Isle Royale Forums

Hey all-I'm new to the forum but have read many of the threads and it looks like there's quite a bit of good knowledge exchange here. I'm thinking about taking my first trip to IR in August. I'd like to take the boat from Grand Portage, MN to McCargoe, explore the inland lakes, and get picked up at either Chippewa Harbor or Malone Bay for the return. From reading the posts this sounds like a great way to see the island, do some fishing and get off the beaten path--if there is such a thing as a beaten path on IR. I've done plenty of flatwater and some river canoing (the Brule in NW Wisconsin dozens of times) and have done a trip to the BWCA so I've done my share of portaging as well. I'll be traveling with my girlfriend (so just 1 canoe) and we are late 20s to early 30s and able-bodied. Since we're not only interested in creating shoreline erosion with our canoe wake, we'd also like to do some hiking and fishing on the side. So that's the background for my 2 initial questions:

1) Based on the 2011 boat schedule, it looks like the best trip for us would be a Monday departure and Thursday return in August. Of course, I suppose the ferry schedule can always change from year to year. But assuming a 4-day window, do we have enough time for one of these routes?

2) Which route makes more sense? Just based on maps, these posts, and my own knowledge, I would think that a SW wind could make paddling down Siskiwit Lk. to the Malone portage a bear (or impossible). This could be a concern if we get a couple days of steady wind and possibly even result in missing the pick-up(?). The Chippewa Harbor route, on the other hand, has more portaging involved and I'd really like to go for a laker on Sikiwit (a siskiwit from siskiwit). At this point, I think I would prefer winding up at Malone, but if that is foolhardy, please let me know.

Thanks in advance for your replies!

Given the relatively short trip, I'd do McCargoe to Malone. The boat schedule hasn't changed in forever, so there's no reason to think it will be different, although it does need official sign-off from the NPS each year.

Yes, a strong SW wind can make the NE end of Siskiwit a bear (and even dangerous), but the odds of being stuck for a day are pretty small, esp. in Aug. Winds typically are strongest in the afternoon, so except in the rarest case, you would wait it out at the portage and maybe have a sunset paddle. It is always possible to get weather bound and miss the pick-up, but that's true In any case. If you can't paddle into it up to Malone, it may be more questionable paddling across the waves to Wood Lake.

My trip would be:
Mon. night at McCargoe. Hike up to the mines after getting off the boat and settling in. Fish the bay (need MI license though).
Tues. night at Lake Richie. Great northern pike fishing.
Weds. night at Malone Bay. Fish Siskiwit. If you can get to Wood Lake, but not up to Malone, that paddle would still be doable in the morning in time for the boat (up at sunrise and book it ).

So I like the plan for the time you have!

All three of my ISRO trips (on my own boat) have been in August. Twice I encountered gales, and the third time (last year) I just missed one.

In late August, the Lake begins to misbehave. You will need to monitor nearshore and offshore conditions about every four hours, or you can get caught in conditions quite unsafe for a canoe.

Welcome to the forums-and to the fun of dreaming of your trip to IR.
I would second my learned paddlers (Ingo) suggestions on the route. There is plenty of good reading here from the folks who have fished IR. I would make one suggestion. Have at least a good weather radio to keep an eye on the winds lest your last day paddle turn into an "adventure" and adjust your trip accordingly.