BWCAW Quota Permit — Angleworm Lake (EP20)

Angleworm Lake (EP20): what makes it different

Angleworm Lake is the Echo Trail entry with one of the longest portages in the wilderness, listed at 640 rods by the Forest Service and measured at 716 by BWCA Wild. The trail is shared with the Angleworm hiking loop, so you walk the same path as backpackers on the way to a long, shallow lake.^1,2,4

Getting to the start

The Forest Service lists EP20 as overnight paddle only, in the Kawishiwi District out of Ely, with a 640-rod portage to Angleworm Lake and some trip options that add portages. Rec.gov says the same.^1,2

The trailhead is 17 miles north of Ely on St. Louis County Road 116, the Echo Trail. The Forest Service describes a gravel lot with a kiosk and a self-issue permit box for the hiking trail.^4,3

BWCA Wild calls the lot fairly small and shared with EP21, the Angleworm Trail. It can overflow on nice fall weekends. There is one primitive outdoor restroom, campsite style. The portage starts just left of the bulletin board.^4,5

The first leg

BWCA Wild measured the portage at 716 rods, nearly two miles, and rates it average. It says the trail is mostly flat with a few minor hills, easy to follow and in good shape. A double-plank walkway crosses the marshy upper Spring Creek.^7,4

Near an unnamed lake the low road may mean walking through water, while the high road stays dry. BWCA Wild names flooding and deadfall as the usual snags. Near Angleworm there is a four-way junction. Left goes to the west shore, the middle to the east side, and far right to the rugged 428-rod portage to Trease Lake.⁷

The landing is a small inlet at the far south end of Angleworm Lake.⁷

Terrain and difficulty

Angleworm Lake is 144 acres, long, narrow and shallow, with eight campsites. BWCA Wild lists northern pike and walleye, and a beaver dam often marks the outlet toward Home Lake. A 65-rod portage connects to Home Lake.⁶

Remnants of an old logging rail spur lie near campsite 7. On the visit BWCA Wild logged in May 2023 it saw a black bear, a beaver and grouse.⁶

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Angleworm Lake (EP20), overnight paddle: 2 groups a day. This was the most common daily total on Rec.gov in May, June and early July 2026. Dates from July 10 on read zero when checked, so the figure does not describe late summer. BWCA Wild also prints 2.^2,4

Rules specific to this entry point

Paddle only. EP20 is the permit for paddlers, and EP21 is the separate permit for the Angleworm hiking loop, which the Forest Service says is about 12 miles and mostly inside the wilderness. If you are paddling, use EP20.^1,3

On the hiking trail, water from Angleworm, Home and Whiskey Jack lakes is available after about two miles, while Spring Creek is often unreliable earlier because of beaver activity. The same Forest Service page limits sites to nine people.³

Where it leads

Angleworm Lake itself is the destination for most parties. Home Lake is the next lake over the 65-rod portage, and Trease Lake lies beyond the rugged 428-rod carry.^6,7

Agassa Lake sits outside the wilderness, about a 160-rod portage from the trailhead, with a Forest Service campsite and no permit needed.⁴

What trip reports say

Cyclone's summer 1997 report on Quiet Journey rates the portage difficult mainly because of length, but scenic and worth it. He had hiked it three times, found the boardwalks somewhat unstable, and said there are few truly wet stretches. He compared Angleworm to a river and mentioned casting yellow-tailed spinners near fallen trees for walleye.⁸

Janet's summer 2000 report says her group had no choice about the entry, so they expected a long, hard carry. It was both, but through attractive forest. She advised packing light and pacing yourself. On arrival no campsite was open on Angleworm, so the group went out to Home Lake and finally found a site on Gull Lake.⁹

BWCA Wild says the trail has low paddler traffic and heavier hiker traffic, especially on weekends, and that campsites on Angleworm can fill because many groups stop there on day one.^4,6

When to go from here

Fall weekends fill the lot. BWCA Wild says it can overflow on nice fall weekends, with hikers sharing the same trail.⁴

The wet spots on the trail are the low road near the unnamed lake and the Spring Creek marsh. BWCA Wild names trail flooding and deadfall as the usual snags, and the high road there stays dry.⁷

Compare with nearby entry points

• Stuart River (EP19): Stuart River (EP19) is another long carry off the Echo Trail, a 480-rod portage to the Stuart River. Angleworm's carry is longer, at 640 rods by the Forest Service.¹
• Wood Lake (EP26): Wood Lake (EP26) starts with a 180-rod portage. Angleworm's is more than three times as long.¹
• Little Gabbro Lake (EP33): Little Gabbro Lake (EP33) has a 200-rod portage from a lot where you can drive to the start to unload. Angleworm's lot is small and shared with hikers.^1,4

Sources

1. Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness Entry Points, Superior National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
2. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Permit, Angleworm Lake division, Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Angleworm Hiking Trail, Superior National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Entry Point 20 - Angleworm Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Entry Point 21 - Angleworm Lake Trail, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Angleworm Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Portage between Entry Point 20 and Angleworm Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Entry #s 20 & 21 to Angleworm (Cyclone, summer 1997), Quiet Journey portage database. Read 2026-10-15.
9. Entry #s 20 & 21 to Angleworm (Janet, summer 2000), Quiet Journey portage database. Read 2026-10-15.
10. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Permits, Superior National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to an Angleworm Lake (EP20) permit