I understand that Supt. Doug Gilmore recently has been given responsibility for Opasquia Provincial Park now, too.  If so, congratulations!  

I'm hoping that either Supt. Doug or Asst. Supt. Claire or some other knowledgeable person will comment on the general condition & upkeep of the portages in Opasquia.  As I contemplate my plans for 2010, Opasquia seems alluring until I consider the probability that no one - save perhaps the Big Hook outpost cabins outfit OR maybe some miscellaneous trappers - is keeping up ANY of the portages in that park.

My quest for remoteness & solitude is one thing; outright masochism is quite another.  If I pay all the extra money required to fly-in & fly-out of Opasquia, would I find myself marooned with little room to paddle except, perhaps, where I might hack my way through to another lake??  Not that I don't appreciate a challenge & a workout, mind you.  Yet something tells me I could be staring at a park of rats' nest portages (on the order of what I witnessed between WCP's Wrist Lake & Jigsaw Lake in early July).  That would be bad; very BAD, and not exactly the return I'd be looking for with the extra investment required to get there.

I'll probably be heading back to one of your parks, Doug; that's how much I/we enjoyed ourselves this past summer in WCP.  It is a great paddling park!  I guess I'm just trying to get a handle on when Opasquia might also be "ready for prime-time" park paddling....

Any words to the wise would be appreciated for 2010 -2015 planning purposes.  My initial research tells me that Opasquia isn't quite ripe for the picking yet.  True??

Jimbo  

Doug,

I appreciate the response!

Just an hour or two ago, I found an on-line post on the myccr.com forum from a very knowledgeable mutual outfitter friend of ours.  He quoted an "all costs folded in" total of about $7700 for a party of two (2) to do a trip to Opasquia.  While my guess is that following your recommendations might shave a few bucks off that total, clearly the amount will be prohibitive for most paddlers (including me).

Where there is a will there is a way, though, and I'm sure that, over time, solutions to this access issue can be pulled together.

Meanwhile, there is PLENTY of WCP to paddle & explore!

Thanks, again -

Jimbo   

Jimbo- I have been part of a party of 5 that have been going to Opasquia PP the 2nd week of August for over 20 years. I have been flying in to South Lake via Big Hook Wilderness Camps. It is a remote fly-in camp known for its fabulous walleye fishing. My trip usually begins staying overnight at the Balmertown Inn Balmertown, Ontario. We take an early morning flight out of the Red Lake Airport on a 9 passenger turbo prop freight plane operated by Wayasa Airways. You fly 180 north to a large 1st Nation Indian Reservation on Sandy Lake. We then take a 25 minute float plane to one of 6 or 7 lakes of your choice. Steve and Evie Hartle and their son Nathan have owned and operated  Big Hook for many years.

The lakes in Opasquia are really a flowage and stain colored and full of good sized walleye. Large Northern Pike are present as well. I heard that Opasquia PP was open to canoeing a few years back but I haven't seen a canoeist yet. The shoelines of most of the lakes are rugged and not the best for campsites. I have found only 1 site  that we can use on South Lake to have a shorelunch and it is only average at best.

I doubt it would  cost you $7K for a trip to Opasquia. It runs us $1,159 per person for a party of 4 -5 for a 7 day/nite Saturday to Saturday trip...price includes flight to and from Red Lake, gas, motor, 14 ft boats, solar power, shower, potatoes, canned vegetables, cooking oil, ice etc. Just bring meat, sleeping bags, clothes, and fishing gear.

Steve and Nathan Hartle can be reached at 920-893-3525 BHWC@aol.com  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links); They vacation in Florida in the winter and Nathan does several shows in the winter. I am sure they could help you out with any questions you may have and can provide you with a way to get into Opasquia at a reasonable rate.

Bottomline, I am not sure you would like to go thru lakes that have a cabin and fisherman in boats but the park is quite big and there aren't cabins on every lake. The only portage trails I have seen are where Big Hook has cached boats to be used to portage into a lightly fished lake. Like you I prefer remoteness. WCPP may be the ticket but Opasquia PP may be worth a look. The wildlife ( bear, moose, mink, otter, eagles, osprey) are plentiful.

Writing this note has got me revved up to paddle. Probably going to Brent Lake in Quetico the 2nd week of June 2011. Not sure about my entry point Lac La Croix ( Bottle or Black Robe) or Prairie Portage. Plenty of time to figure that out.

MasterAngler- Despite being this far north I find most big walleye > 25in. in 15 to 25 ft of water on mid lake reefs. We have a  particularly good producing spot that has a 15 - 20 ft flat about 100 yds long in a narrows. Fish are a bit scattered but when they are there ...they are there. Windswept points and along deep weed edges are producers too. I have also tried surface troling when ciscoes rise on lake surface after sunset but have had only modest success on large size, but numbers have been good with this method.

I normally fish with Cabela glow spiner floating worm harnesses with 1/2 a nightcrawler with a 1/2 -3/4 oz slip sinker. I also use Northland Whistler propeller jigs  or Capn Red Beard jigs with a twister tail and bit of a worm or Gulp leech. I agree with you... since the live bait ban in Quetico my walleye numbers and size have diminished by 1/3. It is still very good but I know many agree with me ... including Stu Ostoff, publisher of BW Magazine and guide. Gulp is good but not as good as live bait.  Last year our group only caught  13 walleyes over 25 inches. Two years ago when there was a steady barometer all week and a descent walleye chop we hit a home run that we may never equal again: 55 walleye over 25 in. with several over 30 in. Remember, we have been fishing this lake for many years and know it well.

I really like the dark stained water up there and it produces well during daylight hours.

Wally13,

Many thanks for the info on Opasquia!  Sounds like the park may not be all that friendly yet to canoe tripping.  The walleye fishing report does not surprise me, however.  I agree w/MT re: how much fun it can be to get such a routine going with your buddies year-after-year.

I was aware of Big Hook; I've been eyeballing their website for the past couple years but figured they catered to the cabin, boat & motor clientele.   After encountering challenging portaging/bushwhacking around some of the more remote areas of WCP last year, I'd certainly want decent reconnoissance re: crossing from lake to lake before tackling a whole park full of such adventures!  Sounds like a hammock tent (versus a conventional tent) would likely be the order of the day there.  Also, I figure to take a few pages out of Kingfisher's "pack light" book the next time I attempt such challenges.

Thanks for confirming to me, however, that Big Hook would be a good, less expensive resource to start with when I get serious about Opasquia.  The BWJ isn't interested in my writing about WCP for awhile (my 2010 "WCP trip report" & KF's pics should appear in the spring 2011 issue).  So, Opasquia seems like it could be the next "ripe" opportunity... but only if I show up as a "prepared" canoeist/bushwhacker.  I was NOT completely ready for my 2010 WCP adventure.

Again, your info is very helpful!

Jimbo