Tick 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.
While the Tick Lake Primitive Management Area probably gets very few visitors in general, it is probably safe to surmise that few of these visitors ever visit Tick Lake. Leech Lake is probably a better name for this quagmire, but that name is already used up as a lake name in Minnesota. Tick Lake is fast turning to peat bog, so you will want to visit it in the next hundred years or so...
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.
Another fire affected this area way back in 1822. This burn is known as the Hook Lake/Hegman Lake/Crooked Lake complex.
Approach to Tick Lake
From Moosecamp Lake, enter the unnamed creek flowing into its east end. You should immediately be looking along the bank for another creek heading north. This creek is smaller in width, but is likely still navigable, at least for several hundred feet as it winds through the peat bog.
Bushwhack to Tick Lake
Paddle north up the small creek through the peat bog as far as you can; perhaps 25 rods or so. As you approach the forest to your north, the creek will narrow until you are likely going to have to bushwhack. It appears from looking at satellite images that you will have to bushwhack through the forest. However, the creek does seem to reappear with enough breadth and depth to allow a canoe to pass. Worst case, from where the forest begins until you reach Tick Lake is only another 35 rods of bushwhacking. Therefore, the total bushwhack is maybe 60 rods.
Exploring Tick Lake
Exploring Tick Lake will probably consist of trying to find a path through the vegetation covering most of the lake. If you can find your way through the mush to the east end of Tick Lake, Webfoot Lake only lies about 50 relatively easy bushwhackable rods farther on; naturally through yet another peat bog.
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