Brigand 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.
Perhaps this is where the thieves (one of whom is a Lucky Finn) that the posse from Posse Lake have been chasing up the Hustler River are hiding out?
Brigand Lake used to have one established campsite on its eastern shore. This is according to the 1980 edition of the Superior-Quetico Map Book published by W.A. Fisher Map Company. There are no maintained portages displayed on the map. This is interesting to have a maintained campsite on a lake that doesn't seem to have a regular portage. It could be that the creek connecting Brigand Lake to Contentment Lake was once considered navigable. Beaver activity in the area could have changed water levels. This is just a hypothesis.
Pageant Lake is a 60 rod bushwhack south of Brigand Lake and one could conceivably reach this lake from that direction too.
This area of the BWCA has escaped fire for a long time. The most recent fire was in 1755. That fire is known as the Big Moose, Oyster and Lac La Croix complex. Another fire affected the area in 1681.
Approach to Brigand Lake
Most will be "content" with the typical approach to Brigand Lake via Contentment Lake. Some motivated paddlers could also come in from Pageant Lake, but this involves a 60 rod bushwhack through dense forest without a creek to orient your travels like you would have coming from Contentment Lake.
Bushwhack to Brigand Lake
There is some information on trip reports that this bushwhack is not terribly difficult. The little creek connecting Brigand Lake to Contentment Lake is at least partially navigable while sitting down in your canoe. The entire distance is perhaps 40 rods.
Exploring Brigand Lake
From satellite images, Brigand Lake looks very nice; some rocky shoreline and totally surrounded by forest rather than peat bogs. There used to be a maintained campsite on the east side of the lake, probably on the rocky point according to the 1980 W.A. Fisher Superior-Quetico Map Book. There is not much other data on this quiet little lake.
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