Big Moose Lake

Big Moose Lake covers 1,025 acres in the LaCroix district of the Boundary Waters, about 13 miles northwest of Ely in St. Louis County. It sits at the south end of the Moose River corridor, reached by paddling and portaging up the river's marshy, wild rice-lined channel from the west, with portages continuing north from the lake toward Duck and Cummings Lakes deeper in the wilderness.

Where the river corridor is tight and shallow, Big Moose Lake opens up, lined with rock ledges instead of marsh. Its shoreline runs almost 10 miles for barely 1,000 acres of water, enough points and bays that an open crossing rarely runs long before you can duck out of the wind. It's shallow for its size too, no deeper than 23 feet, and nearly the whole lake stays fishable from top to bottom. The water runs a bit stained rather than clear, with visibility around 7 to 8 feet, and the lake bed stays mostly open rock and sediment: watershield is the most common plant, but it only grows out to about four feet.

Smallmouth bass define the fishery now, abundant with good reproduction, and the lake has built a strong reputation for bass fishing. Walleye, introduced decades ago, are also part of the mix, while northern pike and yellow perch have grown scarce.

Five campsites are spread around the lake, giving groups room to find one without crowding each other.

Big Moose Lake suits paddlers after a short, approachable trip: a shallow, rock-ledged lake with a real smallmouth bass fishery, easier to reach than its position well into the LaCroix district might suggest.