BWCAW Quota Permit — Clearwater Lake (EP62)

Clearwater Lake (EP62): what makes it different

Clearwater Lake is a Gunflint Trail entry under tall south-shore cliffs, reached by 5.1 miles of gravel road. It has separate paddle and motor permits at 2 groups a day each, motors only on this lake, and the steep Mountain Lake portage and Border Route Trail crossing close to the water.^1,2,3,4

Getting to the start

The Forest Service lists EP62 as an overnight entry for paddle or motor, run by the Gunflint District out of Grand Marais, with motors allowed on Clearwater Lake only and a 10 horsepower limit.^1,2

From Grand Marais you drive the Gunflint Trail about 28 miles to Clearwater Lake Road (County Road 66), turn right and follow 5.1 miles of gravel to its end at the landing. Flour Lake Campground, run by the Forest Service, is an option for the night before.³

The lot is large and abuts private property. The landing has no portage from the lot, and the only restroom is portable. Clearwater Historic Lodge and Canoe Outfitters sits about four miles up the road from the Gunflint Trail.³

The first leg

You paddle east from the landing into the wilderness. The far western end of the lake lies outside the BWCA.³

The lake has portages to Mountain Lake (90 rods), Caribou Lake (210 rods on the west end and 200 on the east), Deer Lake (240 rods) and West Pike Lake (211 rods). BWCA Wild lists these lengths on the lake page.⁴

The Mountain Lake carry, listed separately at 80 rods, climbs about 100 feet to a ridge and drops about 100 feet on the far side. A set of stairs leads up from the Clearwater landing, and the Border Route Trail crosses near the midpoint.⁵

Terrain and difficulty

Clearwater covers 1,344 acres and reaches 130 feet deep. It holds lake trout and smallmouth bass, and BWCA Wild says the trout fishing is good.⁴

Cliffs rise along the south shore. BWCA Wild gives their height as more than 300 feet in one place and nearly 400 in another, and the lodge says 350, so the safe statement is that they are very tall. A steep trail of about half a mile climbs to the top for views over the lake.^4,8

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Clearwater Lake (EP62), overnight paddle: 2 groups a day. This was the most common daily total for the paddle-only Clearwater division on Rec.gov across May to September 2026.²
• 2026 daily quota at Clearwater Lake (EP62), overnight motor: 2 groups a day. This is a separate Rec.gov division with its own count. Do not add it to the paddle permit.²

Rules specific to this entry point

Rec.gov sells Clearwater as two overnight divisions, one marked as a paddle only permit and one for paddle or motor. Motors up to 10 horsepower are allowed on Clearwater Lake only. One extra motor of 6 horsepower or less may be carried if the total in operation stays at 10.^2,1

BWCA Wild says motorboats are allowed on all of Clearwater Lake, with no horsepower limit on the part outside the BWCA, and that they are relatively uncommon. The eastern end inside the wilderness stays at 10 horsepower.^4,3

The lake has seven campsites. Site 3 sits just west of the Mountain Lake portage, site 4 just east of it, and site 7 is the easternmost one with direct access to the Border Route Trail.⁴

Where it leads

The lodge calls campsite 5 the most popular one on the lake, with a view from the fire grate and safe cliff jumping from camp, and says it is hard to get in summer. It calls site 6 flat and easy to land at, off the main paddling route.⁸

Site 7 is across from the West Pike portage at a pinch point, so paddlers pass close by. The lodge adds that spring is the best time to fish Clearwater, because the trout go deep as the water warms.⁸

What trip reports say

A QuietJourney reviewer who crossed the Mountain Lake portage in fall 2007 at low water rated it difficult at 90 rods. The first third is fairly steep, the trail crosses the Border Route Trail, and the carry ends in steep stairs.⁶

That reviewer found Clearwater itself busy, with 10 horsepower boats, some private shoreline and interesting cliffs on the south side. The count was seven known campsites.⁶

A reviewer coming from Caribou in fall 2005 rated that 220-rod carry difficult. It was steep and uphill for most of its length, with a steep descent about two-thirds of the way. The map put the trail near one campsite, but the reviewer found it roughly halfway between the two eastern sites.⁷

The same reviewer notes that Clearwater sits about 88 feet higher than Caribou, and the carry makes the climb feel larger. The reviewer calls the view of the palisades from Clearwater striking.⁷

When to go from here

The lake has only seven campsites, and the lodge calls the most popular one, site 5, hard to get in summer. Spring is the lodge's pick for trout.^8,4

Compare with nearby entry points

• Seagull Lake (EP54): Seagull Lake (EP54) also takes paddle or motor at 10 horsepower, but it sells 8 groups a day in each lane, and its landing has a boat ramp and a public dock off the Gunflint Trail. Clearwater sells 2 in each lane.^1,2,3
• East Bearskin Lake (EP64): East Bearskin Lake (EP64) is the other Gunflint District entry that allows motors only on its own lake, but the Forest Service sets a 25 horsepower limit there against Clearwater's 10.¹

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, Clearwater Lake divisions, Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Entry Point 62 - Clearwater Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Clearwater Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Portage between Clearwater Lake and Mountain Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Mountain to Clearwater, QuietJourney portage database. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Caribou to Clearwater, QuietJourney portage database. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Clearwater Lake canoe routes and campsites, Clearwater Historic Lodge and Canoe Outfitters. Read 2026-10-15.
9. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Permits, Superior National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a Clearwater Lake (EP62) permit