Although I know nothing about the BW other than it is there, I would tend not to let the burn areas discourage me from tripping in those areas.  Guessing I would think, there would be fewer people in those areas. 
qp

Hi, Liberator. 

The above advice is right on...the Beymer books are well worth having in the home library....even after years of caneoing the BWCA, I still refer them now and then...in fact, I was at REI in Mnpls, and my son noticed a new edition is out...I wonder if there's been many changes...

As for fishing, I also prefer smallmouth and northerns (and lakers on the right lakes)...walleyes I get by accident.  If you're looking at a Quetico trip, I can second Tim's suggestion of the S-Chain to Yum-Yum.  Did that route with my son last July...in a word, the fishing all over was fantastic.

As for a BWCA trip, I'm partial to Lac La Croix using EP14 or 16 (I've done both heading up to fish LLC and Lady Boot Bay).  Since you're using an outfitter, you could simply head downstream on the Little Indian Sioux (EP14), paddle up and around LLC (great fishing all the way up and around 41st Island to Lady Boot)...then go through the Narrows (more great fishing) and then thru Boulder Bay upstream to EP16 on the Moose River (very easy paddle).  The only problem on LLC would be the wind, but with 7 days you could afford a wind day or two.  I have fished the smaller interior lakes in this area, but I was spoiled by LLC...as for other groups, you'll see some the first/last day near either EP, but we saw very few on LLC and Lady Boot... and the scenery all along this route is simply exceptional...When I do eventually get back to BWCA, it'll be the LLC area, perhaps extending the trip a few days to hit Iron Lake and western part of Crooked...

BTW, when I paddled these routes, it was with an old 16' Old Towne Camper and we didn't have any problems with either trip...don't know how it compares to paddling a 14' Wenonah Fisherman....

If you'd like any more detailed info, send a PM...good luck and Happy New Year!

Rich.

Ah yes db, we ARE all students on this winding road of learning that we call life.  Its just as doctors can make the worst patients, teachers can make the worst students!  And dont even start on educational politics!

So to keep on subject and improve my learnin', is there a good map overlay that shows burn areas?  I was looking at an area last night, only to learn that it was toast from the Ham Lake fire.

Wait a minute, I always thought that besides the politics that would be a real cushy job we were all students! If not, stick a fork in me.  

I like August a lot lately. The liven is easy and all you guys are back at work. No?

HAHA!  Sometimes it is amazing when I hear fellow teachers complain about students, only to turn around and do the same thing!  Thanks, Tim, for making me laugh as I was writing syllabi for Spring.

Even though I wont be making a Q trip with this group, I hope to do so very soon with some others.  So I will stow that info for then! 

As I keep researching, I find their is always just one more entry point to look up and consider; it will probably be worse when I am out there and it is "One more lake!  Just a short portage away!  Come on guys, keep up!"  lol

Denton Doc is right. And I did not read the question carefully before I answered. When students did that ^%&*$^! Made me so angry!

Tim

L-44

The suggestion above is for Quetico rather than BWCA (but I would concur with the provided description).

dd

p.s. Hoping to "graduate" soon!

Liberator:

I'm gonna hate myself for this. Here I give away a secret.

From Shade Lake (just west of Agnes) take two portages into Yum Yum Lake. Good fishing for smallmouth and pike at Yum Yum, and some monster lakers if you want a prime time fish bake. Lay over at Yum Yum and them come back out. Should meet the length of your desired stay. And if you want a couple of rugged portages, take Yum Yum Portage into Kashashapiwi, then the portage out of Kashashawipi to the south and back to Prairie Portage. 

If you want more detail, send me a PM.

Tim

P.S. No longer a university faculty type. I retired. Best job I ever had, though you never get a day off.

Thanks Guys!  I just found the bwca board yesterday, so spent a good 4 hours or so reading many of the trip reports.  I will definitely look at those books.  I have known all about the lottery, but sometimes it is hard to get my other members of the group on top of things *grumble, grumble*  I think at this point, I am ready to just make the arrangements and whoever wants to go, can!  I love June in MN; we used to visit our cabin in August every year, but it could be hot, the lake was a lot weedier, and fishing was tougher (at least for me out in the rowboat!)  I lived in Minneapolis a few years and started to come up all thru the summer and decided late May/early June was my favorite time.  Thanks again for the info!

Hi Liberator.

db's advice above is all right on.  (of course it is, he is in charge here!     )

You may not get a lot of BWCA advice on this forum, since most of the regulars are Quetico people.  And I won't be of a lot of help when it comes to fishing, as we have many BW trips but we don't fish!  Also, for the past couple of decades we have really preferred the Gunflint side of the park.

As to your time of year, if you can tolerate a few bugs I think June is a great time for a group of teacher-types to get away (a retired teacher here) for a variety of reasons, and you will find the park less crowded and less trampled by far in June than in August.  The down side is that if you want to swim, the water is colder, obviously.

The Beymer books are a great resource.  They describe the portages in limited detail, give paddling mileage, and outline many different possibilities of loops and routes.  While we have probably never done a route from one of the books exactly as shown, they are a great research tool for planning.

The very popular Lake One, Hudson, Insula, Alice route is popular for a reason.  The lakes are beautiful, the portages are short, and there are options to head off to other wonderful spots (Boulder, Adams,) or even up to Gabi.  Moose Lake entry and heading up to Knife is another popular possibility.

For small lakes, we have enjoyed the Gunflint entry points of Poplar/Lizz, East Bearskin, Clearwater which give access to loops with beautiful small lakes.  Also, Cross River and heading down to Gordon and Cherokee (my personal favorite spot.)  And, while we haven't done the Little Indian Sioux personally, we have friends who say that is their favorite route, and the small lakes in the vicinity of Ge-be-on-e-quet, just south of Lac la Croix are also very beautiful and can be quite secluded in June.

If you do a second post here, you will have access, as db said, to trip reports.  Also, if you go to bwca.com there are many trip reports posted for trips into the bwca and those may give you some good ideas.  Lots of fishermen there, too.

Have fun with your planning!  Best wishes for a great trip in 2010!