Curious if there's any update on Conk to Jean. Is the beaver dam still blocking the creek, or any other details available from recent trips?

Curious: When was the blockage reported?  We went thru there in early August (2010) and didn't have a problem.   -- We had to do a minor pullover from beaver activity, but not a problem unless you misstep into a deep spot in the fast moving water (which I almost did).  

Getting legs wet is a foregone conclusion going thru there since I waded/pulled the canoe up thru the man-made cut section anyway.

-tom

wrote on May 23^rd, 2011 at 2:07pm:

Curious: When was the blockage reported?

It's in a report from 2004 and latest entry in the portage db is from '05. Just making sure i'm up to date here. My bro has gone through there a number of times but that too was quite some time ago.

I went down it in Oct. 2011, it was clear then.

thanks for the updates!
maybe should have posted this in the trip/route section but nonetheless, question answered

I was through there last August and according to my notes there was no particular problems.

How is Jean doing these days? Is the fishing still good? Got any tips on location or structure (for mid-June)? My son's first back country trip, and to date, I've only been to BWCA.

Jean is a good fishing lake, you can get the Grand Slam there with a little effort.
It's sees considerable pressure as a main destination and as gate-way to Sturgeon down Jean Creek.

Jean doesn't have many campsites for lake that size, so I'd take that in consideration.

If you have a depth/fish finder, you might run the south shore. There are at least 3 cold water springs that allow the Lakers to stay further up the water column than they normally would that time of year.

I don't use one or a GPS, so I can't give you the exact location, but even without electronics, you can find them with a little effort.

Jean can get pretty choppy on occasion. Not a lot of shelter north or south shores, so don't get caught in open water if the weather is iffy. Winds that time of year run west to east normally. If you want to fish the western end, I'd paddle down early light and let the wind push me back ;)

Little Jean has good Smallie action and has a few campsites that our out of the way, yet allow easy access to the main bodies of Jean.

I'd give Ceph lake a look too. Plenty of reeds in there. In May its full of Smallies and NP. Short portage at the SE end leads into Burnside Lake and good Waldo action around the island campsite and the numerous rock piles. Easy day trip. Portage is maybe 75 yds tops.

Check your PM zski.

As you come into Jean from Quetico Lake, after the second portage, just as you come onto the main lake there is a point, a small penninsula on your right.  On the map it is site M35 and it is one of the most beautiful camp sites I have ever stayed at.  In fact it was so outstanding that we stayed over an extra day.  Due east off that point and not too far off, the waters are chock full of lakers, at least it was for me.  I trolled along that channel using a 30' Taildancer and I was hauling them in.  Not huge but 3 to 5 pounders.  I was there in late August and the winds were intense but the fishing was excellent.  Coming into Jean along the channel there is also good fishing for smallies.

Never seen a 30' taildancer! Sounds like a polyhumper! Never heard of using one of those for bait. You sure that's not a fish story? ;D