling season in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness generally begins the first week in May and extends into October. The temperatures vary considerably as do the water levels, fishing and bugs. These things are closely related to when the ice goes off and what sort of weather we've been experiencing.
It would be nice to say, "The ice goes off the lakes on May 2nd, the lake trout start biting on the 15th, the walleye bite begins on the 22nd, the mosquitos arrive on the 25th, the black flies begin on June 4th, the smallmouth bass start hitting on June 10th and so on and so forth. Unfortunately that isn't how it works and we must say things like, "Our ice on Saganaga usually goes off the first week of May, but one time we still had ice on the fishing opener and another time we were able to use a boat during ice fishing season."
Canoe trip planning involves alot of things. If you have questions you can feel free to call or email us. Check out our list offrequently asked questions and with a little luck and a little help from us, you'll plan the perfect canoe trip.
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