Saganaga Lake (EP55) Gear Checklist
Saganaga Lake is the big, island-filled lake at the end of the Gunflint Trail, with a motor zone at the east end and the Canadian border running through it. The paddlers we read carried more map and weather gear than most Boundary Waters trips need, split packs to keep the bow from sailing in a crosswind, and either booked a tow across the open water or hugged the south shore. Their regrets are small and specific, like a dead GPS battery and a bag of whole coffee beans with no grinder.
What shapes your gear on Saganaga Lake
- Entry and motors
- Entry point 55 takes overnight paddle or motor permits, and the Forest Service describes a large lake with plenty of campsites and easy access to Canada. Motors up to 25 horsepower are allowed except west of American Point, where no motor may be used or even carried. A route writer warns that motorized lakes are rare in the area, so expect boat traffic here.
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 PaddlingLight
- How busy the boats are
- One group of five saw maybe 10 boats a day, often far across the water or at portages. A 2021 party dodged a few motorboats right after launching from the 55A landing and then turned west along the south shore.
From BWCA.com and Steve Pelton
- Wind and open water
- A route guide calls Saganaga big water that can get very rough in wind and warns less experienced canoeists to be careful on its big stretches. A father and daughter had a stiff north wind that made their tow-boat ride choppy, with sand pelting their faces. A paddleboarder who stuck to the leeward southeast shore found the open crossing easier than feared, though crosswind waves forced constant zigzagging.
From Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Seagull Outfitters and mikeward.cool
- Finding your way
- The route guide says dozens of islands and bays make it easy to lose your position, so track it on a map. A father and daughter on a tow found the islands confusing, and their driver joked that he had one month of experience finding his way. A route writer adds that the inlet to the Roy Lake portage is narrow and hidden, so paddlers can overshoot into Red Rock Bay.
From Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Seagull Outfitters and PaddlingLight
- Crossing into Canada
- Select Paddle to/from Canada or Motor to/from Canada as the permit type when reserving. The group-size rule is nine people and four watercraft together, and it applies on water, portages and campsites.
From Superior National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Entry Points and Superior National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Rules and Regulations
- Tows
- Two parties used outfitter tow boats to skip the open water. One group of five took an 8 a.m. tow to American Point and was at its first portage by 8:45. Another loaded the tow at the Saganaga landing and was dropped at the Red Rock Lake portage.
From BWCA.com and Seagull Outfitters
What the agency requires on Saganaga Lake
Know your motor zone
On Saganaga the horsepower limit is 25, and one extra motor no larger than 10 horsepower may be carried. West of American Point motors may not be used or possessed.
From Superior National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Rules and Regulations and Superior National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Entry Points
No cans or glass, and reusable containers only
Cans and glass bottles are illegal in the wilderness, except for fuel, insect repellent and medicine. The Forest Service says to carry food and drinks in containers made for repeat use.
A compass and an accurate map
The Forest Service calls both essential for backcountry travel and tells visitors to replace its own overview with maps and guidebooks.
Food in a container or on a rope
Do not leave food alone on a portage trail or in camp. The Forest Service says to keep it in a bear-resistant container or hang the packs from ropes.
A camp stove is a good idea
You may use fires only inside the steel grates at designated campsites, and camping is limited to designated sites with grates and latrines. A small stove heats food faster, has less impact and helps in rain, and you may be required to use one during a fire restriction.
What hikers carry on Saganaga Lake
A map for every sheet of the route, plus a compass
A paddleboarder swapped map sheets at the east end of Saganaga because the second sheet covered Big Sag, Trail's End and Sea Gull, so one map stayed accessible for the whole afternoon. The route guide says to keep careful track of position among the islands.
From mikeward.cool and Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
A GPS with a spare battery
A 2021 party's GPS battery died just when they took a wrong turn down a bay looking for the channel back to the truck, which left them with only the straight lines of their track and their map sections.
From Steve Pelton
A weather radio or a satellite messenger with weather
A week-long group of five says to bring one or the other. They monitored the forecast, got moving early when 14 mph winds were due by noon, and then saw 2-foot waves and whitecaps on Alpine Lake in the afternoon.
From BWCA.com
A head net for the portage landings
A father and daughter were swarmed the moment they landed on a muddy Alpine Lake portage end and had to pull a head net on fast. They picked a windy point camp to keep bugs down and still heard mosquitoes humming after sunset.
From Seagull Outfitters
Packs arranged to hold the bow down
In a crosswind on big Saganaga, one canoe's bow caught the wind and pushed toward shore. They moved the big cook set ahead of the bow paddler's feet so the bow sat deeper and sailed less.
From Steve Pelton
A short paddle for a solo boat
A group that was better at kayaking than canoeing carried two kayak paddles. One person with a sore shoulder used one the whole trip and the paddler in the solo canoe used one a lot.
From BWCA.com
A tarp or canopy and tents for rain
A 2021 party sat under a canopy to drink coffee while rain picked up, and retreated to the tents for several nights of rain and thunder. A week group got caught on a first portage in rain and then lightning.
From Steve Pelton and BWCA.com
A food barrel and a pack split for double portages
A father carried the equipment pack first and then the food barrel and canoe, double portaging each carry, with his daughter carrying a small pack of her own on the first trip.
From Seagull Outfitters
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 Saganaga Lake
Whole coffee beans and no grinder
One writer bought whole beans for a trip with no grinder. A companion cracked them with the side of a pocket knife in a zip bag, and someone crushed them on rocks the next morning.
From Steve Pelton
Ten pounds of extra pack weight
A group of five found the portages harder than expected because of rocks and footing, and said they all wished they carried 10 pounds less. They double portaged the whole trip.
From BWCA.com
Moving late in the day
The same group of five found many Alpine Lake sites full as the wind built and took an island site at the southwest end. They say a morning move gets you a better selection of sites, and that the sites they saw were clean.
From BWCA.com
Food left within reach of camp animals
Bold chipmunks hung around the camps waiting to steal food. The Forest Service says food must never sit unattended.
From BWCA.com and Superior National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Rules and Regulations
Gear questions for Saganaga Lake
Can you use a motor on Saganaga Lake?
Yes, up to 25 horsepower, except west of American Point where no motor may be used or even carried. You may carry one extra motor of up to 10 horsepower. Paddlers on the lake say to expect boats near the landing and tow boats running at the start of the day.
From Superior National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Rules and Regulations, Superior National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Entry Points, PaddlingLight and BWCA.com
How rough does Saganaga Lake get?
Rough in wind. A route guide calls it big water that can get very rough. A father and daughter had a stiff north wind and a choppy tow-boat ride, and a paddleboarder found crosswind waves tiring but not bad along the south shore.
From Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Seagull Outfitters and mikeward.cool
Do you need a tow at Saganaga Lake?
No, but two parties used one to skip the open water. A 2021 party skipped it and hugged the south shore, tucked behind islands, in light winds.
From BWCA.com, Seagull Outfitters and Steve Pelton
What permit do you need to paddle from Saganaga Lake into Canada?
Choose the Paddle to/from Canada permit type when you reserve. The lake gives access to the Crown land and Quetico Park. Check the Canadian side's own requirements separately.
From Superior National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Entry Points
Sources
- Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Entry Points · Superior National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Rules and Regulations · Superior National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Exploration of Saganaga Lake · Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness · Blog
- Boundary Waters Routes: Sag and Sea Gull Loop · PaddlingLight, Bryan Hansel · Blog
- Newbies on a Saganaga to Seagull Lake loop, 7 days (trip report) · BWCA.com · Trip report
- BWCA 2021 · Steve Pelton, Steve Pelton · Blog
- Father-Daughter Canoe Trip: Saganaga to Seagull Lake Loop · Seagull Outfitters · Trip report
- Moose Lake (paddleboard crossing of the Boundary Waters) · mikeward.cool, Mike Ward · Blog