ROUTES/PORTAGES FROM LOWER PAUNESS LAKE:
To Little Indian Sioux River: Walk the 150 rod portage (Devil's Cascade)
To Little Indian Sioux River: Paddle In
To Shell Lake: Walk the 220 rod portage (includes pond which you must paddle across)
To Sioux-Hustler Trail: Trail is accessible along both the Shell Lake portage and Devil's Cascade portage
To Upper Pauness Lake: Walk the 40 rod portage
Lower Pauness Lake
LaCroix Ranger District
LOWER PAUNESS LAKE CAMPSITES: Campsite 1 (#41): North most site on the lake along west shoreline Campsite 2 (#42): South most site on this lake located along west shoreline
Campsite 3 (#43): Located on the lakes prominent point
Paun is the French word for pause. The Pauness Lakes could have been where voyageurs 'paused' for one reason or another?
Both Pauness Lakes are shallow and much of their surfaces are covered with beds of wild rice intermixed with lily pads. The wild rice does little to impede the progress of a canoe. Some pickelweed patches are also present in mid-summer.
From Lower Pauness Lake, there are two ways to get to Upper Pauness Lake. The most commonly traveled route is over the 40-rod portage that you will find near mid-lake. The more scenic, but also a bit more difficult passage, is via the short but steep 8-rod portage at the south end of the lake. To get to that portage, you paddle up a brief section of the Little Indian Sioux River before you reach the portage into Upper Pauness Lake. There will also certainly be a beaver dam along the stretch of river.
Northern pike and walleye are present in both Pauness Lakes.
Lower Pauness Lake has the Little Indian Sioux River flowing through its entire length. The lake is just a widening of the river.
The portage to Shell Lake is often obscured by wild rice. It is easy to just paddle through the wild rice beds to the portage.
References:
Beymer, Robert, Boundary Waters Canoe Area – Volume 1 – Western Region (Berkeley: Wilderness Press, 2006), 91, 94, 98, 100, 117.
Pauly, Daniel, Exploring the Boundary Waters (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2005), 103, 109.
Rom, William N., M.D., Canoe Country Wilderness (Stillwater: Voyageur Press, 1987), 88, 89.
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PADDLING FROM THE UPPER PAUNESS LAKE PORTAGE TO THE LITTLE INDIAN SIOUX RIVER PORTAGE (DEVIL'S CASCADE)
Follow the west and north shore of Lower Pauness Lake between these two portage. There are two portage landings. The obvious one as you approach the start of the river and another about 4-rods down the river channel (assuming water level is low enough to make using this one hazardous). Portage to the Little Indian Sioux River
-or- Explore Another Route ***********************************************END OF ROUTE***********************************************
PADDLING FROM THE LITTLE INDIAN SIOUX RIVER PORTAGE (DEVIL'S CASCADE) TO BWCA CAMPSITE 41
A brief paddle across the lake to this campsite located on the west shore of the north half of the lake. It's located at a large rock outcropping, so look for that. The actual campsite (fire pit) can be a little difficult to spot from the water. Visit BWCA Campsite 41 -or- Explore Another Route ***********************************************END OF ROUTE***********************************************
PADDLING FROM BWCA CAMPSITE 41 TO BWCA CAMPSITE 42
Paddle southward down the lake. Continue past the lakes prominent point to the east and head into the wild rice beds (during mid-summer). Head down the west shore of the south end of the lake to the campsite. The campsite has a large table rock for a landing. Visit BWCA Campsite 42 -or- Explore Another Route ***********************************************END OF ROUTE***********************************************
PADDLING FROM BWCA CAMPSITE 42 TO THE LITTLE INDIAN SIOUX RIVER
Just stay to the right shoreline as you head south from the campsite. It's a short paddle to reach the location where the Little Indian Sioux River flows into the lake. Paddle into the Little Indian Sioux River -or- Explore Another Route ***********************************************END OF ROUTE***********************************************
Route Connections for Lower Pauness Lake
From Lower Pauness Lake you can portage downstream into the Little Indian Sioux River. This is the portage along the Devil's Cascade. You can also paddle into the Little Indian Sioux River heading upstream (the short section between Lower Pauness Lake and Upper Pauness Lake). Also, you can portage to Upper Pauness Lake. Finally, there is a portage to Shell Lake. The Sioux-Hustler Trail is also accessible from Lower Pauness Lake. That trail intersects the portage between Lower Pauness Lake and Shell Lake. Also, a spur of the Sioux-Hustler Trail intersects the portage along the Devil's Cascade.
