Timing Question

[stheos13]

New here trying to plan my first trip to Isle Royale. Had a question I was hoping I could get some insight into:

Taking into account:
a) Weather
b) Bugs
c) General busyness

Would you rather visit the island the first week in June or the first week in August?

I've done the Pictured Rocks a couple times, one in late June and got eaten alive by black flies, one in late August and the flies weren;t an issue.

I know that weather is going to vary from year to year.

Any insight is greatly appreciated!

[johnhens]

I would opt for the 1st week in June. Less people, cooler temps, usually no black flies, maybe mosquitoes. Less people. Leaf out is just in progress, wildflowers are in bloom (check out calypso orchids on Scoville Pt trail).
Days are long (daylight). Moose have had or are having calves.

[Midwest Ed]

In general I agree with John but for black flies it's all about the temperature. Fortunately the peak fly season is usually relatively short, sometimes just a week or two but it can arrive in early June (even in May) if spring comes early. Mosquitoes will be an issue in August as well as more people. Bad weather can be your friend regarding bugs although a cool down after fly season can then sometimes create a second fly resurgence when it warms up again. The only way to avoid all three (flies, mosquitoes and most people) is to go late in the season.

[MikeTokarz]

I would go first week of June too. We were there June 10-18 last year. No flies but there were mosquitoes in the thicker woods. Only needed bug nets once between Moskey and Ritchie. Spray your clothes with permethrin before you go and the mosquitoes won't even bother you. Weather-wise it rained once during the night for a few hours. Nothing significant though; just enough to make hiking the next morning wet. I don't think we ever topped 70 degrees or got below 50 at night. The weather couldn't have been better.

[JerryB]

I agree with the rest and would personally prefer early June. You should be aware that it might get fairly cold at night.

[treeplanter]

I’ll be the contrarian here. I prefer August. Last year, I was on the island (Tobin Harbor) the last week of May and the bugs were bad away from the lakeshore. Near Lake Superior there were none, but once you made your way up the Greenstone, they picked up big time (both mosquitoes and black flies). Very annoying. Another reason for an August trip would be water temperatures. By August, both Lake Superior and the inland lakes will have warmed substantially from what you’ll find in June. If you like to swim, there's really no choice.

I enjoyed my late May trip, but doubt I’ll go that early again. This year we’re going in late August.

[head2north]

I would go in June so that I could go back in August

[Spinnister]

I live in the Keweenaw, so not on the island, but that neck of the woods. My comments are based on my experiences at home, and my two trips to the island in August (second half).

I'm not sure I'd go in June if I had another option, but I'd definitely go in August.

The blackflies can be horrible in May, June, even July some years. It depends on the year, but I would consider August as the safest bet with them. Sometimes it's hard to walk outside my door in June. I've seen them come out full force on Memorial Day. Mosquitoes can be a problem all the time, but we're just generally less buggy in August. No guarantees, of course - the blackflies really are weather-dependent, and the worst of them is usually fairly brief, but not always, and some years the worst can be over but they are still pretty aggravating for a very long time.

The weather can be pretty much anything, all summer long. I've seen 90s and 40s both months. I've seen bone dry and I've seen soggy both months.

[stheos13]

Thanks guys. Good stuff.

Leaning towards June now. I'll roll the dice on the black flies in return for less crowds.

The year the black flies were bad at the Pictured Rocks it reached the point where no amount of Deet would deter them and I just gave into letting them feast on me. I guess I can use that as a baseline and figure out how bad it really was comparitvely.

Slightly concerned about overlap with a deep Playoff run for the Wings, but all indications are that's a long shot.

[treeplanter]

......Slightly concerned about overlap with a deep Playoff run for the Wings, but all indications are that's a long shot.

Unless they learn how to put the puck in the net, that shouldn't be a problem.

[head2north]

I remember 2008 Redwings vs Penguins. Was at Chickenbone West Campsite on a canoe trip with my Father. We made a deal with neighboring campsite to trade their radio for the evenings game for some fresh Walleye.

The game was not found in English, but was fairly certain there was a French Channel covering game. So if you know French you may be in luck.
I didn't know French so I went back out fishing and forgot about the game before my first cast.