- 5–7 days
- Duration
- Moderate
- Difficulty
- 29 mi
- Total distance
- 26 mi
- Paddling
- 22
- Portages · 1,048 rods
About this route
The Brant to Saganaga Explorer is a scenic point-to-point route through the eastern Boundary Waters that connects quiet interior lakes with the expansive border waters of Saganaga Lake. Beginning at Entry Point 52 (Brant Lake), the route winds through a chain of interconnected lakes before emerging onto two of the area's largest and most iconic lakes.
After leaving Brant Lake, paddlers travel through a series of smaller wilderness lakes, including Gillis, French, Peter, Virgin, West Fern, and Powell, where forested shorelines and peaceful surroundings offer a classic Boundary Waters experience. The route then opens onto Seagull Lake, a large, island-filled lake known for its dramatic scenery and excellent paddling opportunities, before finishing on the vast waters of Saganaga Lake at Entry Point 55.
This route provides an excellent blend of secluded interior travel and open-water paddling. Campsites are available throughout the journey, allowing for flexible daily distances while offering opportunities to fish, photograph wildlife, and enjoy the wilderness.
Route Highlights:
Point-to-point journey across the eastern Boundary Waters. Travel through a chain of quiet interior lakes. Paddle the island-filled waters of Seagull Lake. Finish on the expansive border waters of Saganaga Lake. Excellent opportunities for fishing, wildlife viewing, and backcountry camping.
The portages
22 carries, 1,048 rods total.
| Portage | Rods | Climb |
|---|---|---|
| Agamok Lake → Mueller Lake difficult | 114 | +10 ft |
| Mueller Lake → Ogishkemuncie Lake difficult | 107 | +95 ft |
| Alpine Lake → Sea Gull Lake difficult | 101 | +53 ft |
| Brant Lake → Gotter Lake moderate | 88 | +30 ft |
| Round Lake → West Round Lake moderate | 77 | +36 ft |
| Virgin Lake → Little Saganaga Lake moderate | 77 | +40 ft |
| Flying Lake → Green Lake moderate | 73 | +118 ft |
| West Round Lake → Edith Lake moderate | 47 | +10 ft |
| Jasper Lake → Alpine Lake moderate | 38 | +0 ft |
| West Fern Lake → Virgin Lake moderate | 37 | +0 ft |
| French Lake → Powell Lake moderate | 35 | +23 ft |
| Ogishkemuncie Lake → Kingfisher Lake moderate | 34 | +3 ft |
| Edith Lake → Brant Lake moderate | 33 | +0 ft |
| Kingfisher Lake → Jasper Lake easy | 30 | +10 ft |
| Little Saganaga Lake → Rattle Lake easy | 26 | +0 ft |
| Bat Lake → Gillis Lake easy | 24 | +29 ft |
| Gillis Lake → French Lake easy | 23 | +0 ft |
| Rattle Lake → Gabimichigami Lake easy | 21 | +0 ft |
| Green Lake → Bat Lake easy | 18 | +40 ft |
| Gabimichigami Lake → Agamok Lake easy | 18 | +0 ft |
| Powell Lake → West Fern Lake easy | 14 | +0 ft |
| Gotter Lake → Flying Lake easy | 13 | +6 ft |
Lakes on this route
23 lakes, 141 campsites between them. Fish species recorded by the Minnesota DNR.
| Lake | Depth | Size | Campsites | Fish species |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round Lake (2) | 45 ft | 154 ac | — | northern pikesmallmouth basswalleyewhite suckeryellow perch |
| West Round Lake | 20 ft | 11 ac | — | — |
| Edith Lake | 44 ft | 10 ac | — | — |
| Brant Lake | 80 ft | 111 ac | 3 | — |
| Gotter Lake | — | 11 ac | — | — |
| Flying Lake | — | 37 ac | — | — |
| Green Lake (2) | 75 ft | 40 ac | — | — |
| Bat Lake (2) | 110 ft | 83 ac | 3 | — |
| Gillis Lake | 180 ft | 616 ac | 7 | burbotlake troutwhite suckeryellow perch |
| French Lake | 130 ft | 121 ac | 2 | — |
| Powell Lake | 75 ft | 51 ac | 2 | — |
| West Fern Lake | 60 ft | 82 ac | 2 | — |
| Virgin Lake | 40 ft | 58 ac | 1 | — |
| Little Saganaga Lake | 150 ft | 1,627 ac | 24 | burbotlake troutnorthern pikewhite suckeryellow perch |
| Rattle Lake | 30 ft | 43 ac | — | northern pikewhite suckeryellow perch |
| Gabimichigami Lake | 209 ft | 1,186 ac | 9 | — |
| Agamok Lake | — | 107 ac | 4 | — |
| Mueller Lake | 36 ft | 24 ac | 3 | northern pikewhite suckeryellow perch |
| Ogishkemuncie Lake | 75 ft | 762 ac | 12 | lake troutlake whitefishnorthern pikewalleyewhite sucker |
| Kingfisher Lake | 42 ft | 37 ac | — | — |
| Jasper Lake (3) | 125 ft | 246 ac | 7 | — |
| Alpine Lake | 65 ft | 909 ac | 21 | — |
| Sea Gull Lake | 145 ft | 3,958 ac | 41 | black crappieburbotcisco speciesgreen sunfishlake troutlake whitefishnorthern pikesmallmouth basswalleyewhite sucker |
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