Winter route to Lac La Croix

[Mike Stark]

whats the best way to get up to lac la croix in the winter? dreaming about getting up there for some laker fishing.

[thedeadsea]

You planning to go by dog or snowmobile?

[Mike Stark]

dog.

[thedeadsea]

Off the echo trail, I believe through Nina moose (someone pls correct me if I am wrong).

[lakerunner]

It may be the long way around, but I always like to get through Crane lk and take the old winter roand in Cn (I can't remember the name for the life of me but it is .....portage--it is on most maps). Need your RABC though to do it.

[thedeadsea]

Dawson

[fatfinger]

mike, are you the mike stark from rose creek,mn? just wondering as i am from there

[Mike Stark]

nope....not from rose creek

[Steve Foss]

What about via snowmobile? Now that I've done Sag and realize how darn easy it is, and want to do it again, I'm likely to get an RABC so I can cross the border and sled through Canada to get to American Point and some of the other locations adjacent to the really deep water.

I spent a lot of time last weekend wondering how best to get into la Croix via sled. Having an RABC might be an advantage, there, might not. Does one have to trailer the sled into Canada, or is there a route from the States that crosses the border?

[thedeadsea]

You go up from Crane Lake. You can either cross Dawson portage or there is a trail off the east bay of Crane (don't remember the name of the bay) that goes through the woods and there is a transit corridor across the American side of Little Vermilion (as it is BWCA), to Lilac, Canadian Trout, and into La Croix.

Both Lilac and Canadian Trout are loaded with eater sized trout. Lilac is not open to fishing in the winter though.

[Steve Foss]

Distance via sled from Crane Lake, Steve? Any idea? Looks like I better get busy.

[thedeadsea]

Not very far, looks like about 8 miles into La Croix. Another mile on the lake puts you into awesome laker water.

Canadian lakes don't close at the end of March either.

If you are going, let me know.

[caseymcq]

You go up from Crane Lake. You can either cross Dawson portage or there is a trail off the east bay of Crane (don't remember the name of the bay)...

East Bay

[Casaloma]

Sounds like fun, boyz.

If your even considering it get that RABC yesterday. $30 bucks and about a month to process! Good for a year.

Google RABC, super easy & super worth it.

ching+ching= $0.02

-Later, CLoma

[Wanderer]

Hay! Cloma, nice to see you post again! I've been missing out on the BW forum lately.

Thanks for the info on the RABC.

[tonkapat]

In the canada forum they say you can go right to the border and get your rabc right then and there. Guy said 15 minutes. good luck

[thedeadsea]

Last time I got my RABC I just drove to Ft Francis. Very easy. Be sure to have SS cards if you want to add your spouse or kids.

US Border guard treated me like a criminal on my way back through. Extensive questioning. He didn't want to believe that I went across just to get the RABC and Canadian fishing license.

[Steve Foss]

Steve, what ID did you need to get your RABC? I've read up on it online and I'm still confused.

[thedeadsea]

I think it was DL and SS card... Been awhile since I got it, and need to renew.

[lakerunner]

Dawson portage--that's right. Thanks for whoever jostled my memory!

Steve--honestly, the best way that I know of is to take a sled out of Crane and take the portage. Unless you take a dog-sled up the Nina Moose. Advantage to the sled, get there quicker. Disadvantage, need the RABC and now a passport to get back into the US at Crane Lk.

If you were just planning on making a day of it--which you could seeing that you live in Ely--I would go the RABC route.

Second thing, if you have a RABC, you can stop at the Sand Point Lodge (CN) and pick-up a conservation cn license. Hit David (candadian lake) on your way in or on your way out of Croix. Very nice lakers in there---oops I said that!

[Steve Foss]

Passport to get back into the U.S.? I thought they changed that.

[lakerunner]

Foss--DL and Birth Certificate. If you have a passport, it doesn't hurt to bring that along also.

It is painless (except for the US Customs interogation--but hey they are doing their job). It costs $20/CN I believe and if the immigration officer is not busy, it takes about 20 minutes.

[Steve Foss]

Ummm, in a previous post you said I'd need a passport to get back into the U.S. Now you said it doesn't hurt to bring one. I'm a little confused.

[lakerunner]

Yes and no--you need the passport to get back in. having the passport at the cn immigration just makes things easier but it not a requirement for them to get the RABC.

Sorry for the confusion.

[Steve Foss]

Well, that rules it out for me. Takes too long to get a passport these days, and it's a lot more expensive than it used to be. Mine expired in 2007 and I didn't bother to renew it before it did.

Oh well. Nice to dream now and then. Thanks for the info.

[lakerunner]

Steve--I don't think my last message went through--HSO backups.

Passport = $100

RABC = $20--good for the entire year.

[thedeadsea]

Don't you need a passport or passcard to get the RABC initially? Havent gotten it since the passport rule came into effect.

[Steve Foss]

What's a passcard? I'd heard they enacted something less involved than getting a passport to allow us back into the U.S. Is that what the passcard is?

[thedeadsea]

Yes it is a plastic card like a drivers license. You can go to Canada or Mexico by land with the passcard (don't know if that is the real name). A lot cheaper than a passport.

[Mike Stark]

if you get them both at the same time you get a much better deal....i forget what the cost is tho.