Alder Lake

Alder Lake sits in the Gunflint district of Cook County, a few portages back from East Bearskin Lake and the town of Grand Marais. Three portages reach it: short, easy carries off Pierz Lake and Canoe Lake (2), and a longer, moderate 52-rod carry from East Bearskin itself, work enough to keep the lake quieter than the motorized water it borders. Crocodile River is the closest entry point in; East Bearskin Lake and Clearwater Lake also lead here, giving paddlers a few different ways to reach it.

At 529 acres, the lake isn't large, but it runs deep. Only about a quarter of it is shallow enough to fish from the surface down; the rest drops to a maximum of 72 feet, cold enough to hold fish through summer.

That depth makes Alder Lake a lake trout lake. Stocking stopped in 1984, and the population has held on through natural reproduction ever since. Walleye do the same, sustaining themselves naturally since stocking ended in 1970, and turn up in fair numbers most years. Smallmouth bass are here too, probably in better numbers than net surveys show, while northern pike stay sparse, typical of a lake built around cold, deep water instead of weedy shallows.

Seven campsites are spread around the lake, enough room to find one without competing for it.

Alder Lake suits paddlers after a lake trout trip rather than a quick stop between bigger water, its depth and self-sustaining fishery setting it apart from the more heavily fished lakes closer to the Gunflint Trail.