Lake One

Lake One covers about 846 acres in the Kawishiwi district and is the first lake in the well known Numbered Lakes chain, running east into Lake Two, Lake Three, and Lake Four. It's reached directly from its own entry point, one of the more heavily used corridors in the wilderness, so plenty of groups pass through here at the start or end of a trip.

The lake runs long and irregular, broken into bays, points, and a scatter of islands rather than one open sweep of water, with the Kawishiwi River flowing through and dropping over a short rapids at the outlet. It reaches 57 feet at its deepest point, though the bottom mostly runs boulder rather than sand, and only about half the lake is shallow enough to hold much vegetation.

Northern pike are the most reliable catch here, holding in good numbers though running a moderate size rather than trophy length. Walleye are present too, worth working along the drop-offs, and cisco and lake whitefish use the cooler water, though the deep basin doesn't stay oxygenated enough through summer to hold a strong cold-water population. Bluegill and rock bass fill out the shallower bays.

Thirteen campsites ring the lake, spread around enough of its bays and islands that finding an open one rarely means backtracking through the busier water near the landing.

Lake One suits paddlers starting or finishing a trip through the Numbered Lakes chain more than a destination in its own right, a well traveled first lake rather than a quiet one.