Circle 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.
Circle Lake appears to be a small, out of the way lake off the main route along Crooked Lake and the Basswood River. This little lake is fairly shallow and much of its shoreline is encroached by peat bogs. Circle Lake has the distinction of being the nearest PMA lake to Canada; Canada being about 2000 feet to the east across Crooked Lake.
Circle Lake is not circular, so no idea where the geometric name originated.
The fire history of this area includes the 1894 Chad Lake/Cummings Lake/Lac La Croix/Crooked Lake complex. This was one of two large fires that affected the western part of what is now known as the BWCA during that year.
Approach to Circle Lake
Find a small creek along the west shore of Crooked Lake, about 120 rods due northeast of the northeast corner of Circle Lake. The creek empties into Crooked Lake in a marshy area, so be on the lookout for that sort of terrain to help find it.
Bushwhack to Circle Lake
The little creek emptying into Crooked Lake is not navigable, but it will give you something to orient by. Follow the creek due west through the forest about 40 rods and you will come to a small marsh/pond. The creek continues out the other side of this pond. Another 25 rods on, the creek breaks into a clearing which is probably a peat bog landscape. At this point, there are some rock outcrops and the creek bends around them to the right. It is likely the creek is navigable at this point. Paddle about 30 rods up the creek in a mostly west direction and you will come to a small unnamed lake. Cross the little lake to the south, and continue up the creek in that direction which flows in to the lake from that compass point. The creek will peter out on you after about 20 rods or so and disappear into the surrounding peat bog. You are back to dragging/carrying your canoe. From here, it is another 40 rods generally south until you reach the northwest corner of Circle Lake. About 155 rods total to get to this non-descript lake in the middle of nowhere.
Exploring Circle Lake
Paddlers may venture into Circle Lake as a good side trip. If you had too much for breakfast, bushwhacking to Circle Lake will definitely burn off the extra calories. Much of the lake is surrounded by bog, but one could probably score a campsite in the sections of shoreline that are forested.
If you stop at Circle Lake and over eat for lunch, you can easily burn that meal off by bushwhacking up to Sash Lake...
|
