Trout Lake portage

[portageguy]

Was on Rainy river 4-13 & 14 walleye fishing. Weather was fantastic and the bite was also. Had three boats in our group from Vermilion and talked with many others. Even some Trout Lake regulars on the water. I had the had the pleasure of fishing with 3 Vermilion guides, Cliff, Buck and Mike Estrin. 

The portage will be open May 12 for 2016. Hours 7am -11am and 3pm - 7pm seven days a week. I am guessing ice out in Trout at 4-27 which is a few days after Vermilion. Fred Brett will be back two days a week. And Steve Pettinelli will drive two days, that leaves three for me. Also returning relief drivers Mike Madden and Mark Olson.

With Spiny water fleas in Vermilion as of last summer.We will be doing our best to keep them out of Trout lake. Drain plugs for boats and live wells will need to be pulled on the portage. Minnow buckets will need to be drained on the portage and refilled on the other side. Fishing tackle and down rigger cables should be inspected for spinys.  Let's all do our part to stop AIS from spreading in our lakes. 

Trout Lake Portage contractor

Pine Island Resident

Lonnie Johnson

 

[OhioVike]

I was thinking about taking a small group across the Trout Lake  portage later this year.  Our plan was to camp a night or two before coming back out. There appear to be many campsites available.  Does a trip like this require a lot of forward planning to get a campsite or is there always something available?

[RoosterMan]

Portage guy or anyone that has an opinion? I am Thinking about purchasing a boat to portage into trout.  Could anyone give me some recommendations on type of boat, size, accessories that a guy may want to have on it?  I appreciate the input. 

Thanks,

Roosterman

Edited April 18, 2016 by RoosterMan

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Roosterman,

I would go with a 16' alum. boat with a 25hp motor. (25hp. is the max hp. allowed in Trout.)

A decent depth finder with a gps is also a must.

A transom mount 50# thrust trolling motor is also a great addition.

Trout can get very rough especially when you get a North wind!

Cliff

[RoosterMan]

Cliff,

Perfect thank you

[portageguy]

Ohiovike

Day use permits can be in short supply after July. Most times camping permits aren't used up. The permits are so many per week and the new week starts Saturday.

Go Vikings 

[OhioVike]

Thanks portageguy. Skol Vikings!

[sheephead2]

I was looking for the nearest  Permit Issuing Station last year you could get permit from the Casino but dose not list anymore on there  website. Does anyone now were you could get a permit early in morning around Tower area.

Thanks 

[portageguy]

Sheephead,

All of the permit issuing stations are listed on the USFS website. When you reserve a permit for Trout lake it will say pick up at Cook USFS. You can change to another pickup site like Forune bay marina on line.

The earliest pickup time I know of is 7:00 am. You can get your permit the day before or day of only.

Portageguy

[Douglas Stone]

Fortunebay said they quiet issuing permits two years ago??

Please let us know where the closest issuing station to Tower Mn. ?

Thank You In Addvance

[portageguy]

We have no permit issuing places in the Portage area. They can be picked up at USFS area stations in Cook,Ely and other locations. 

The portage opens the Thursday before fishing opener May 12. 

It is open 7 days a week 7-11am. and 3-7 pm. 7 days a week, 

[Fish Head]

Fortune Bay and Gruben's both had them last year.  You can go online and they will have a list of the locations available. 

 

https://www.recreation.gov/permits/Boundary_Waters_Canoe_Area_Wilderness/r/permitCalendar.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=72600

[portageguy]

It's been two years since Fortune bay. Grubbed did it for one year and got out. It's a lot of paperwork for a small return. Any 

business who wants to do permits 

contact the USFS at cook. 

Vermilion should be open in a week. 

[Fish Head]

On 4/10/2017 at 6:10 PM, portageguy said:

It's been two years since Fortune bay. Grubbed did it for one year and got out. It's a lot of paperwork for a small return. Any 

business who wants to do permits 

contact the USFS at cook. 

Vermilion should be open in a week. 

I picked up permits at Fortune Bay last year. 

[portageguy]

Grubens did permits the 2016 season. Fortune bay stopped writing BWCA permits the end of the 2015 season. Sally retired and that ended the permits at the bay. 

Some day we will be able to buy permits on line and print them. 

[Fish Head]

On 4/18/2016 at 8:44 AM, Cliff Wagenbach said:

Roosterman,

I would go with a 16' alum. boat with a 25hp motor. (25hp. is the max hp. allowed in Trout.)

A decent depth finder with a gps is also a must.

A transom mount 50# thrust trolling motor is also a great addition.

Trout can get very rough especially when you get a North wind!

Cliff

I purchased this exact boat last year just for Trout.  16ft Alumacraft, 25hp Yamaha, Helix 5 humminbird. This year I purchased a 50# thrust Minn Kota for the bow, I just haven't installed it yet.  Looking forward to it!

[Wheres_Walter]

Portageguy- Group of 4-5 of us are heading into TL on June 7 (morning), coming out on the 10th (afternoon).  Do we need to arrange it with you to bring us over?  or just show up? 

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Portage hours are 7:00am to 11:00am and 3:00pm to 7:00pm daily.

I do not think that you will need to notify Lonnie ahead of time .

Cliff

[Wheres_Walter]

Saw the hours, just didn't know the protocol.  Thanks Cliff

 

 

[portageguy]

I am anxious for things to start happening. Weather looks good for opener. Mike Madden and Fred Brett are driving for us again at the portage. Opening day last year Fred and I had 27 boats in by 

10:00 am. Cliff is correct on hours and 7 days a week. Just get in line if backed up and we will get you in. 

The same rules apply as pulling a boat down the road. Drain boats and live well on road. Live bait water has to be poured off bait on road. No Spineys as of testing done in September. 

Be safe and enjoy!

[Luttes]

As one of those idiots who paddled across Vermilion in a canoe and then all the way up Trout looking for a campsite, does anyone have an idea how much it would cost for a tow across Vermilion and across the portage? 

[portageguy]

The motorized portage is $35.00 a round trip. We pull a boat, boat with canoe on top, or 2 canoes together for same price. 

 Moccasin to portage round trip will higher. 

[Longshot]

portageguy,
Do you have a cell phone number that the portage drivers share, or do you have a business contact number/website/etc?
The posts above with hours are helpful.  We are looking forward to our trip into Trout Lake in June!

[portageguy]

218-404-6524 stays with the driver of the day. if driver is on wrong side, emergency ,or problems. Website is being worked on. Let's hope for some better weather this year. 

See you on the water! 

[Pikers1988]

I have always wanted to make this trip happen but never knew how to make the portage happen. Happy i stumbled upon this post.  Hope to be in contact with you soon portageguy

[Wheres_Walter]

Any know if hazards are marked at all on trout lake?  I'm guessing there are no bouys since its in the BWCA, but wondered if people put out milk jugs or something like that?

[redlabguy]

No bouts or milk jugs. Au natural. But not much to worry about use common sense. Don't cut too close t points. Take it easy and look for rocks when you pull up to shore. Lift your motor as you come in. You'll be fine.

RLG

[partyonpine]

Agree with redlabguy, first time on the lake just be careful coming into, shore.  Enjoy this lake not sure if you have young people coming with you, but I have been going to Trout since I was a little little fellow (How awesome was the old truck that use to haul the boats) and the bass fishing is the best I have ever experienced anywhere in the country. Not just the numbers but the size as well.  An added bonus that I have begun to target the last few years is the great bluegill fishing, my trick is if you spot them shallow, find a deep weed edge or break point adjacent to it and target that, that is where the nice big bluegillsa are.  Last few years I have been lucky enough to find the lake trout (pure luck, was trolling in 15 feet) and 2 years in a row got lake trout over 30 inches there capped by a 37 incher last year, all returned to the lake.  I will be on Trout Friday and i cannot wait.

[portageguy]

The lake map for Trout lake isn't very accurate. Trout has a half dozen rock piles on the main lake that are not marked. 

At the portage we can mark some of them on a map for you. I always stay to the right on the way in. Rocks that get hit a lot our 

just left of center as you enter the main lake. Another bad one is a couple hundred yards south of the 

south West Point of Souix pine. The remote lake fishing has been fantastic. Trout fish has been good. Bass and sunfish are coming in for the spawn. 

 Please return the large females for our future fishing. 

[portageguy]

The bite is on in Trout lake. Remote lake walleye fishing has been good. A leech or crawler has 

been producing nice fish. This last week Trout lake has been good for lake trout, walleye and bass. A

camper had caught and released a 44 inch pike. Bass fishermen reported 100 fish days. 

 The Y-store is looking into taking on BWCA permits. Please encourage and support them to do so.