Spider Lake
Have not yet visited this Primitive Management Area lake. The information displayed on this page are notes used for planning a future trip to this area. Use the information on this page at your own risk.
The namesame lake for the PMA and it isn't a swamp for once. Spider Lake is small, but quite deep for its size. It is connected by a short bushwhack along what used to be a maintained portage trail to Kettle Lake. This area was heavily impacted by the windstorm that occurred in this area on July 4, 1999. So if the short bushwhack is doable at all, is likely to be very rugged because of downed trees. In 2003, the portage could not be located (Pauly, 2005). A possible origin of this lakes name is an old type of cast-iron frying pan. The frying pan had "legs" on it so that it could be used for cooking directly over coals. It sort of resembled a spider and was called a spider pan.
The easiest way to now reach Kettle Lake is probably just to follow the creek that flows from Kettle Lake to Pickle Lake. This creek flows through a bog, so it probably was only minimally impacted by the blowdown. The portage from Kettle Lake to Spider Lake was only 9 rods long. So regardless of the amount of damage it sustained, a determined group might be able to make their way across it in one manner or another.
References:
Pauly, Daniel, Exploring the Boundary Waters (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2005), 175, 350.
Approach to Spider Lake
Start from the west end of Kettle Lake and look for the remains of the old portage trail. A small creek connects the two lakes.
Bushwhack to Spider Lake
A 10 rod bushwhack that hopefully can use what remains of the old portage trail that used to exist between the two lakes. Expect a lot of horizontal trees to lift your gear over in this area.
Exploring Spider Lake
There was a campsite on the west end of the lake, so check to see if that is still there. There is no information on fishing for this lake, but it is 55 feet deep. Not sure if lake trout could survive in this lake, but that depth is nearing their requirements. Maybe worth "testing" the fishin'.
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