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Hey all, myself and a group are going to be up fishing lakers in early march. My question is how far can you drive snowmobiles into saganaga? I havent been able to find much info on anything pertaining to that and also if you could use power augers. Any info would be great, thanks!!

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Walterman, tulibee on these forums and friends have gone into the Sag snowmobile corridor a number of times, and have posted their pics and reports. I went back and tried to do a search for that thread, which was last winter or the winter before that, but could not find it.

Hopefully tulibee or others will chime in. If memory serves, you can go deep into Sag on the snowmobile corridor but have to walk off if you want to fish away from the marked corridor. I just talked to tulibee yesterday about it, and said it's only half a mile or so walk to some really good trout water off the corridor.

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Regs are vague at best but from my prespective ,in the US you can snowmobile up to American Point but you have to stay w/in the corridor along the border(it's sometimes marked w/ yellow stakes or branches). Sleds must be parked w/in the corridor and hike off to the side and handaugers only. If you have a canadian license and an RABC permit you can snowmobile to the reefs on the canadian side and use power augers to fish off your sleds, otherwise BWCAW is running the corridor and hoofing it to your fish spot w/ handauger. It's tough to find solid regulations and a call to the ranger station would be your best bet.

We're heading up satuday and it's always fun fishing up there. Good luck!

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I thought sleds could only be used along possession corridor from the Sea Gull river straight up to Canada? I.E. the same imaginary line where motors of over 25 hp are allowed in possession in the summer?

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"Regs are vague at best but from my prespective ,in the US you can snowmobile up to American Point but you have to stay w/in the corridor along the border(it's sometimes marked w/ yellow stakes or branches)."

I contacted the Ranger Station last year and to them the regs are far from vague, in fact they sent me a great laminated map of the corridor and all the regs which were very concise, along with a couple of self-issue permits.

The corridor only runs up the lake to the Canadian Customs island, and you can not under any circumstance follow the border down to American Point on the US side (tho i know folks do and dont get caught).

In order to go down there you must have a remote border pass, as snowmobile travel is allowed on the Ontario side (to the Quetico border I believe). Then you can park your sled on the Ont side, and walk across to fish the US side if you want.

In US waters, you must park the sled on the corridor, and walk/ski/snowshoe in to fish. I had a 4 day trip all planned out for last year to camp on one of the islands just off the corridor til my partner backed out 1 week prior, and a solo trip wasn't realistic to do. I really want to give it a try tho.

Call the Gunflint Ranger station at 387-1750 and they will send you the map and regs.

DS you are right on the money, its the same deal as in summer with motors bigger than 25.

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Thanks for the fast responses and information you guys! I will get in touch with the ranger station and get the needed info.

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Redhooks,

I was told that any stakes or branches west of canadian customs mark the border, so that folks dont cross over and fish by mistake on the ONT side, they are not corridor markers.

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Don't know if I'd trust branches in the snow. A lot of mushers use that system for marking a trail before it gets blown over.

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Yeah you're correct on just going up to the canadian station, my bad. Thanks for clarifying a few regs, I don't want to point anyone in the wrong direction. I use my GPS to make sure I know where I'm at along the border and have the corridor marked from previous trips since the yellow markers aren't always up.

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The following comes via e-mail from a forum lurker who is not a member, but has lived along Sag for 50 years: Those planning to go to beyond the immediate corridor area need to know that the narrows does not have safe ice. It is not well marked and someone returning to the landing after dark drowned there just a couple of years ago. Check your maps and know where the winter portages are . . . that information can be life-and-death important for those on snow machines.

BTW, I just got off the phone with the Gunflint Ranger Station and they do not have any kind of laminated map of the Sag corridor, nor do they have any special regs, they said. The only map of the corridor they know of is on the Fisher map for Sag.

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Thanks for the update Steve. I too talked to the people at the ranger station and didnt know anything about a laminated map. I knew of the thin ice in the narrows but is always a good reminder. If anyone ventures on to the big lake please post a report!

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Wow, then I guess the lam. map I got in the mail last year along with the self issue permits must be just a fragment of my imagination crazy I just pulled it out last night (still have the original envelope it came in), it even came with a nice note from the lady that I talked to that day.

Tell you guys what, I will try to scan the map tonight (tho it is larger than 9x11) and post it. It does show clearly the winter portage that goes overland on the west side of the narrows, along with the route up to the border, and reg's.

Update:

I just called the ranger station and the main office in Duluth and bingo, you guys are correct. Noone knows about any map for the corridor other than on the Fischer. I must have gotten the only one made!!!

Soooo, as an enterprising old guy, I guess my map doesnt exist, and thusly, isn't copyrighted wink

Therefore, I will be making copies available at a nominal cost to anyone who wants one $$$$$$ gringrin

I actually find this to be kinda humerous laugh

Oh, one other update. The ranger I spoke to at the Duluth office had just been up on Sag last weekend putting up signs for the corridor.

He checked ice conditions and found 16" on the big lake and good riding conditions. He also told me that while you are not allowed to travel the US side to American Point, the Forest Service did determine that travel is allowed on the US side along the border from the north/south corridor, east and south to Saganaga Falls. He said that this is shown on the map at the landing on the river.

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The only lake map I have ever found for the lake with the winter trail marked and depths is made by lakemaps and comes on three seperate plastic cards for different sections of the lake. The hardware store in grand marais is supposed to have another map available also. Even the mn dnr site does not have much of a map. I have been there quite a few times in the winter. Quite a long drive from the cities but we usually make 3 days out of it. Never seen anyone fish the U.S. side except for us. Most everyone drives right up to canada and fishes. Good luck

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I've seen the one sold in Grand Marais, and even had one a few years ago that I can't find for the life of me. Someone here on the site had a few spares for sale and I bought it from them.

Sure wish I had it now! frown

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Steve,

Dont worry, last year before my planned trip I had a guy at work take mine and make a better copy, and then even laminated it for me (I forgot about it til I found it, along with the corridor map that doesnt exist hehehe).

I also called Buck's in GM and as of yesterday he still has some of the larger paper maps (mine is about 17"x24"). I was going to pick up another one anyway and have it lam'd too.

I'm going to email you a couple pdf's of the corridor map in a few minutes. It did come from the USFS Gunflint Ranger office on 10-14-2008. Take a loook.

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Sportsman's Connection sells downloadable maps online at [Note from admin: Please read forum rules before posting again. Thank you.]

They're good, not great, but available very quickly in PDF format for $3.95.

Just go to the website, look for Downloadable Maps, and use the Minnesota index.

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Sportsman Connection only has info on red rock bay if I remember correctly. I have the old white set of maps for the lake and was just curious about the corridor.Xplorer, would it be possible for me to see your map somehow??

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Chris, thanks for the pdf files.

Walterman is right on the Sportsman's Connection book only having Red Rock Bay on Sag. The map I used to have had the corridor marked as well as lake contours. It's the map sold at the hardware store in Grand Marais, I was told. It's the only map I've seen that has both the marked corridor AND lake contours.

Also, the corridor is clearly marked on the Fisher F-19 map, though it has no lake contours.

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Steve,

That was me that sent you the map from Grand Marais. It is the paper version of the Lakemap cards. I had added the detail of the corridor onto the map. I will make a couple more available this winter if folks want them. Both Bucks and the Holiday station usually carry those maps.

Thanks Much,

Dudley (aka FisherMN)

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