navigating from Black Bay via Partridge River into deeper water?

[fishwater]

Is this possible? Thanks for any info. I have a 19' boat with a 150, drafts about 16".

[trolloni]

should be fine just slow down in the narrows otherwise wide open!

[delcecchi]

I have done it many times. Stay in the middle of the channel. Gets a little shallow on the edge. By the big rock face, stay sort of close to the rock, as I recall. Once you are out of the narrow stuff, it is clear sailing to the main part of the lake (wakemup or head-o-lakes). Bottom is all mud or loon stuff, slowly going from like 4 feet to 9 feet or so, if I recall correctly.

[fishwater]

thanks for the info guys!!

[Sorgy]

It is not bad at all Just watch out for the small rockpile in Black Bay. Thank you to whoever place the solar light on it before opening weekend. I was visiting with some friends at the resort on Friday before opener and at 10:30 pm I made the run home. I got in the boat and it was pitch black. I had the ilumination from my bow and stern lights and very little esle (no moonlight or starlight at all). My spotlight quit over the winter I started out very slow heading for the cabins on the hills (East side of the bay) and finnally picked out the rock pile From there on out to the main lake it was clear sailing except for the guy who has the spotlights shining accross the lake with 10 lights running up the hill to his place- Talk about light polution some kid with a BB gun needs to fix the lights shining out over the lake .

Water levels are down but in most parts of Black Bay I had no problem running around.

I would however be careful in the bays north of the resort.

Enjoy the upcomming weekend - the fishing will be much much better than on the opener

Steve

[SkunkedAgain]

The narrows between Black Bay and the Partridge River is 6-7 feet roughly down the center. When you hit the lilypads coming out of the narrows, it drops to above 3-4 feet but then as delcecci said it gradually gets to around 10 feet deep.

There are a few spots in Black Bay that can bog you down in low water, a few deadheads and such but it's overall a obstruction-clear bay running 5-6 feet almost everywhere.

[George Johnson]

We have owned the Resort on Black Bay for 20 summers. There is a lot of confusing information  on this blog. We have boats with 150 hp and 115 hp motors and no trouble at all in the Bay or the Partridge River out to the Lake. Our kids have launched inboard water ski boats and also no issue with depth. There is a DNR campsite on the south side of the Bay. Big houseboats pull up there and dock now and then.. There is one rock pile but well marked and above water. One would have to be blind to miss it.

We dock our boats right off the shore and have a launch. No problems.  There are a few logs that pop up from time to time. That happens in many places on Vermilion from logging days. There have not been many in recent years.  You generally  will see the tip floating above the water. . We pull them ashore as soon as we see them. Close to the  island, there is one deadhead just below the surface. The fish love it.  If you want to go into shallow areas where there are lily pads or at the far east end of the bay where there is a lot of submerged vegetation, be prepared to get weeds in your prop. Black Bey is a serene spot with only a dozen or so cabins. The fishing is great - crappies, pan fish, walleyes, perch and bass.  It is boat friendly and a special part of Lake Vermilion.

[SkunkedAgain]

Welcome to the forum George. I'm one of your neighbors across the bay for the past 19yrs. I think pretty much everything posted in here is accurate. I know that log well (near the mouth of Black Creek). My wife now knows about it as she bumped it at idle speed a few years back, cracking a lower unit seal in my motor... Good times

 

Keep contributing to the forum. It's always good to have more voices. Although be careful about what you respond to, as this thread is 13yrs old!

 

SkunkedAgain

[delcecchi]

A campsite?   I think that is a DNR day use site, if it is the one I am thinking of.    Beautiful spot with a sign saying no camping, a dock, a picnic table, a privy, and a fire ring of stones?

 

Your resort is the former "blue goose camp", right?    

Black bay is a nice area, but the only luck I ever had fishing there is crappies and sometimes walleye in the spring.

Edited March 6, 2023 by delcecchi

[SkunkedAgain]

Yes, the day-use site is the only one in the bay. It is not for camping but does have a great, long hiking trail that was created as part of a Girl Scout project 10+ years ago.

 

Houseboats have pulled up there once or twice that I've seen over the years, but are not allowed to park there overnight. There are three houseboat sites in Norwegian Bay I believe, but otherwise all other houseboat sites are generally on the east end of the lake.