This lake does not have a lot of forest covering its shoreline, so it is often windswept. Since there are no campsites on the lake, most canoeists just quickly portage and paddle through here. This small lake makes connections to three other lakes: Adventure Lake, Gibson Lake and Jordan Lake. The lake is often busy because of this.
Cattyman Lake has a descent population of northern pike and a few small walleye. Try fishing for them below the rapids coming in from Jordan Lake.
Water flows into Cattyman Lake over some rapids from Jordan Lake. Another small stream connects Adventure Lake to Cattyman Lake. The flow of water is from Adventure Lake to Cattyman Lake. This little stream is right next to the portage that connects the two lakes. During periods of high water you can just skip that portage and float between the two lakes. Finally, the water in Cattyman Lake flows over a fairly impressive waterfall "Cattyman Falls?" and down toward Gibson Lake. All of this water eventually makes its way up to Ensign Lake and Basswood Lake beyond.
Cattyman is another name for someone who works in the logging industry. It is specifically a term used for a river-driver, a logger who manages the logs floating down a river. There used to be a sluiceway dam between Cattyman Lake and Gibson Lake across the creek that is still there. The flowage between Jordan Lake and Cattyman Lake was also dammed to facilitate the movement of logs through these waterways. These operations were all conducted by the Swallow and Hopkins Company in the early 1900's (Heinselman, 1999). The shoreline of Cattyman Lake was almost completely logged, so the trees surrounding the lake are almost all less than a century old.
References:
Beymer, Robert, Boundary Waters Canoe Area – Volume 1 – Western Region (Berkeley: Wilderness Press, 2006), 173, 175, 196.
Beymer, Robert, Boundary Waters Canoe Area – Volume 2 – Eastern Region (Berkeley: Wilderness Press, 2006), 183.
Heinselman, Miron, The Boundary Waters Wilderness Ecosystem (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1999), 102.
Pauly, Daniel, Exploring the Boundary Waters (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2005), 172, 176.
Rom, William N., M.D., Canoe Country Wilderness (Stillwater: Voyageur Press, 1987), 28, 29.
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PADDLING FROM THE ADVENTURE LAKE PORTAGE TO THE JORDAN LAKE PORTAGE
Cattyman Lake from the Adventure Lake portage landing. The tiny creek that flows along the portage path, is just to your right.
This is the view to the right from the Adventure Lake portage landing on Cattyman Lake. Just over the rubble pile maybe 20 feet away is the mouth of the little creek coming from Adventure Lake. Around that point that ends just left of center as your eye follows the shoreline, is the portage to Jordan Lake.
Instead of using the portage, walk along the nearly dry creek that connects the two lakes with the canoe in tow. This is what it is like in the middle of summer, so water levels are fairly low throughout the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. If water levels are high, like in spring, you can actually just paddle through this creek and skip the portaging altogether. After collecting your gear from the end of the normal portage, you paddle to the Jordan Lake portage landing. Along the way you pass a some rapids that mark the location where the creek from Jordan Lake flows into Cattyman Lake.
Paddling between the Adventure Lake portage and the Jordan Lake portage, you'll pass these rapids at the mouth of the creek that flows in from Jordan Lake.
Pulling up to the sandy portage landing at the start of the trail to Jordan Lake. Portage to Jordan Lake -or- Explore Another Route ***********************************************END OF ROUTE***********************************************
PADDLING FROM THE JORDAN LAKE PORTAGE TO THE GIBSON LAKE PORTAGE
This route track takes you across the north side of Cattyman Lake to the west. You end at the portage landing to Gibson Lake.
The portage landing is at the west end of a rubble strewn beach, just before the lake discharges over some rapids.
You are standing at the portage landing to Gibson Lake. Just down the trail behind you is Cattyman Falls. At the far left of your view along the distant shoreline is the location of the portage to Adventure Lake. Portage to Gibson Lake -or- Explore Another Route ***********************************************END OF ROUTE***********************************************
You can often walk right into the pool below Cattyman Falls and cool off on a hot day. (Note: Forgot to photograph/video these falls passing through last time. Here is a YouTube.com link for Cattyman Falls.)
