Boot Lake is almost two separate lakes joined by a somewhat narrow channel. The side closest to Snowbank Lake is much shallower and has a softer bottom. The other part of the lake, where the short portage to Haven Lake is located, is actually deep and rocky.
A creek with some small rapids connects Snowbank Lake to Boot Lake. The water flows into Boot Lake through this creek. Boot Lake drains to the north into Ensign Lake, through a creek flowing out its northern most point.
The portage between Boot Lake and Snowbank Lake is actually two portages separated by a small pond. Before 1999, this used to be one long portage that skirted the edge of the pond. The July 4, 1999 windstorm changed that.
This lake has good northern pike fishing and a fair number of smallmouth bass. There are walleye in the lake too.
There are two campsites on this lake (one in each of its different halves). Both campsites on casual inspection seemed pretty good, with spaces for tent pads, easy landing spot, good kitchen area and a nice selection of trees to hang a food pack from. These can be popular campsites, so you may need to grab one early.
The recently logged forest around parts of Boot Lake burned in 1910. This was probably a slash fire. Slash is what remains of a forest after it is logged. Slash burns easily because it is exposes the forest floor to wind and sunlight, which causes it to dry out quickly. Another fire in 1919 was also a slash burn, but it is unclear if that fire occurred right along the shores of Boot Lake, or just affected the forest around nearby lakes (Heinselman, 1999).
References:
Beymer, Robert, Boundary Waters Canoe Area – Volume 1 – Western Region (Berkeley: Wilderness Press, 2006), 172, 180.
Heinselman, Miron, The Boundary Waters Wilderness Ecosystem (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1999), 101, 102.
Pauly, Daniel, Exploring the Boundary Waters (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2005), 169, 174.
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PADDLING FROM THE HAVEN LAKE PORTAGE TO THE SNOWBANK LAKE PORTAGE
You are taking a look down the north end of Boot Lake, before setting off from the Haven Lake portage landing. It is early in the evening.
You leave the Haven Lake portage landing. From there you paddle to the southwest along the eastern shoreline of Boot Lake. You pass through the narrow section of the lake that divides it into two halves. From there narrows you continue until you reach the Snowbank Lake portage.
A crumbling cliff midway along the east shoreline of Boot Lake.
A prominent pine tree with a retinue of smaller pines stands at the entrance to the shallow bay in the very south end of the lake. At the back of this bay is the portage leading to Snowbank Lake.
A view from the water of the mouth of the creek that flows into Boot Lake from Snowbank Lake. The beginning of the portage to Snowbank Lake is located just to the right of the creek.
The bay where the Snowbank Lake portage is located is very pretty. This entire bay is relatively shallow, with clear water. View is from the Snowbank Lake portage. Notice the small stream that flows in to the right.
This water is flowing into Boot Lake from Snowbank Lake. From Boot Lake, this water will continue north to Ensign Lake. Portage to Snowbank Lake -or- Explore Another Route ***********************************************END OF ROUTE***********************************************
