Fourtown Lake

Fourtown Lake covers about 1,162 acres in the Kawishiwi district of the Boundary Waters, in Lake County northwest of Ely. Most parties reach it from Entry Point 23 on Mudro Lake, working through Sandpit, Tin Can Mike, and Horse Lakes before crossing onto Fourtown, where it serves as the open-water stretch on a loop that continues west through Boot and Fairy Lakes toward Gun Lake.

The lake stays shallow throughout, with a maximum depth of only 25 feet and roughly 93 percent of its area shallow enough to hold weeds, so this is warm, fertile water rather than the deep, cold lakes typical of the district. More than 24 miles of shoreline wrap around it, folding into enough bays and points that the lake feels broken up rather than open despite its size, with plenty of places to find shelter from wind.

Northern pike and cisco are the dominant fish here, with walleye and yellow perch filling out the rest of the population. Pike recruitment runs strong, with fish regularly topping 30 inches.

Sixteen campsites are spread around the lake, more than most water this size in the district, which gives groups plenty of room to find one even on a busy weekend. Motors aren't allowed.

Fourtown is shallow and weedy rather than the deep, rocky water more typical of the district, but its strong pike fishing and sixteen campsites make it a lake worth stopping on, not just crossing.