Timing is everything. I went thru Sarah/McIntyre in mid-May and the parts I were on were empty except for one tandem canoe on Sarah. Passed thru Robinson saw 1 tandem canoe.

There are about 10 campsites on Robinson according to the Paddle Planner but many more on Sarah and McIntyre.

I'd plan away but be ready to go into McIntyre IF you need too.

Welcome aboard to QJ!

Rob is a pretty lake and is mostly a pass through. The north end doesn’t see much traffic. It has lakers, waldos, bass, and northerns. There’s 2 or 3 really nice camps. I think it could be a fun destination lake. McIntyre is a great option also. Deer is a sleeper.

Don’t know where you live, but if you’re coming to Copia, check out our gatherings and we can mark your maps.

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I came out thru Cecil to Robinson. You'd really have to want to WORK on a day trip to go there via Robinson 

Getting into Cecil via McIntyre is the easy way to go.

The island on the north end of Robinson has two campsites on the south end.  They are close enough to walk from one to the other.  Might be worth checking for your group.

dd

The biggest island on Robinson (north central area) has one beautiful, roomy campsite with both beach and deep water areas of shoreline.  Faces southeast.  Also campable on west side of same island on flatish rock area and is a short easy walk across island between them.  It is one of my favorite lakes and campsites.  I've been there several times and do not recall seeing many people.  I usually exit out the south end into Moose Bay off of Basswood River.

Our outfitter has recommended the exit south down the Horse River to Mudro. I haven't done it, but I'm going to pitch it to the group. He assures me it's a one day trip out at around 14 miles.

Now you're scaring me solotripper! We did make it back to Prairie Portage from the island camp on the south end of Sarah last year, but this old man was pretty tired. Would this trip be worse?

Figure seven hours of paddling and portaging from Robinson up (not down) the Horse to Mudro- double portaging and steady but not crazed progress.

Solus, how does that work with permits when entering at Mudro but spending time in the Q?  Do you need 2 permits is all?  Maybe just a day permit for the BW for both entry and exit days?

Thanks OS.  Don't you still need a day pass at least for exit day?  Also, I think Solus enters from there as well.  I could be wrong.

A couple of additional random Robinson thoughts.  I do a poor job of taking notes, so if my memory in in error, please correct me.

I have come out by the Horse River to Sandpit and Mudro several times, but generally did not enjoy it much. With the exception of the Chain Saw Sisters Saloon being at the pickup point parking lot.

I also believe a campsite on the North end of Robinson was the one Sigurd Olson referred to in one of his books as his favorite in the entire Quetico.  I believe it was directly West of Gardner Mountain, with a sand beach and tent pads nearly at water level. 

There was a walking path to another site just South that might work well for splitting up your large group.  I think the site may be K3 on PP.  We caught some nice Lakers in the N/S channel near the camp.

Corrections welcomed.
MB

Regarding permits:  I have heard I shouldn't do it....but I get one BWCA permit to cover the whole time I will be out and get the Canadian permit at PP for the days I will be in Q.  With the additional RABC permit I can feel comfortable crossing the "border" at will on Basswood, Crooked, Knife, etc. and not be worried about camping in BWCA if conditions require it. 

The "trick" is getting the Q permit from PP without actually going to Prairie Portage.  The only alternative I can think of is to send one or more of your party up there via a tow to pick up and pay for the Q permit and then back to US mainland to start out elsewhere (everyone still needs an RABC).  Last time I went into Q ( 3 summers ago) they offered to sell me an RABC on the spot, rather than having to order it through the mail.  I assume they still do that    To answer your camping question...yes, as long as you stay off-shore you can paddle both sides of border with an RABC.  Not sure how that relates to being able to fish Canadian waters...I do not fish.
You are correct that wind could strand a canoe party but with a cockpit cover kayaking is not an issue in the wind, just more work if you are heading into it.

TomT, I was thinking of entering through Mudro to short cut to Argo last summer and talked extensively to my outfitter about it.  Q permits (Basswood River) are available on-line/via outfitters, RABC's via mail - as you well know.  It's the camping fees you need to pay at the ranger station.  They were going to let me ride a tow up/back to PP and pay the camping fees the day before the entry permit, said they do that somewhat frequently with no issues.  This is a lot like Solus described, but would have been in season.  For the BW, they said just a day permit, unless camping overnight.  It would have been a BIG stretch to get up through Friday Bay and the border in one day and you'd need a crack crew.  Robinson would be more do-able for sure.  We ended up going in via McAree on a Crane Lake tow.  There was a bit more money involved in doing that one.  Several ways to fillet that fish - as the rest have alluded to - some just involve more money.

pd

Going in to Q on the North side I usually pick up the permit the day before I go in.

IC,

I think you'd be wise to talk it through with someone in the Quetico Park office.  I believe they'll want to know that you are "making reasonable progress from wherever you enter the park systems to your actual entry point."  At least THAT's how that worded to me, sixteen years ago, under similar (but not exactly the same) circumstances.  Here is what happened.

I accessed Quetico via Beaverhouse (before Beaverhouse was technically an official part of the park, I believe; anyway, there was/is no permit for "Beaverhouse").  I wanted my actual "entry point" to be Three Mile Lake.  The usual way to do that is to hire a local outfitter to run you down to Three Mile via Flanders road (they dump you off at Wisa Lake).  I've done it that way before.  This particular trip, however, I wanted to camp a couple nights on the west end of Beaverhouse, then paddle down the Quetico and Namakan rivers to Three Mile Lake.  So, I asked the folks at the Atikokan Office for a entry permit dated three days later.   

They didn't want to let me do it that way.  I asked, "How, then, SHOULD I do it?"  They huddled up and came back to me with a permit  dated for that very day... and then asked me to make "reasonable progress" from Beaverhouse to Three Mile Lake.  "Reasonable progress" went undefined, so I said no more about my intent to camp a couple nights on Beaverhouse.  Clearly, they did not want me "making waves."  Maybe they just wanted "park fees" for those three days. Anyway, they opted to play Sergeant Schultz, seemingly preferring to "know nothing" about what I actually did. 

My opinion?  While there's a chance this still could be a gray area in park policy, I suspect they'll issue you the permit for the date you want IF you explain your situation. There must be dozens of folks who do this every year (either individually or through outfitters).  I've got to believe there's a way to handle it.

Jimbo   

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  I consider the BIG difference between the US and Canadian dollar a discount.
15 CA is about 11.25 US.
You guys that can drive into the Q and out again on ONE tank of US gas make out too. You fill your gas tank in CA, you'll have sticker shock the first time. 

One other question for you guys. Since our group is going to be fairly large, I'm looking into alternate sites for us. Has anyone stayed on the campsites in the middle of Tuck Lake?

goblu79 wrote on May 8^th, 2019 at 10:04pm:


If you don't get any responses here, go to PaddlePlanner look there. They have those campsites you mentioned and reviews of people who used them.

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Camp L5 on Tuck could accommodate a large group. Site is high above the water on a large flat area atop a twenty foot cliff. Great, dramatic views. Numerous tent sites. Best landing access is to the north of the site. Good swimming off of ledge rock close to the water some 100 yards south of the main site. Only drawback to the site (beside the steep scramble up the slope to get there) is that the woods are so thick behind the campsite that using the "facilities" can be a bit of an ordeal.

On Robinson HN and HV are average sites capable of handling large groups. J9 is a beautiful site also capable of large groups. JR is an extended site or multiple sites- the main location is on the bump on the east side of the island not at the southern tip. This is the best site for large groups on Robinson. It is vast. Also a very pleasant site, especially for a big group.

The site GN on Moose Bay is well used with dramatic elevated view across Moose Bay. Good place for big groups. Room to roam. A note that Azalea means Crooked Lake rather than Basswood Lake in his post. I routinely spend my last night on Robinson (or first night in the  off season) when exiting via Mudro. It is about 7 hours of travel at moderate pace double portaging from the middle of Robinson to Mudro landing.

azalea wrote on May 16^th, 2019 at 4:59pm:


Sorry. A misread. Rivers typically are preceded by a definite article in shorthand speak eg. "The Mississippi" or "The Basswood"- lakes are unadorned.