Little Vermilion Lake (EP12) Gear Checklist
Little Vermilion Lake is the western door into the Boundary Waters from Crane Lake, with no portage to reach it and no horsepower limit on the lake or the Loon River beyond. The people we read packed for motorboat wake and wind rather than for carries: a marine radio, spare paddles, light fishing tackle, and a plan for a tow. Their regrets are small and practical, like bait left behind at a resort and a walkie-talkie dropped on a portage.
What shapes your gear on Little Vermilion Lake
- Getting in
- The Forest Service lists this entry as overnight, paddle or motor, entered from Crane Lake. A route guide from Friends of the Boundary Waters describes an easy 18-mile, two-day outing with no portages. It says you can reach the lake in a few hours.
From Superior National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Entry Points and Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
- Boats on the water
- The Forest Service sets no horsepower limit on Little Vermilion Lake, Loon Lake or the Loon River. A father and son who paddled in late August found Crane Lake crowded with boats of every size, then saw traffic drop sharply once they entered the channel to Little Vermilion. They counted about 10 boats on the lake at any time.
From Superior National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Rules and Regulations and Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
- The narrows and the river
- Forum posters call the short channel between Crane and Sand Point Lake a blind corner with boat wake, and one says it is about 30 feet across and 50 feet long. They advise staying tight to shore. On the Loon River a poster warns of no campsites for maybe 6 miles, so you commit to the whole stretch once you start. A paddler who met a shuttle boat on a bend about 40 feet wide called its speed reckless.
From Paddling.com Forums: BWCA Entry (entry point 12 thread), Paddling.com Forums: worst route or worst trip and Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
- Portages on the Loon River
- A poster explains that the two Loon River portages run rail carts hauled by cable, with a fee and sometimes a wait. You can skip the cart and carry your own gear on the usual trail. The 2015 couple who paddled this river portaged into Loon Lake with water running high beside the falls.
From Paddling.com Forums: BWCA Entry (entry point 12 thread) and Canoetripping.net Forums
What the agency requires on Little Vermilion Lake
Drinks and food in reusable containers, with no cans or glass bottles
Possessing a can or glass bottle is illegal, with exceptions only for fuel, insect repellent and medicine.
A bear-resistant container or rope for hanging food packs
Food may never be left unattended on portages or in camp, and scented items may not stay in the tent. The Forest Service tells visitors to use a bear-resistant container or ropes.
A camp stove ready for a fire restriction
Fires are allowed only in the steel grates at designated campsites, and a restriction can require a stove. The agency calls a small stove a good idea for speed and for rainy weather.
A way to pack out trash and personal waste items
Latrines are not trash cans. Wipes, bandages, baggies and similar items go out with you.
A bait bucket you can dump before each portage
Bait water is dumped before every portage and refilled on the far side. Unused live bait is packed out, never tossed on the ground.
What hikers carry on Little Vermilion Lake
A marine VHF radio
A father who led a kayak trip on Lac La Croix, just past the end of this route, carried one for the first time in the wilderness. Three area tow and resort operations monitor the channels, and the radio also picked up weather stations from Ely and International Falls.
He also carried a lightning detector that never went off on his trip.
From Paddling.com
Spare paddles and paddle floats on the deck
The same kayak group kept extra paddles and paddle floats within reach, practiced wet exits and rescues on a windy first day, and followed a rule to paddle together and stay near shore.
From Paddling.com
Handheld two-way radios
The group used walkie-talkies to stay in touch with a member who paddled 6 miles round trip for bait, so range was proven. They lost one on a portage, so counting radios at every carry is worth the minute.
From Paddling.com
Light tackle for northern pike, bass and walleye
Two anglers on Loon Lake caught 6 northern pike and 3 bass during a day of fishing and kept three pike for a fish fry. On Lac La Croix a pair bit through four jig heads while chasing walleye.
From The Outbound and Paddling.com
Money set aside for a tow or truck portage
One kayak group paid a resort $120 per person and $60 per boat for a combined tow and truck portage from Crane Lake. A parent on a forum towed children past the fast tow boats on the Loon River, while another paddler said the shuttle boats ran at full throttle and he would not hire one.
People disagree on whether a tow is worth it. Read both views before you budget.
From Paddling.com, Paddling.com Forums: BWCA Entry (entry point 12 thread) and Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
A tent that copes with uneven pads
The father and son found the campsites on Little Vermilion elevated, with some level ground and sand landings. The 2015 couple, farther in on Lake Agnes, called a beautiful site a poor place to pitch a tent.
From Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and Canoetripping.net Forums
A wind plan for open water, with a shoreline fallback
A solo kayaker crossing Loon Lake in the afternoon nearly went into the water in fierce wind and waves. He walked a point where he had to kneel to stay upright, then waited out the night and tried again at 7:30 the next morning.
From Quiet Journey
9 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Little Vermilion Lake
Night crawlers left at the outfitter
The kayak group forgot their bait at a resort, and one member paddled over to a fly-in resort on the Canadian side to buy three dozen.
From Paddling.com
Too few jig heads for toothy water
Four jig heads were bitten off in a single morning of walleye fishing. Northern pike share the same water, so carry more heads than you expect to need.
From Paddling.com and The Outbound
A walkie-talkie carried loose across a portage
The group lost one of its four radios on a carry. A pocket with a closure or a clip keeps it from falling out when you shoulder a pack.
From Paddling.com
Hopes for a quiet Crane Lake
The 2022 paddler described Crane Lake in late August as crowded with everything from small outboards to houseboats and float planes. A forum poster adds that the lake is busy with float plane traffic too. Plan the first stretch for noise and wake.
From Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and Paddling.com Forums: BWCA Entry (entry point 12 thread)
Gear questions for Little Vermilion Lake
Do you need a tow to start from Little Vermilion Lake?
No. The route guide describes no portages and a paddle of a few hours from Crane Lake. People do disagree about tows, though. One kayak group paid $120 per person and $60 per boat, and another paddler who watched shuttle boats on the river said he would not hire one.
From Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and Paddling.com
Are motors allowed on Little Vermilion Lake?
Yes. The Forest Service lists the entry as paddle or motor, and its motor table gives Little Vermilion Lake, Loon Lake and the Loon River no horsepower limit. Expect boat wake near the narrows and on the river.
From Superior National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Entry Points, Superior National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Rules and Regulations and Paddling.com Forums: BWCA Entry (entry point 12 thread)
Where can you camp on the Loon River beyond Little Vermilion Lake?
A forum poster says there are no campsites for maybe 6 miles once you are on the river, so you cannot stop partway. Plan the day so you reach Loon Lake before dark.
Can you bring canned drinks or glass bottles to Little Vermilion Lake?
No. Cans and glass bottles are illegal in the wilderness, except for fuel, insect repellent and medicine. Carry food and drinks in reusable containers.
Sources
- Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Rules and Regulations · Superior National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Entry Points · Superior National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Exploration of Little Vermillion Lake, route page and reader comment · Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness · Blog
- BWCA West Sept. 14-24 · Canoetripping.net Forums, Mnoutdoorfunguy · Trip report
- BWCA Entry (entry point 12 thread) · Paddling.com Forums · Forum thread
- worst route or worst trip · Paddling.com Forums · Forum thread
- Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota (Lac La Croix kayak trip) · Paddling.com, guest-paddler · Trip report
- My own BWCA version of Spielberg's DUEL · Quiet Journey, Dave Milke · Trip report
- Canoe to Loon Lake from Entry #14 · The Outbound, Derek Tice · Blog