Jordan Lake is one of the more picturesque lakes in this area. In particular, the Jordan Lake narrows, which connect the main body of Jordan Lake to Ima Lake, are worth exploring. There are several large cliff and rock formation through here. The are two cliffs in particular of note, which have nearly black and orangish vertical banding on them. The larger cliff, which is closer to the main part of Jordan Lake, has a few very faint pictographs which are sort of down by the waterline towards the Ima Lake end of the cliff (see images below on this page). It is hard to make out the reddish images though. On the other end of the cliff, closest to Jordan Lake (left end), there appears to be some more modern letters (graffiti?) painted on the cliff, fairly high up (the letters D + M stood out).
From Jordan Lake, there is an easy bushwhack into Three Eagle Lake which is within the Spider Lake Primitive Management Area (PMA). This would make for a good day trip. The fishing for small pike in Three Eagle Lake is fast most of the time. There are no campsites on Three Eagle Lake and you must obtain a PMA permit from the U.S. Forest Service is you do want to camp there. You are free to visit the lake during the day though. See this page for rules on traveling through a PMA.
There are three campsites on Jordan Lake and they are all satisfactory. The one on the very south end of the lake is probably the best and it is also the most secluded.
Jordan Lake has walleye and northern pike. The lake gets a lot of fishing pressure, since camping on this lake is popular.
The small creeks between Jordan Lake and both Cattyman Lake and Ima Lake, had small sluiceway dams constructed on them to allow for moving logs between these lakes. Logging took place in this area in the early 1900's. Operations were managed by the Swallow and Hopkins Company. Several stumps from large trees that were felled during the logging area, can still be seen along the shoreline (Heinselman, 1999).
References:
Beymer, Robert, Boundary Waters Canoe Area – Volume 1 – Western Region (Berkeley: Wilderness Press, 2006), 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), 176.
Rom, William N., M.D., Canoe Country Wilderness (Stillwater: Voyageur Press, 1987), 28, 29.
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PADDLING FROM THE CATTYMAN LAKE PORTAGE TO THE IMA LAKE PORTAGE
Small bay on the west side of Jordan Lake where the portage landing to Cattyman Lake can be found. The creek that connects Jordan Lake to Cattyman Lake also flows out of this bay (to the right).
You set off from the Cattyman Lake portage landing. Paddling quickly, you exit the small bay and steer into the more open waters of Jordan Lake. After leaving the bay, head directly across the main part of the lake to the entrance of the Jordan Lake narrows. Soon after entering the Jordan Lake narrows, there is a large cliff on the left side of the channel that has orange and blackish-lichen banding. This is the cliff that has the pictographs on it (they are very faded). As you pass this cliff, the location of the pictographs is just left (probably, could not be absolutely sure) of the two long logs that are leaning against the cliff, after having fallen down from the top of it (these logs may not be there in the future). This pictographs are very difficult to make out and you will have to visit the area and study the cliff to see them. There are probably three images here: A hand print, a moose and a canoe. The pictographs are down low, about two to five feet above the water. There is another similar cliff that is farther down the channel towards Ima Lake. That cliff is smaller and even looks like this one. The pictographs are not on that smaller cliff (see images below). After viewing the cliffs, continue north up The Narrows to the Ima Lake portage landing.
A point jutting out into the south end of Jordan Lake, as viewed from the mouth of the Jordan Lake narrows.
View to the southwest similar to that shown above.
The sparkling waters of Jordan Lake. The view is towards the south from the entrance to the bay where the Jordan Lake narrows begin.
The mouth of the bay leading to the Jordan Lake narrows is at the far left of your view here. In the distance, about the middle of the view, is where the entrance begins to the narrows. The interesting cliff with the pictographs is just beyond that point.
A young pine tree finds its roots on an old stump.
View into the valley through which the creek between Jordan Lake and Cattyman Lake flows.
Location of the pictographs (maybe?).
This is the smaller of the two prominent, orange and black-banded cliffs along the Jordan Lake narrows. This particular cliff is farther down the channel, closer to the Ima Lake portage. This cliff DOES NOT have the pictographs. Also, a book about BWCA and Quetico pictographs indicates the Jordan Lake pictographs are on a cliff in the bay where the portage to Cattyman Lake begins. This is not the case. The "possible" pictographs are in the narrows leading to Ima Lake on the east side of Jordan Lake.
This is the small creek that brings the waters of Ima Lake into Jordan Lake. During high water, these rapids are much more impressive. Here you are viewing it during mid-summer when the water is kind of low. There used to be a small dam here. Notice that there are few, large old trees to be found along the shoreline of Jordan Lake. The area is still recovering from the logging that took place here in the early 1900's.
Close up of the mouth of the creek flowing into Jordan Lake from Ima Lake.
Pulling up to the Ima Lake portage found at the north end of The Narrows.
Looking back to the south down the Jordan Lake narrows from very near the Ima Lake portage landing. Portage to Ima Lake -or- Explore Another Route ***********************************************END OF ROUTE***********************************************
