That is my query... I would like to respectfully witness some Caribou and experience some fine Laker fishing. If PM work better thats fine, I guess.

Adventure Lake had the best and easiest lake trout fishing I have ever experienced. Aegean was a close second. And then there was this 34" walleye caught on Upper Kilbourn

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We had both of those in excess at Jake Lake.

We caught lakers pretty easily on both Aegean & Wrist.  On Wrist Lake, there is a small island adjacent & just west of the big island in the north central part section of the lake where there was clear evidence of woodland caribou activity (probably calving a month or so earlier).   Kingfisher's bloodied & much beat-up party camped on that big island just after "escaping" from fire-ravaged Adventure & JigSaw lakes due west of Wrist Lake.  None of us saw the caribou, just their droppings.

The park office can provide you with a booklet that is jam-packed with useful maps detailing canoe routes, caribou activity, and fish productivity by species & lake.  You should also be able to access this information in pdf form on-line.  If I remember, I will post a link to the information when I get back to my home computer (I have it stored in my "favorites").  Other than talking to experts like Supt. Doug, Asst. Supt. Claire, Martin Kehoe, or Albert at Goldseekers, I can think of no better way to plan a WCPP "dream route" than to use the great info in their booklet to set your course.

I haven't had time to search the forum but something tells me that the link I'm speaking of may already be referenced in one of the other WCP threads.

Jimbo   8-)

Thats one huge walleye !!! Biggest I have seen or heard of in these parts. That smile is also on the large size...with good reason.

There are a number of good laker spots - Adventure, Broken Arrow, Upper Kilburn, Bulging, Haggart, Aegean...to name a few.  I once hit Adventure on one of those "every other cast" days. It was about 2 weeks after ice out - sunny day, a  small breeze, black flies were just starting to introduce themselves...it was great !

Now you want to mix that with seeing a caribou...well that's a little harder to guarantee. Within the next 4 weeks caribou will be calving, so it is a sensitive time for them.  Traditionally the south end of the park has been the best bet for running into a caribou and as luck would have it that is where the most of the lake trout lakes are located. A 5 - 10 day trip would take you on a tour of great lake trout lakes and will also allow you a fair chance of bumping into a caribou. I'm only saying fair because it is a sensitive time as I mentioned and they are the most secretive at this time. One wrong move and the cows have put their calf in jeopardy.  Quiet travelling, close to shore will tend to hind you from animals on the other side, as opposed to travelling down the middle of the lake and standing out a bit more. So which shore to paddle - thats a flip of the coin!

go to the topic :detailed information re: wcpp, the link and directions is there.

Might want to hit Wrist Lake (in the same general area) as well.  Pretty good laker fishing and there are clearly Caribou in the area (so much so that we labeled one of the islands Caribou Island due to the amount of Caribou poop on it).  The lake is certainly deep enough for lakers, since my depth finder was pinging 300 ft with some degree of regularity in the south/central part of the lake.

dd

Thanks for all the info. Have to get the old maps out [smiley=dankk2.gif]

KF

I want the know how old that eye is-did ya check? From the ones that we caught and kept, which were all much smaller;  they only had bugs in their bellies. Sure are pretty though with that black back and gold flecking.

The truth is that walleye seemed old and tired. Not a big fight as you might expect and it had to be nursed a little during the release. In different circumstances that fish would be on someone's wall.

Plan your dream route using the information contained in the Woodland Caribou Signature Site pdf's these links will take you to:
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They contain a ton of useful stuff.

Jimbo   8-)

Thanks [smiley=dankk2.gif] [smiley=thumbup.gif]

I have camped on Paull lake 4-5 times. We have seen Caribou and caught lakers every time.

PJ quote: "We had both of those in excess at Jake Lake."

Where is Jake Lake? I found Phillip, Paull, Glenn, and Simeon.

Jake is about 4 lakes NW of Leano - SE entry to the park SW of the town of Red Lake.  I wish I still had those maps but I don't.

marlin55388 wrote on Apr 28^th, 2010 at 1:30am:

PJ quote: "We had both of those in excess at Jake Lake." Where is Jake Lake? I found Phillip, Paull, Glenn, and Simeon.

Four lakes is just about right ... from Leano you pass through Bunny, East Lunch, Lunch, then Jake.  Draw a line from the larger part of Glenn to Bunny.  Jake is just about at the mid-point of that line.  Jake is long and skinny, running from NE to SW.

dd

Yah...already found him on my second look at Paull. Thanks for the response. [smiley=dankk2.gif]

Another question....Does anyone know anything about the Eagle Snowshoe Conservation Area and the EP  through Bird River....southwest side. For years I have heard good things about the Haggart River area in WCPP. Road information....etc. The Leano gig is interesting but seem like more often than not most use that put in....about half of the users right (400 of the 800 to 900/yr). I dont want to do a fly in, to TW. That leaves driving and paddling....can pull permitting via the net or with a phone call.  [smiley=dankk2.gif] in advance so Red Lake pre-trip destination is not necessary. Anyone interested in an overlapping loop with a rendezvous to sort out the pick and drop logistics? Thinking of end of June to early July for a window-want to try and catch the Cypripedium acaule bloom.

For some Bird river info check out stories by Grant Pastuck and Bob Grafton on canoestories.com

Thanks Martin [smiley=thumbup.gif] Haggart sounds special but the trip in sounds busy any suggestions?

The fast way to Haggart is to use the Wanipigow River from Wallace Lake in Manitoba. Enter Woodland Caribou at Crystal and use the portage or the stream to Broken Arrow. From there you have a lot of options for loop trips of different durations. Check out the Wanipigow stories on canoestories.com for the fine details.

Really....Wanipigow River, the Commander sounds like he had a bit of a time with this route. Good story canuc style...aboot -n- brew.

Ok Martin, I say uncle. If you were me, and I get that your not..."A". The Haggart sounds dang sweet from the reading I have done and the things that Claire conveyed many a year ago, Bird sounds a little busy, Garner water and portages are questionable, and a fly in is just a little stiff...what is a possible bearing before I ditch the Haggart...How many dayz for you from Leano in your humble opinion? Would be an amazing trip yah? No worries...I wouldn't hold you to it...my trip my planning. Just curious follow.

marlin55388 wrote on May 1^st, 2010 at 12:04am:

How many dayz for you from Leano in your humble opinion?

Traveling fast and spending long days ... 2 (now that the mess between Wrist and Haven has been cleared out a bit), 3 at a bit more leisurely pace.  BTW:  Looks like there is a new put-in point on Leano this year.  Its a bit further south on the lake with a 350 meter (70 rod) portage from the parking area to the lake.  I'm assuming this location was selected because it would be dryer than the old portage (last year, going in, it was a bit swampy; a bit dryer coming out but then the portage crew had just come through and cleaned it up a bit).

First the truth about jusing the Wanipigow River to access the west side of Woodland Caribou, if it has not rained in a month you will need to walk in the stream bed and pull the canoe trough the shallow areas. I have come through there 5 times and only had shallow water in one late September trip. You could make it to Haggart Lake in two days if you are in the paddling mood and efficient in your portaging.

If I was in that paddling mood and just wanted to cover some ground it would take me three days to get from Leano to Haggart Lake by passing through Paull and Welken.

dd,

ANOTHER new portage at Leano?  What we took LAST year was brand new... and I didn't think it was all that bad.  Where did you hear about yet another new one?

Jimbo   8-)

Jimbo wrote on May 1^st, 2010 at 2:09am:

dd, ANOTHER new portage at Leano?  What we took LAST year was brand new... and I didn't think it was all that bad.  Where did you hear about yet another new one? Jimbo   8-)

Check the maps I sent you last night. ;D  The new one looks to come out nearer the end of the peninsula in the middle of the lake.  Clearly less "dead-head" travel around that point with the new one.

dd

Oops!  Hardcopied & sitting under my right elbow, no less!!

Jimbo   8-)

DD care to share those maps?

Thanks Martin for the info...thanks to all for the info [smiley=dankk2.gif]

The new entry at Leano was opened up last spring (2009).  Due to the wet season we had, it got carved up a bit.  In the fall, a park crew added a short boardwalk over the worst stretch.  A couple of "kinks" need to be straightened but overall, a good trail down to the lake.

This new entry was required due to the fact that the logging company in the area had scheduled to pull out the Leano Creek culvert without which visitors no longer could access the original put in point.  

A parking area was created at the new entry point.  No camping is permitted at this location and bear-proofing your vehicle will ensure you end your trip on a good note.    

dd & que (or is this really CQ?) -

I think there is but the one old portage and the one new portage (ie. the one you & I went in & came out on last year, dd) at Leano.  dd, if I understand your post correctly, you are suggesting there is a second "new" portage at Leano.  Rather, I believe what que says is quite accurate... there is but the one new portage that we used last year & which had been opened up just a few weeks before we arrived.  Otherwise, maybe I am not understanding you correctly.  Anyway, by my reckoning there is only the old portage & ONE new portage.

Hey, que, welcome to QuietJourney!  I have a suspicion I may have met you a week ago at Midwest Mountaineering's Expo.   If so, I almost piped up and suggested that you should include QJ as an internet reference for WCP in addition to the ones you DID mention in your presentation (solotripping.com, etc.).

In any case, your involvement on our website is much welcomed!  DO reference us in your next presentation, though....

Jimbo   8-)  

que-
Jimbo-

I stand corrected.  We DID use the new lot last year.

I do remember swinging into the parking lot via a left-hand turn.  When I glanced at the map, it just looked to me that the lake entry was a bit further south.  And, I guess we didn't ACTUALLY cross a stream in route to the lake (although there seemed to be plenty of water in a few spots).

dd

I hope I got it straight now... The "new " portage is the one that opened up last spring and was fixed up a bit last fall. Like Marlin55388 said, it would be nice to see the corrected map.

Maybe this will help (since I confused the issue).

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The old portage was approximately 60 meters.  The new portage is approximately 70 meters.

dd

This post on WCA's Canadian Canoe Routes forum has links to a number of trip reports (and other stuff)  that may help with WCPP planning.

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That forum also has similar info on Atikaki and Nopoming Provincial Parks adjoining WCPP on the Manitoba side. The links for these two parks are mixed in with the rest of the Manitoba stuff, so you have to dig a bit more:

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Have fun!