Algonquin Park Trip

[Maple]

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[wolfe]

I agree. That is a crazy trip plan, especially for a first time trip and especially for early May.

I did Opeongo, Proulx, Big Crow, Hogan, Lac La Muir, Merchant, Happy Isle with Plncrzy a couple of years ago.

My two separate camp/portage treks started at Opeongo, then on to Proulx, Big Crow and Hogan. We only spent 3 or 4 days, and this was still quite the work out, especially paddling against the wind and dealing with lots of rain the 2nd trip. I think you're overshooting and part of the fun of this kind of trip is having some time to spend taking in the sights and enjoying your campsite.

Both my trips were in late August -- what a great time to go!

* Waterproofing your gear is essential, I'd agree.
* Make sure your hiking shoes are well broken in. Ohhh, my feet hurt.
*Be prepared to hang your food from ropes at night (bears) -- don't keep any goodies (even toothpaste) in your tent. The 1st year we went, a couple had just been killed on an island by a black bear.
* Those dehydrated meals in a pouch taste surprisingly good when you're starving after a long portage, and they're so easy to pack/carry. Also, "GORP" or a basic trailmix is an easy to snack on, high energy treat.

Algonquin is a great experience. Don't forget your camera.

W.

[TRS]

Glad some one said it ........ Water Taxi ............ worth every penny when you are faced with a wind and looking all the way accross Opeongo.

[Hookup]

http://www.fish-hawk.net/hawktalk/viewt ... highlight=

there's a report from my trip last spring. Give you an idea of what can be done during the day at a base camp.

[RobM]

To give you another perspective, here is my report from last year. It may give you an idea of some of what you may have to deal with weather wise on a trip.

http://www.fish-hawk.net/hawktalk/viewt ... ht=#282881

Also, the map on this website is an excellent resource. This free map is much better than any map you can purchase:

http://www.algonquinmap.com/index.html

There are outfitters to rent canoes at other access points as well (like Brent), so don't think you are limited to Opeongo.

I have had better luck for brook trout in rivers, rather than lakes. Which river??? Any river in the park that does not have small mouth bass or other invasive species has been great.

[jsdx]

Lots of options. The route you suggested is probably excessive for a first trip. Lots of moving and you'll have less time to fish.

First, on Opeongo - take the water taxi ... big lake - long slog and wind !....

If you still want to enter at Opeongo you could do Happy Isle and Merchant without too much portaging - both have lakers and good fishing. The portage between Happy Isle and Merchant is short so you can do day trips to the other lake from your base site. Side trip possible to Redrock too but I havent been so can't vouch for it. If you're hardcore and young , a daytrip portage of 1800 into big trout - lakers and brookies . sounds like a trip to me - taxi up, 5 days fishing and roaming, taxi back... sweet

other options
Enter at Smoke -> Ragged (lakers) -> Big Porcupine (lakers) with day trips to Coon or Bonnechere (brookie) and all have good fishing and reasonable portages.

Canisbay is nice too - you can do a canoe-in site so it's remote camping but not far to get in and no portages. The beauty of that is if the weather turns sour you can change plans but again - not really an interior trip. You can also do day trips from your site into different stocked corridor lakes, plenty of fun in spring.

You can also do nice spring trips from Brent with some great fishing.


Have fun

[Legend 151]

If you are going to rent a canoe from Opeongo anyway, you should maybe try to trip into the North arm, go into Happy Isle, Merchant and over to Redrock. They are all good lakes and you would get a good mix of Brook Trout and Lakers. Take the taxi up the lake and then maybe canoe back down when you are done.

We are going up on May1-4 and that is our plan essentially, although we are camping on Opeongo and doing those lakes on day trips.

Like most other posters say, watch out for Opeongo, it can get nasty, nasty if the wind is right.

[Scaini33]

So from all the responses that I've gotten I think we would of been over our heads doing the Opeongo loop. We will enter in at smoke and go down to Big Porcupine and loop up around Phipps, Kirkwood, Paradee, Harness, Head, and back to Smoke. The lakes are a lot smaller so it should be easier to move if the weather is bad.

The portages are relatively short on this route. Only two are over a km with the biggest being 1640m from head to cache.

Brook Trout seem not to be present in many of these lakes but from the 2009 fishing survey there are some high yielding Lake Trout lakes with an average being 2.6 fish per rod hour for all the lakes. (Harness lake having almost 1 fish per hour).

Has anyone taken this route?

[surferal]

fyi. I used to do a 5 day trip, paddling all day 7am to 5pm, one trip across portages, no doubling back. Leaving south tea, smoke, camping on Big porcupine, next night Louisa, then Head, then little island. This trip gave me enough time to be back at south tea by 1 pm on the 5th day. This was in july or august, maintained portages and solid paddlers, no fishing. May I suggest you head north from canoe lake, camp out on Joe lake that night then head in to Burnt island, fish there , hang out, if you get bored head over to tom thomson for a night, this trip maybe more suited and more enjoyable rather than heading south in the spring. Cheers Al

[mikemicropterus]

Scaini33, water taxi it worth the money. Portages of 1640 meters can take you an hour or more. It's not flat and the things you will se will make the portage slower. Depending on fitness level and the weahter are going to determine how long it will take to portage. Remember it's not just you.

With the water they will know apporx where you are and when you are coming out. Good thing as the weahter can make the lakes real rough and a 20 minute paddle can turn into a 45 minute fight for your life been there and got the t-shirt although it was FRI***IN scary.

Had no problems with animals, saw no bears that time of year and no bugs. Didn't worry about hanging food being and other than a few moose lots of birds.

We based our camp on Merchant and then did day trips to the surrounding lakes.

2 piece rods and big o's and a spare paddle. Clothes that dry fast and leave something at the drop-off point for when you come back they have rules about what you can take in so don't am ke the mistake and bring something not allowed.

Great time of year to fish there we couldn't go 100 yards in the canoe before you got a fish. In 6 days I guess we caught over 100 fish easily. The guy I went with had been doing this for a few years so he knew the area well. I like wearing camo so I had fun

Good luck and leave the crackberry and stupid phone at home.

It's nice to hear silence and your friends snoring all night, bring ear plugs...