Gunflint Pines resort and campground?

[USDA3]

Anyone camped/stayed here? How's the fishing on Gunflint? Do you need a Canadian license to fish the Canuck side?

Tanks a boonch!

[Surface Tension]

I've stayed there and a few other resorts on Gunflint lake.

Gunflint Pines has the only campground. Nice campground and cabins.

As campgrounds go its a little pricey but so is everything else on the Gunflint.

Fishing is OK and time of year matters. If your going after lake trout when they go deep you'll need to have the boat rigged with downriggers.

Yes you would need a Canada license to fish on their side.

[pinkfloyd4ever]

I've been there a few times myself, the last in 2010. The owners are great and it seems to be a well run facility, have almost everything you would need. My luck fishing there is another thing, but they do have a guide or two available and will also give out the free advice.

The scenery is fantastic, off gunflint, going north you can cross into a smaller lake that then drops down to a small waterfall. Its definitely cool along with the house on the island on that lake. There is some nice structure around that house so try there. Also the sunken island straight out from the campground "on the border."

Yes you do need a canadian license to fish the other side.

There is also a portage to another smaller lake on the far east end of the lake and many other lakes around the area that you could trailer your boat too.

Even if the fishing stinks, it is a great place to go to.

[Redlantern]

I've not stayed at Gunflint Pines but my girlfriend used to. Her son had a medical emergency last summer while staying there and Bob and Shari went above and beyond what anyone would expect of the owners to do. I know my girlfriend loved that place and was so thankful for all they did for her and her kids.

[USDA3]

Thanks for the replies folks. Do they have really anywhere for the kids to swim? We would have some little ones with but that might be the deal breaker unfortunately.

Thanks!

[Surface Tension]

No sugar sand beaches but no leeches either.

Gravel and rocks along the lakeside campsites. A little better down at the boat landing and dock area.

Bring water shoes and your good to go.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Personally.... you couldn't pay me to stay there again. A group of us stayed there last summer. Campsites are literally on top of each other so no privacy, WAY overpriced, not sure if it's still around or not, but there was a problem bear running loose and he came around our site early one morning scaring the h-e-double-L out of my gal and causing quite a ruckus with the dogs. Also ransacked our screen tent rummaging for scraps that were left out (our fault, yes, but I've been in poorer maintained camps up there and never had problems).

I'm sure the folks that run the place are good people, but for what you have to spend per night and for what you get.... not worth it! There are a handful of nicer, more private and cheaper campgrounds along the trail. You don't get running water at them, but a nice swim does a body good, too.

[JBMasterAngler]

Hungry Jack Lodge has a very nice campground. Also has a swimming beach, and nice dock to fish from at the landing. My in-laws stayed there with a camper, so I'm guessing it has full hookups. The lake is pretty good fishing too.

[toughguy]

+1 on HJL. I've never been to Gunflint Pines but I love Hungry Jack.

[harvey lee]

Personally.... you couldn't pay me to stay there again. A group of us stayed there last summer. Campsites are literally on top of each other so no privacy, WAY overpriced, not sure if it's still around or not, but there was a problem bear running loose and he came around our site early one morning scaring the h-e-double-L out of my gal and causing quite a ruckus with the dogs. Also ransacked our screen tent rummaging for scraps that were left out (our fault, yes, but I've been in poorer maintained camps up there and never had problems).

I'm sure the folks that run the place are good people, but for what you have to spend per night and for what you get.... not worth it! There are a handful of nicer, more private and cheaper campgrounds along the trail. You don't get running water at them, but a nice swim does a body good, too.

I would say a problem bear could happen at about any camp site in the north woods. Just part of being there. The bears are not to concerned about campers at any campsite.

I satyed there one winter for trout fishing and was happy with the lodging. Thought the owners were very nice.

Resorts are a bit spendy on the Gunflint. I guess one knows that when they make reservations.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Yeah, very true about the bears. However, considering how "unprimitive" that place is, it goes to show you how accustomed the bears are to that particular spot. I've stayed many o' nights at different campsites in the northwoods and some of those camps were not what you'd call "bear proofed" by the end of the night and have still never had a bear in camp. Guess I'm lucky!

As far as the cabin accommodation there, that's a whole different story. I'm strictly referring to their camp sites. Many places to camp up there and not be sleeping on top of your neighbors tent, for half the cost, if any cost at all.

[meathunter]

Funny to come across this post I have some info about this place. Its probably been 20 years but the bears were a issue the time i stayed there. Ransacked and scared us to death then in the middle of the night a live trap slammmed shut woke me out of a dead sleep lol. Lake trout/splake were nice sized and plentiful. We took a 16 foot boat and 20 hp boat all the way east through little gunflint got out of the boat and walked it up the creek into north lake you could probably get a bigger boat up there and it was pretty easy and kind of adventerous. Trolled shadraps between the main points to the south of the creek mouth and had fabulous luck on those trout. It was the second week of june the fish were suspended so you could still get to them with mono and we also caught them vertical jiggin with sonars. You could catch northern all day long in the current where it runs in from north into little gun. It was a long time ago but im sure its the same.

[Surface Tension]

Gunflint Pines collects the campground trash cans every evening.

Campsites are spread out about as much as most campsites I've been to. There are a couple remote lakeside tent sites that are a long ways form other sites.

Like everywhere else campers need to take the little extra precaution not to leave food laying around and empty their trash before the evening pickup. Still the Gunflint area has a good bear population and are always looking for an easy meal. Yes the owners are good people too. I like the place and having said that I'll probably need to get my campsite reservations in extra early this year. There are other campgrounds on the Gunflint Trail but they aren't on Gunflint lake. There used to be more campgrounds but there are expensive cabins in their place. If I'm fishing a drive to lake trout lake it has to be a big lake. Gunflint Pines Resort is a good year round option withe very nice cabins for winter trips. I'll through in Heston's and Gunflint Lodge in there too and they all welcome those that choose snowmobiles as a way of travel. Unfortunately they don't have a campground.