Fall Lake Area

Overlay #17 in the BWCA

The BWCA Entry Point 24 - Fall Lake provides two routes up to Basswood Lake. To the west you can head up through Newton Lake where you will see Newton Falls on the south end of the lake and Pipestone Falls on the north tip of that lake. The other route to Basswood Lake is by using the Four Mile Portage or The Long Portage. This portage is four miles long (that 1,280 rods). The Long Portage is very flat as it used to be used by a short railway between Basswood Lake and Fall Lake during the lumber era. Along the Four Mile Portage are three lakes: Ella Hall Lake, Mud Lake and Muskeg Lake. Ella Hall Lake has some very interesting historical significance. Ella Hall Lake is by far the most visited of these three lakes. Mud Lake has two portages into it, but is infrequently traveled. Muskeg Lake has no portages and this shallow lake is seldom paddled. All three of these lakes suffered windstorm damage and only Ella Hall Lake has functional campsites. There is decent fishing in these three lakes. Fall Lake is a busy entry point.

Another entry point in this area is BWCA Entry Point 26 - Wood Lake. Wood Lake provides another route up to Basswood Lake. From Wood Lake you can portage to Hula Lake and then to Good Lake. From Good Lake you can go portage to Hoist Bay on Basswood Lake or head east to Indiana Lake which provides access to Wind Bay on Basswood Lake. Wind Bay also has a portage to Wind Lake if you are headed toward BWCA Entry Point 25 - Moose Lake. Good Creek if navigable from Good Lake to Basswood Lake. There are several campsites on Wood Lake and two more campsites on Good Lake. Hula Lake has no campsites. The portages between these lakes are all in good condition and relatively easy. This entry point gets less traffic because of the long portage from the parking lot to Wood Lake.

The third entry point is at Farm Lake: BWCA Entry Point 31. This entry point provides access to the Kawishiwi River and travel toward the east. Unlike the other two entry points in this area it doesn't provide a direct route to Basswood Lake. Motorboats are allowed on Farm Lake.

Fall Lake and Farm Lake allow motorboat traffic. Wood Lake is the only entry point of the three that does not allow motors.

The following major lakes (and many other minor lakes) are shown on the McKenzie #17 Map:

Basswood Lake
Clear Lake
Ella Hall Lake
Fall Lake
Good Lake
Hula Lake
Mud Lake
Muskeg Lake
Newton Lake
North Kawishiwi River
Ojibway Lake
Triangle Lake
Wind Lake
Wood Lake