BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
June 10 2024
Entry Point 9 - Little Indian Sioux River South
Little Indian Sioux River (south) entry point allows overnight paddle only. This entry point is supported by La Croix Ranger Station near the city of Ely, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 44 miles. Heading South from the Echo Trail. Difficult route. Four portages to Bootleg Lake. This area was affected by blowdown in 1999.
Number of Permits per Day: 1 permit every other day
Elevation: 1362 feet
Latitude: 48.1420
Longitude: -92.2079
Little Indian Sioux River South - 9
Number of Permits per Day: 1 permit every other day
Elevation: 1362 feet
Latitude: 48.1420
Longitude: -92.2079
Little Indian Sioux River South - 9
Snow Bay Tow, LLC, exit Little Indian Sioux River.
by ajfairchild
Trip Report
Entry Date:
August 14, 2020
Entry Point:
Little Vermilion Lake (Crane Lake)
Exit Point:
Little Indian Sioux River (north) (14)
Number of Days:
8
Group Size:
7
Trip Introduction:
7 days, 3 Ten year olds, 4 adults, fishing and fun. Utilized Zups for a tow to Snow Bay onn LLC. Paddled out Little Indian Sioux River.
Video link:
https://vimeo.com/452730833
Day 1 of 8
My son Remy and I, and my friend Keith and his son Charlie put our canoes into Lake one at 9:30 Monday morning after dropping off a car at the Snowbank Lake landing. Lake One can be tricky to navigate. On our way to Lake Two we turned East too early and ended up paddling about a mile out of our way into a dead-end bay before we realized our mistake. We blamed the fact that Lake One was split between Fisher Maps #10 and #4 for our error. If the entire lake had been visible at once on a single map, we would not have made the wrong turn. Once we got back on course we portaged the 30 rods into a pond and then portaged the 40 rods into Lake Two. The weather was nice, and there was a bit of a tail wind out of the West. We stopped for lunch on the shore of Lake Two. After lunch we canoed through the North end of Lake Three and into Lake Four. We stopped for the night at a campsite on the West shore of Lake Four, just North of the channel heading toward Hudson Lake. We had to battle swarms of mosquitoes as we set up the tents. We then had a nice refreshing swim. Because we had brought steaks along for the first night, we didn't go fishing.
On Tuesday morning we had a bacon and eggs breakfast then packed up camp and headed out in our canoes. As we canoed past our campsite, we realized that Remy & I had left our hammocks pitched between trees. We landed again and quickly packed them up. Once again we had beautiful weather. We paddled East and completed 3 short portages before entering Hudson Lake. The 105 rod portage into Lake Insula was exhausting! Lake Insula is a large gorgeous lake broken up by multiple islands and penninsulas. We had lunch at a campsite on a large island just East of Hudson Lake. It felt like we had a tail wind as we were heading East, and then as we turned North it seemed like the wind shifted and was at our backs once again. We navigated Lake Insula flawlessly and camped for the night on the island just West of Williamson Island. After setting up the tents and a refreshing swim, Remy & I got back into the canoe and tried to catch some fish. We had no luck! At 9PM that night, just as we were going to bed, a thunderstorm rolled through. That night I was awakened several times by the loud croaking of bullfrogs from the shallows around our island. What noisy neighbors!
By Wednesday morning the weather had cleared, but the wind was now coming from the Northwest, pretty much in our faces. We paddled to the North end of Lake Insula and tackled the largest portage of our trip. The 180 rod walk to Kiana Lake actually seemed easier than the 105 rod carry into Lake Insula. We headed onward into Thomas Lake where we really started feeling the headwind. We finally made it to the campsite just Northeast of the portage into Thomas Pond in time for lunch. After lunch we proceeded across Thomas Pond and into Thomas Creek after hiking across the famous Kekekabic Trail. We managed to easily run the rapids in Thomas Creek and avoid the 2 short portages. We camped for the night on Hatchet Lake at the northern campsite. It was cool and windy, so we didn't swim. There was lots of threatening weather going by to the North of us, but we stayed dry. After supper we canoed back to Thomas Creek to fish and look for moose. No luck on either count, but we did see a beaver swimmming.
The weather was nice again Thursday morning, but the wind was out of the West which was the direction we were heading. We portaged into Ima Lake and canoed across it. Before portaging into Jordan Lake, we watched a bald eagle sitting in a tree get harrassed repeatedly by a seagull. The narrow channel leading into Jordan Lake is quite beautiful. It is narrow like a river with big rock outcroppings. We paddled across Jordan, Cattyman, Adventure, and Jitterbug Lakes. We found the Eastern campsite on Ahsub Lake taken, so we camped at the Western campsite which had a great place for swimming in front of it. There was a very brave loon in front of the campsite who didn't seem to mind if we got close to it. We tried our luck at fishing, but only caught 1 smallmouth which was too small to eat. Between 5:00 and 7:30 that evening we saw a number of canoes heading across Ahsub Lake from Disappointment Lake to Jitterbug Lake. We weren't sure where they were planning to camp, but it was getting late.
On Friday we awoke again to good weather. We paddled the length of Disappointment Lake and portaged into to Parent Lake and then on to Snowbank Lake. It was July 4th, and as we entered Snowbank Lake the sounfd of firecrackers reminded us we weren't in the wilderness anaymore. After a brief splash war on our way across Snowbank, we made it to the landing and our car was still there. What a great trip!
On Tuesday morning we had a bacon and eggs breakfast then packed up camp and headed out in our canoes. As we canoed past our campsite, we realized that Remy & I had left our hammocks pitched between trees. We landed again and quickly packed them up. Once again we had beautiful weather. We paddled East and completed 3 short portages before entering Hudson Lake. The 105 rod portage into Lake Insula was exhausting! Lake Insula is a large gorgeous lake broken up by multiple islands and penninsulas. We had lunch at a campsite on a large island just East of Hudson Lake. It felt like we had a tail wind as we were heading East, and then as we turned North it seemed like the wind shifted and was at our backs once again. We navigated Lake Insula flawlessly and camped for the night on the island just West of Williamson Island. After setting up the tents and a refreshing swim, Remy & I got back into the canoe and tried to catch some fish. We had no luck! At 9PM that night, just as we were going to bed, a thunderstorm rolled through. That night I was awakened several times by the loud croaking of bullfrogs from the shallows around our island. What noisy neighbors!
By Wednesday morning the weather had cleared, but the wind was now coming from the Northwest, pretty much in our faces. We paddled to the North end of Lake Insula and tackled the largest portage of our trip. The 180 rod walk to Kiana Lake actually seemed easier than the 105 rod carry into Lake Insula. We headed onward into Thomas Lake where we really started feeling the headwind. We finally made it to the campsite just Northeast of the portage into Thomas Pond in time for lunch. After lunch we proceeded across Thomas Pond and into Thomas Creek after hiking across the famous Kekekabic Trail. We managed to easily run the rapids in Thomas Creek and avoid the 2 short portages. We camped for the night on Hatchet Lake at the northern campsite. It was cool and windy, so we didn't swim. There was lots of threatening weather going by to the North of us, but we stayed dry. After supper we canoed back to Thomas Creek to fish and look for moose. No luck on either count, but we did see a beaver swimmming.
The weather was nice again Thursday morning, but the wind was out of the West which was the direction we were heading. We portaged into Ima Lake and canoed across it. Before portaging into Jordan Lake, we watched a bald eagle sitting in a tree get harrassed repeatedly by a seagull. The narrow channel leading into Jordan Lake is quite beautiful. It is narrow like a river with big rock outcroppings. We paddled across Jordan, Cattyman, Adventure, and Jitterbug Lakes. We found the Eastern campsite on Ahsub Lake taken, so we camped at the Western campsite which had a great place for swimming in front of it. There was a very brave loon in front of the campsite who didn't seem to mind if we got close to it. We tried our luck at fishing, but only caught 1 smallmouth which was too small to eat. Between 5:00 and 7:30 that evening we saw a number of canoes heading across Ahsub Lake from Disappointment Lake to Jitterbug Lake. We weren't sure where they were planning to camp, but it was getting late.
On Friday we awoke again to good weather. We paddled the length of Disappointment Lake and portaged into to Parent Lake and then on to Snowbank Lake. It was July 4th, and as we entered Snowbank Lake the sounfd of firecrackers reminded us we weren't in the wilderness anaymore. After a brief splash war on our way across Snowbank, we made it to the landing and our car was still there. What a great trip!
Day 2 of 8
Saturday, August 15, 2020 The real fun begins. We head for Crane Lake and utilize Zup's for a tow to Snow Bay. Zup's were thankful for our business and we were thankful for the tow. We left Crane lake around 7:30 am. We had our canoes in the water and loaded in Snow Bay LLC at 9:30 am. It was a beautiful day with a tailwind so we wanted to get somewhere around the Lady Boot Bay area for a few days. Two ten year olds sat side by side in a our WeNoNah Seneca and one ten year old sat on the yoke of our Sundowner. The boys were eager to fish. We rigged up 3 poles with a deep diving Berkley shad rap of their choosing. Somewhere around 41 and 27 island on LLC their persistence produced the first fish of the trip and it was a beauty! After a nice fight my nephew Brody landed a nice 26" walleye. After spending quite a bit of time trying unsuccessfully to revive the fish we decided to cook it with our steaks for supper. By the time we reached our campsite all the nephews had hooked into at least one fish trolling (Average smallmouth and northerns). We beached our canoes on the North side of campsite:150 @ 2:30 pm. Campsite is as described by others. There is plenty of poison ivy to note along with plenty of traces of humans (nails in trees, live cuttings, table bound together with paracord and nails, a decent sized steel artifact submerged in south bay). We had two tents and 2 hammocks set up here. The boys played and fished on the south side of camp. They noted seeing a snapping turtle. We then cooked up some fish appetizers before having steak with mac and cheese.
Day 3 of 8
Sunday, August 16, 2020 Ate a quicker style breakfast after everyone was up. We usually have the option of oatmeal, cliff bars, wraps with your choice of PB, Jelly, and/or Nutella. Got out fishing around 8:15 am for a few hours. Caught some smallys, northerns, and at least one walleye. Kids enjoyed the beaches the site had to offer. They again noted seeing the snapper. We ate a bunch of spaghetti with 2 lbs. of meat. The boys fished as we cleaned up camp to head out in search of some lake trout. While doing dishes, my nephew Noah casted a Berkley Flicker Shad within striking range of the turtle. "Turtle on"...Matt scolded him a bit initially as we hurried over to the action thinking of how best to extract a hook safely from the old snapper. Either way the fight was on. As the snapper entered the shallows the hook came out immediately when the snapper opened it's powerful mouth. Turtle man Travis got a quick photo op with the beast. Noah was stoked and it made for a good story and good laugh. Went out fishing and did have some luck, but no lake trout. Enjoyed a beautiful sunset as we headed back to camp for the night. Hot chocolate for the boys and crown royal apple for myself when we returned. I reccomend at least a 750ml for 6 night trip.
Day 4 of 1
Monday, August 17, 2020 Fishing again around 8-8:30 am. We worked our way east towards fish stake narrows and took a break around 11 at campsite 167. We fished our way back to camp and arrived a bit before 2pm. Ended up keeping a couple walleye and a northern to eat. Threw back a few northerns and bass. Had a relaxing day at camp with fish and chili to eat. We cleaned up camp and utilized the last couple hours of daylight fishing for a LLC laker once more. My brother managed to hook into a nice fish in deeper water but got off before we could catch a glimpse. No LLC laker for us. Did catch another nice sunset though.
Day 5 of 1
Tuesday, August 18, 2020 I woke up around 6am and started packing up to head towards Finger Lake. 8:30 am we were fed, packed up, and canoes loaded. Paddled to Pocket Creek / Pocket Lake around 10am, Finger Creek / Finger Lake. The lake was vacant of other humans so we opted for island campsite 107 @ about 1130 am. We've stopped here for a break on a previous trip and were hoping to have the opportunity to stay at this site. Not a lot of good tent pads. Ended up sticking the kids tent right next to the large boulder with the hand prints. The boys had a good time fishing and swimming. They were up for awhile talking and laughing. The last time I strolled over to their tents to tell them to get to bed I heard some talk that really disappointed me. I made it real clear that the conversion was over and it was bedtime. 
Lakes Traveled:
Snowbank Lake,
Boot Lake,
Haven Lake,
Swing Lake,
Abinodji Lake,
Gibson Lake,
Ashigan Lake,
Ensign Lake,
Vera Lake,
Knife Lake,
Day 1 of 1
Wednesday, August 19, 202 Character building day. One nephew got an earful first thing in the am followed by push ups. Every time I was disappointed thereafter during the trip in a nephews comments or lack of listening; push ups were required. It seemed somewhat effective. We then departed for a morning of fishing. No one caught a Finger Lake walleye. I did manage to hook into a 19.5" Smallmouth which was my personal best. Our friends and nephew Noah managed to land a couple pike we elected to keep for lunch. Spent the rest of the day relaxing, swimming, and kids fished around camp. A 3 person canoe cruised passed heading toward Pocket mid afternoon. We didn't think we'd see a lot of people in this area but we knew the wilderness was being visited by many this year, and for good reason. We've read about many first time visitors and mistakes that have been made. Anyway, the wind had come up a bit. We would have been out fishing but a storm was brewing to the west. Two canoes were seen in the distance coming from Pocket but did not come past us. The assumption was they saw our yellow CCS tarp and opted for one of the other open 3 sites on the lake. Awhile later as we were spread around camp hanging out, an unfamiliar "Hello" was heard in camp. We were surprised to see a young man ask if we knew where the other campsite was on the island. We explained that it was toward the north and showed him on the map. We asked if he needed any help, water, or food. He declined and went on his way to rejoin his group taking a trail that continues south west pass the latrine. After a few minutes, out from the woods comes a young woman. She explains that they can't find the other campsite. We pull out a MacKenzie, True North Map, and one other map and pointed out the campsite options. We asked if she needed any help, water, or food. She declined and went on her way to rejoin her group taking the trail pass the latrine again. The boys decided to play some hide and go seek and we tell them to stay within whistling distance. After a few minutes we heard some giggling and back came the boys saying the young man and woman were hanging out just beyond the latrine. The group had asked my nephews to please leave them alone. A fair request if they weren't hanging around our established camp . We then started to wonder why they were not in route to a campsite to set up. A few minutes later out from the woods comes a different woman. She greeted us and explained that they were quite exhausted and didn't think her son and daughter were up to any more paddling for the day. They had been dropped off at Snow Bay on LLC the day before. They were sent on a three day loop. She seemed to realize it was going to be a more ambitious paddling trip then what they must have expected. I offered to help look for and portage their gear to the other campsite. She explained that their tent was pitched for the night and hoped that was OK. She inquired about our lives some and explained that she was active duty military recently back from training out here with her kids. Knowing she had military background gave me some peace of mind that they would complete their journey after some rest. She again mentioned that the tent was set up. They wouldn't be loud and would be quick to bed. She asked how early we'd but up and what our plans were for the morning. We shared our intentions to get up around sunrise and head towards Beartrack, Eugene, Fat, and then to Slim if necessary. Her group was headed west to Eugene then north for a LLC Snow Bay pick up on the 21st. I updated her on the weather report from my garmin in reach. She thanked us for the info. and to the trail she went. We weren't sure what to think of this situation. It reaffirmed the importance of proper planning. Utilizing this website to have some idea of what to expect of your journey and optimal campsites in the areas you are going an essential part of proper planning for us. The rain started with lightning on the horizon to the west. We made soup, played cards, and tried to keep the boys from being loud, so as not to annoy our new neighbors near by. 
Lakes Traveled:
Snowbank Lake,
Boot Lake,
Haven Lake,
Swing Lake,
Abinodji Lake,
Gibson Lake,
Ashigan Lake,
Ensign Lake,
Vera Lake,
Knife Lake,
Day 3 of 1
Thursday, August 20, 2020 Enjoyed a beautiful sunrise, brushed my teeth, and headed for the latrine. Of course I saw a black figure in the distance, it was occupied. I headed back for camp to start packing. Others in our group awoke and better timing on latrine usage. By the time I got to back to the latrine I could hear the group loading the canoes and heading off for another day of paddling. I had quite a nice view of them paddling away from my latrine view. We had coffee and breakfast and broke camp around 745 am. We caught up with the other group around Beartrack they seemed to be doing fine. We met one other group that had recently paddled through Fat Lake and reported the campsite was open at that time. We continued on and made it to Fat Lake around 11am. We had a wonderful day swimming and fishing on Fat. Only managed to land two lake trout but had a good time. Did catch yet another wonderful sunset. The stargazing was top notch that evening. One of our comrades tried to sleep on the giant rock centerpiece of this site but didn't want the mice to sleep with him so retreated to the tent. 
JPG&name=TripReport">
JPG&name=TripReport">
Lakes Traveled:
Snowbank Lake,
Boot Lake,
Haven Lake,
Swing Lake,
Abinodji Lake,
Gibson Lake,
Ashigan Lake,
Ensign Lake,
Vera Lake,
Knife Lake,
Day 4 of 1
Friday, August 21, 2020 7am we break camp. We finish the Fat Lake to Slim Lake portage around 830 am. Two adults double portaged. Slim Lake had one group of campers. Slim lake side of the portage to Little Loon was muddy in spots. Muddy as in one spot I stepped in resulted in me sinking to my groin. The Duluth pack had to be taken off me for me to get out. Other than that it went well. The boys were doing great taking smaller packs and miscellaneous items. We were on Little Loon around 915am. A nephew hooked up with a pike trolling. Many campsites were being utilized on Loon Lake. We reached Devils Cascade around 1145 am. The boys did well again attacking the Devilish portage. Finished this off with a couple of us double portaging at about 1230 pm. One group was having lunch there, another was site seeing, and the campsite was open at the time. We forged on veering East on Lower Pauness then headed for the short portage into Upper Pauness. 2 campsites were occupied that we saw along the way. Had a pleasant paddle down LIS River meeting 3 groups a long the way. We loaded up and headed for the showers and a good meal at Voyagaire Lodge in Crane Lake
Another great experience in the Wilderness. I think it helped the boys end their summer/covid break on a high note before school resumed. I truly hope this wilderness is left pristine for future generations. I gain a new appreciation for the information I recieve from this site every year. Keep planning that next trip. Dreams make life tolerable.
Lakes Traveled:
Snowbank Lake,
Boot Lake,
Haven Lake,
Swing Lake,
Abinodji Lake,
Gibson Lake,
Ashigan Lake,
Ensign Lake,
Vera Lake,
Knife Lake,
discuss this trip report (18 comments) - last post on September 23, 2014