- 3β5 days
- Duration
- Moderate
- Difficulty
- 20 mi
- Total distance
- 17 mi
- Paddling
- 17
- Portages Β· 962 rods
About this route
Mudro to Gun Lake Loop
Overview
The Mudro to Gun Lake Loop begins and ends at Entry Point 23 on Mudro Lake, a put-in reached by its own short portage from the parking area. From there the route works north and east through Sandpit, Tin Can Mike, and Horse Lakes before turning onto Fourtown Lake, then threads west through Boot and Fairy Lakes to reach Gun Lake, the loop's turnaround, before retracing the same corridor back to Mudro.
The lakes along the way are a mix of small, forested interior water and the more open crossing on Fourtown Lake, joined by a run of short-to-moderate portages with one longer carry between Sandpit and Tin Can Mike Lakes standing out from the rest. Gun Lake sits at the far end of a longer travel corridor that continues on toward Thunder and Iron Lakes for parties going further, but it's a real stopping point in its own right, with its own campsites rather than just a waypoint passed through.
This is a trip suited to groups comfortable with a steady rhythm of paddling and portaging rather than long stretches of open water. The portage count adds up over a multi-day trip even though no single carry beyond the Sandpit crossing demands much technical skill, and the spread of lakes along the loop leaves room to set a daily pace that fits the group.
Route Highlights
- A loop that crosses both Fourtown Lake's open water and the tighter chain of small lakes between Boot and Gun
- The longest carry of the trip, between Sandpit and Tin Can Mike Lakes
- Gun Lake as a real destination in its own right, not just a junction on the longer corridor toward Thunder and Iron Lakes
Updated September 9, 2026
Suggested itinerary
3 days at a steady pace.
Mudro Lake β Horse Lake
Portage off Mudro and work through Sandpit and Tin Can Mike, crossing the trip's longest carry before reaching Horse Lake for camp.
Horse Lake β Gun Lake
Cross onto Fourtown Lake's open water, then thread west through Boot and Fairy Lakes to reach Gun Lake for a second night.
Gun Lake β Mudro Lake
Retrace the route back through Fairy, Boot, and Fourtown, then close the loop through Tin Can Mike and Sandpit to the Entry Point 23 landing.
The portages
17 carries, 962 rods total.
| Portage | Rods | Climb |
|---|---|---|
| Sandpit Lake β Tin Can Mike Lake difficult | 184 | +89 ft |
| Fourtown Lake β Mudro Lakecarry 2 of 3 moderate | 117 | β |
| Mudro Lake β Sandpit Lake moderate | 98 | +102 ft |
| Tin Can Mike Lake β Horse Lake moderate | 88 | +45 ft |
| Horse Lake β Fourtown Lakecarry 1 of 3 moderate | 80 | +46 ft |
| Fairy Lake β Gun Lake moderate | 60 | +10 ft |
| Gun Lake β Fairy Lake moderate | 60 | +4 ft |
| Fourtown Lake β Boot Lake moderate | 48 | +26 ft |
| Boot Lake β Fourtown Lake moderate | 48 | +30 ft |
| Mudro Lake portage moderate | 37 | β |
| Mudro Lake portage moderate | 37 | β |
| Fourtown Lake β Mudro Lakecarry 3 of 3 moderate | 29 | +49 ft |
| Boot Lake β Fairy Lake easy | 21 | +0 ft |
| Fairy Lake β Boot Lake easy | 21 | +29 ft |
| Fourtown Lake β Mudro Lakecarry 1 of 3 easy | 20 | +43 ft |
| Horse Lake β Fourtown Lakecarry 2 of 3 easy | 11 | β |
| Horse Lake β Fourtown Lakecarry 3 of 3 moderate | 3 | +0 ft |
Lakes on this route
8 lakes, 40 campsites between them. Fish species recorded by the Minnesota DNR.
| Lake | Depth | Size | Campsites | Fish species |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mudro Lake | 76 ft | 94 ac | 1 | burbotcisco speciesnorthern pikesmallmouth basstullibee (cisco)walleyewhite sucker |
| Sandpit Lake | 53 ft | 61 ac | 1 | bluegillnorthern pikerock basssmallmouth basswalleyewhite suckeryellow perch |
| Tin Can Mike Lake | 29 ft | 145 ac | 3 | bluegilllargemouth bassnorthern pikerock basswalleyeyellow perch |
| Horse Lake | 25 ft | 715 ac | 7 | β |
| Fourtown Lake | 25 ft | 1,162 ac | 16 | β |
| Boot Lake | 27 ft | 323 ac | 5 | β |
| Fairy Lake | 19 ft | 109 ac | 2 | β |
| Gun Lake (2) | 57 ft | 341 ac | 5 | β |
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