BWCAW Quota Permit — Larch Creek (EP80)

Larch Creek (EP80): what makes it different

Larch Creek is a paddle-only entry where the Gunflint Trail crosses a small stream, with no portage at all. You float about 1.5 miles down the creek, hopping beaver dams, to shallow Larch Lake in the 2007 Ham Lake Fire burn. One group a day gets in, and Clove Lake often has open campsites.^1,2,3,4

Getting to the start

The Forest Service lists EP80 in the Gunflint District as an overnight paddle-only entry, with access from the canoe landing at Larch Creek. Recreation.gov gives the Gunflint Ranger Station number, 218-387-1750.^1,2

The entry is about 51 miles up the Gunflint Trail from Grand Marais, on the right, a couple hundred feet past the Seagull Lake Guard Station. A small Larch Creek sign marks where the stream passes under the road.³

The lot is tiny and sits beside the road at the top of a hill. The landing is a short walk down to the right of the lot. There is no restroom here.³

On a September 2024 visit the usual Forest Service display was missing. For a day trip to Larch Lake, the permits are in the box on the left of the bulletin board.³

The first leg

There is no portage from the lot. You put in on Larch Creek itself, which turns sharply just below the landing, so you cannot see far at first. Larch Lake is about 1.5 miles downstream.³

Plan on roughly 45 minutes of paddling and beaver dam hopping to reach the lake. The creek stays navigable in dry years, but the shallow mouth where it enters the lake can leave you stuck at low water.^4,3

BWCA Wild's entry point table says to avoid Larch Creek when water levels are very low.⁶

Terrain and difficulty

The landing is exposed and windblown. It lies inside the 2007 Ham Lake Fire area, and the tree canopy has not recovered. Tall grass and brush along the stream block distant views.³

Late in summer, algal blooms can turn the creek water pea green, most often when it is low.³

Larch Lake is shallow, about 132 acres and 14 feet at the deepest, at roughly 1,467 feet above sea level. The fire scorched most of the shoreline, though some forest patches survive, mainly at the north end.⁴

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Larch Creek (EP80), overnight paddle: 1 group a day. One was the most common daily total on Rec.gov across May to September 2026. BWCA Wild also lists a daily quota of 1.^2,3

Rules specific to this entry point

Larch Creek is a paddle-only entry. Recreation.gov's division text says the method of travel is paddle, with access from the canoe landing at Larch Creek.²

Where it leads

Larch Lake has three campsites. Site 437 is at the south end and partly burned. Site 2004 is on the largest island in the northwest, the only one that escaped the fire. Site 436 is midway down the east shore, in the burn.⁴

A flat 35-rod carry leads from Larch to Clove Lake. Clove is 160 acres and 25 feet deep, with clear water, and has three campsites: one with a sand beach at the north end, one on Pine Island by the Pine River carry, and one in the southwest near the Larch carry.^4,5

From Clove, carries of 45 rods go to the Granite River and 100 rods to the Pine River. Day-trip ideas are the Pine River south to Little Rock Falls and the Granite River north through rocky gorges.⁵

Fishing: Larch Lake has good northern pike with plenty of eater-size fish, plus fewer walleye. Clove Lake holds northern pike, smallmouth bass and walleye, and BWCA Wild rates its fishing so-so.^4,5

What trip reports say

On a September 2, 2024 visit, BWCA Wild saw no wildlife on Larch Lake or Clove Lake, hopped several beaver dams on the creek, and found the Pine River mouth dry from near-drought conditions.^4,5

The same write-up says Clove often has open campsites because only one permit a day is issued at this entry.⁵

An earlier visit on September 4, 2022 is also logged on the entry point page. It says water level is rarely a problem on the creek, though very low water can leave you stuck in a few spots.³

When to go from here

Water level and algae both depend on the weather. A wet summer keeps the creek easy, while a low-water late summer brings pea-green water and sticking points near the creek mouth.^3,6

Compare with nearby entry points

• Seagull Lake (EP54): Seagull Lake (EP54) is a landing on a big lake that allows paddle or motor with a 10 horsepower limit, with no motors west of Three Mile Island. Larch Creek is paddle only and starts on a creek, just past the Seagull Lake Guard Station.^1,3
• Saganaga Lake (EP55): Saganaga Lake (EP55) at the end of the trail issues 15 groups a day on Rec.gov. Larch Creek issues 1.²
• Cross Bay Lake (EP50): Cross Bay Lake (EP50) is also paddle only, but the Forest Service lists a route over two portages to Ham Lake and then a 24-rod portage. Larch Creek has no portage from the lot.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, Larch Creek division, Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Entry Point 80 - Larch Creek, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Larch Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Clove Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
6. BWCA Entry Points, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Permits, Superior National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a Larch Creek (EP80) permit