Isle Royale

[Gillslayer]

I'm considering a backpacking/fishing trip to Isle Royale in mid to late
September. If anyone has experienced Isle Royale, i would like to hear any stories, tips, fishing spots, etc.
thanks ahead of time
Gillslayer

[1fish2fish]

I went back to back years about 9-10 years ago. I'm sure things haven't changed too much. First, I would definately do some research. There are a lot of different ways to "do" a trip. I will tell you what we did.

First year 7 nights/8 days, backpacks and a canoe, 2 guys.

Sencond year 11 nights/12days, backpacks and canoes, 6 guys.

We started and ended at Rock Harbor both years. We did the same "loop" both years. We took a longer trip the second year because we wanted to spend an extra day in a few of our favorite spots from the previous year. The first year we made and broke camp every day.

Portages: Are fairly easy. I recommend if your not in excellent shape already and you plan to portage you start walking today. If I were to go this summer I would start going for walks for a month or two and then switch to walks with a backpack loaded with some bricks. I would gradually increase the weight until you feel you can click off a five to seven mile walk (or further if you have the time) without a problem. If you do portage, make the portage with your packs first. This way you can check the trail for obstacles, tough points and switch backs before you have to lug that canoe across. I know this sounds like a bit much but let me tell you the trails are not like walking down your driveway or any family Kal-haven trail. They can very rocky, narrow, log-strewn and go through drastic elevation changes and contain switch backs in numerous spots.

Both years our first portage was 2.3 miles and it's a pain! It's your first one so you are in the worst of shape and it is also one of the longest on the island and of course your carrying your maximum weight because it's early in the trip.

Use their canoes unless you have a canoe which is specifically designed for portaging. Two guys brought their own canoe and they regretted it. It weighed a ton compared to the canoes we rented and let me tell you lighter and smaller is definately better. Not only did the weight kill them but on a couple of occasions they had trouble squeezing through the trail because it was wider than ours.

Fishing: We were mainly hopping from inland lake to inland lake so our fishing focused around that. Our first canoe was nine miles long so the second year we built sails (and luck was with us we hand the wind) and "trolled" for Lake Trout. Nobody caught anything. We all brought rod holders and extra lures just for this one spot but it did pay off.

For the inland lakes bring 5 or 6 red and white daredevils, a pole and a reel. That is all you'll need. You'd only need one lure but the others are in case you lose them. Like the typical fisherman I brought way too much tackle both years. About the only thing we could catch were Pike and some Perch. The Pike are out of control! My partner and I had contest (3 hours of fishing) and he won 28 to 27 all Pike. He also caught 6 Pike on 6 casts in a row. I would definately bring a rod tube to protect your rod. Again the trails will grab, rip and break anything that is hanging of your pack.

No matter what way you do it, everything you bring has to be LIGHT. You can forget those four man tents, sleeping bags you've had for 15 years, mag lites, lanterns, etc. Seriously, I would go out and buy the absolute lightest of everything I could find. Assemble everything I planned on taking and then go through it again throwing out 25% of it.

If your doing the canoe route I would have water proof bags for everything. We all had just one a piece (for camera etc.) because we were poor college kids but we had a few close calls and we were extra careful. One group flipped their canoe with 3 days left. Fortunately for them they were traveling with the 4 others but we kept saying over and over how horrible it had been on them if they would have been alone. No tent, no bag, no water filter, etc. I would buy the best rain gear you can possible afford. I would make sure it fits over bulky clothes.

If you get anything out of this novel get this! Get the best map they offer. Isle Royale sells them. The are like 13" X 36" (approx. measurements) and are water proof. Get 2 compasses and know how to use them. Even on the second year, knowing where we were and personally being very good with a sense of direction and fair with a compass we had a little scary moment on the shores of Lake Superior in nothing but a canoe. We eventually found the portage.

If you do the portage thing and make a loop (ending at the same point your started) we came up with a great idea. The year that six of us went we smuggled in a case of beer. Like I said our first leg was a nine mile canoe. We canoed the nine miles with everything (beer included) and camped. Before we left the next morning, we piled all the beer and rocks in to milk crates. We lashed 2 milk crates together to make a box. We made 2 of these boxes to hold all the beer. We then canoed out a ways and sunk the whole thing (all tied together) and attached the other end of the rope to a tree on land. We covered up the rope with branches and bush. On day eleven on the way back. We rescued our beer (Lake Superior cold) and had one heck of a last night. Molson Golden never tasted so good. If your not a beer drinker you could do a similar thing with a case of pop or even some food that you'd be dying for after a week of freeze dried.

Oh and one last thing. Don't think your going to quit smoking by not bringing any cigarettes. Watching your buddy pick up butts from other campers and relighting them is not a pretty thing. Anyways there is so much more I'm forgetting. Email me is you want more.

I just noticed you said mid to late September! I'm not sure if it is even open. Both years we went right before college started up, late August early September and the second year the nights were getting down into the 30s. Definately look into that!

[Jimbos]

We went in early September, it's a great time of year. Minimal bugs(I did get stung by a bee) and black flies.
You could almost get away with not even bringing a tent. Plan your trips to spend the night at the mini campgrounds and there's shacks with wood walls on 3 sides and the fourth being a wall of screening. Out of a week of camping on the island, we only used the tent once.
Be careful where you put your boots, a fox carried off my buddies boots when he left them outside the tent for the night.
Also had a fox come up and pee in my tackle box. Damn thing just lifted it's leg and drained one.:)

[Gillslayer]

First of all, thanks for the novel. It is very helpful to hear from someone who has experienced it.
Mid-September because that is when the coasters (lake-run brook trout) come into the inland waterways. We will be prepared for the cold.
How about the wildlife?
Were you able to see any moose? How about wolves??? did you hear them at night?
I was not aware that they rented canoes. Are the rentals right there on the island? How much?
We were unsure if we were going to do strict hiking or canoe. I didn't know they rented so I was siding with backpacking so we didn't have to haul our canoe out there, but now I'm not so sure.
If you can think of anything else, let me know.
Again, I appreciate it.
Gillslayer

[1fish2fish]

Lake run Brook Trout. Not a bad idea. If I were you I would definately try to get hold of a Park Ranger once they open. Preferably one who has been working on the island for a number of years. We ran into one and they definately know the island like the back of their hand. There are numerous feeder streams and probably the key to success is find the needle in the haystack. I'm sure a Ranger who has been their a few years can point you towards a few of those needles. The problem will be getting a hold of one. There is no communication on the island. If your not going until Sep. you probably set up a snail mail thing with them. I'm sure they get mail on the island. They might even have access to email.

Yes they rent canoes right on the island. You get off the boat and pick up your canoe (at least they did when we went). Have no idea on prices, I haven't been in 9 years but like I said I would do as much research as you can.

Jimbos is right with the shelters. If the campground is on the outside of the island it will have shelters (wood on three sides, screen on front with roof) and a fire pit. No shelters or fires allowed on the inside of the island (unless this has changed). The shelters are the bomb. The have a raised floor and are like staying in a mansion after 6 consecutive days of making and breaking camp. Lots of graffiti and history on the walls. That time of year you'll probably always get one. But remember there are only 1-3 per campsite and it is first come first serve. Personally, I would avoid the outside of the island. The inside is much more beautiful, A LOT less people (remember the outside campsites also get hit by all the power boaters and sail boaters). Then again the mouthes of streams would probably be the best fishing for lake runs. If your staying on the outside of the island only canoes sure can make the travel easy and allow you to carry more but rough weather can force you to sit in the same spot for a few days. Canoeing in Lake Superior on a rough day even three feet from shore is not an option.

Another must have is a water filter. When you send away for the Isle Royale information packet they will tell you what filter to buy. You have to have a pretty serious one (rated by microns it will filter down to) because their is some bug that circulates between the wolf and moose.

Moose you will definately see! I know the population goes up and down so hopefully it isn't during a low numbers period. Go for walks around dinner time and near sunset. Take a day pack and follow trails around water. We had over 40 moose sightings b/w 6 guys but we looked for them almost everyday. We had one walk within fifteen of our camp while eating dinner. It sounded like a tank coming through the woods. They are NOT stealthy. Early morning is good too. But it must be real early. We were usually dealing with camp at that hour. Be careful in a canoe. They will swim across anything and they have on occasion collided with canoes and flipped them. Nothing like that happened to us but we did see them swimming.

Wolves we heard almost every night. The first year my buddy and I crossed pathes with one. It crossed a trail 20 yards in front of us. In the 20 days we were there that is the only wolf sighting we had.

Some year I will go again. I'm will probably strictly hike. But if I recommended it to anyone for their first time I would tell them to do the "loop and portage from inland lake to inland lake" thing. But this is the first I've ever heard of trying for brook trout. You could hike down the south shore for 3-4 days. Cross to north shore (the island is only like 7 miles wide at its widest point) hike east along the north shore and then recross to south shore (only about 3/4 mile wide at this point) and be back where you started. I'd get a map out and see just how many feeder streams you'd cross doing it that way.

Another option (if they still do it) is you can hire someone on the island to motor you to a campsite and then hike back to Rock Harbor. I believe they will drop you off at any camp site on the outside of the island for a price.

Also, if you weren't aware you can also launch from Minnesota and land on the west end of the island. From what I've read it just a copy of Rock Harbor but on the other end (the island is 42 miles long, I believe).

[Gillslayer]

1fish2fish,
thanks again for the insight.
gillslayer