VERN LAKE CAMPSITES:
Campsite 1 (#961): Only campsite on the west shore of the lake.
Campsite 2 (#962): Only campsite on the east shore of the lake, just south of Whack Lake portage.
The portage between Juno Lake and Vern Lake is plagued with rocks. The portage climbs briefly leaving Juno Lake, and then looses elevation slowly as it meanders its way over to Vern Lake. This used to be a two-part portage separated near the middle by the small pond you'll see along the portage. It is now a single carry. The landing on the Vern Lake side is very rocky with fairly deep water close to the shoreline. Some old maps show a 10-rod portage at the narrow area near the north end of Vern Lake. No portage is necessary at this location.
There are two ways to Vern Lake from the Homer Lake entry point. One is via Whack Lake and the other along the Vern River starting from where it flows out of Homer Lake. The Whack Lake route is probably slightly easier, but the river route is perhaps more scenic. Neither route is particularly difficult.
Vern Lake has northern pike and a decent population of eater-sized walleyes.
Vern Lake is sort of a wide section of the Vern River which flows through it starting from the southeast end of the lake and exiting the lake just across from the Whack Lake portage.
A fire of about 4,450 acres started on June 14, 1996 as a result of a lightning strike. This fire burned from the eastern side of South Temperance Lake toward the southeast. The fire spread along the southwestern corner of Brule Lake, to the west end of Juno Lake and portions of Vern Lake and the Vern River. The fire was mostly out by the end of the month (Hansen, 2007). The fire cost and estimated $1.5 million (Beymer, 2006).
References:
Beymer, Robert, Boundary Waters Canoe Area – Volume 2 – Eastern Region (Berkeley: Wilderness Press, 2006), 75, 77.
Hansen, Mary Alice, Sawbill: History and Tales (Tofte: Sawbill Press, 2007)
Pauly, Daniel, Exploring the Boundary Waters (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2005), 261, 266.
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PADDLING FROM THE JUNO LAKE PORTAGE TO THE WHACK LAKE PORTAGE
Paddling directly across the lake from the Whack Lake portage to the entrance to the Vern River. Portage to Whack Lake -or- Explore Another Route ***********************************************END OF ROUTE***********************************************
PADDLING FROM THE WHACK LAKE PORTAGE TO THE VERN RIVER OUTLET
Looking across Vern Lake from the Whack Lake portage. The outlet into the Vern River is in view straight across the lake (slightly left of center).
Paddling directly across the lake from the Whack Lake portage to the entrance to the Vern River. Paddle into the Vern River -or- Explore Another Route ***********************************************END OF ROUTE***********************************************
PADDLING FROM THE VERN RIVER OUTLET TO THE VERN RIVER INLET ON THE SOUTHEAST END OF THE LAKE
The Vern River flows through Vern Lake. This video begins along the southwest shoreline of the lake where the Vern River outlet is located and ends in the southeast corner of the lake at the Vern River inlet. Paddle into the Vern River -or- Explore Another Route ***********************************************END OF ROUTE***********************************************
Route Connections for Vern Lake
From Vern Lake, you can portage to Whack Lake. You can also paddle into the Vern River heading either upstream or downstream, as the river passes through the lake.
