Burt Lake
This appears to be the most interesting of the three lakes in this area (the others being Moth Lake and Auk Lake). Burt Lake appears deeper and has a more interesting and varied shoreline than the other two. A small island dots the waters of Burt Lake along its west shore in the south part of the lake. It appears to be possible to go directly from Burt Lake to Auk Lake by bushwhacking through the forest from Burt Lake's south shore. This would involve a difficult 50 rod bushwhack.
A number of smaller burns affected the eastern part of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in 1936, including some areas in the Hairy Lake Primitive Management Area.
1894 saw a large number of fires throughout the entire BWCA. The fire in this area is called the Snipe Lake/Round Lake area to Gunflint Lake/Pine Lake area complex. This fire probably got its start near Round Lake, a popular BWCA entry point.
A large 1875 fire that likely ignited somewhere near Lake Insula and the Hog Lake area. The fire is known as the Alice Lake/Ogishkemuncie Lake/Tuscarora Lake/Cherokee Lake Complex.
This fire started within what is now the Hairy Lake Primitive Management Area. The ignition point was probably somewhere between Mass Lake and Auk Lake. This fire, which took place in 1846, is called the Auk Lake/Long Island Lake/Cross Bay Lake Complex.
Way back in 1727, the Gordon Lake/Brule Lake/Winchell Lake Complex burned this area. It probably began somewhere near Sawbill Lake.
Approach to Burt Lake
If one is visiting Moth Lake, approaching Burt Lake from Moth Lake's western tip is probably a tad easier than bushwhacking into Burt Lake from the northern most point of Auk Lake.
Bushwhack to Burt Lake
From Auk Lake: From the very northern most point on Auk Lake in the middle of its north shoreline, proceed northwest through heavy forest for 50 rods until you reach Burt Lake.
From Moth Lake: From the western tip of the west arm of Moth Lake, head mostly due west through a valley (where a small creek may exist). In about 35 rods, the valley opens up into a overgrown peat bog. From here, Burt Lake is probably visible to the west. Continue another 25 rods to the shore of a bay on the east side of Burt Lake.
Exploring Burt Lake
Burt Lake has a small island and several points and bays that make the lake a good place to explore. There appears from satellite images to be a small sunken island in the northwest part of the lake. A creek that runs from Moth Lake most of the way to Mass Lake, a distance of a couple miles to the west, runs east-west about a quarter mile north of Burt Lake.
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