Other Information

Dates Open : May 1 to October 15

Lake or Area Name : Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA), Minnesota
Boat Safety Information :
       Pleasure Craft Operator Card

Boundary Waters permits reserved and issued. Live bait & tackle shop. Store for last minute items. BWCA & Quetico maps.
Fish - The Boundary Waters lakes are home to some of the best-tasting fish anywhere. The angler will find northern pike, walleye, smallmouth bass, lake trout, crappies, blue gills, and even rainbow and brook trout in some lakes.

Wildlife - The unofficial mascot of the Boundary Waters is the common loon, whose spooky laughter sends chills down your spine when heard in the still of the evening. You might also see bald eagles, great blue herons, and the Canadian jay. The Boundary Waters is home to a significant number of timber wolves, the last large packs in the lower 48 states. There are also moose, white-tailed deer, black bear, beaver, and fox.

Each of Voyageur North Outfitters guests has unique interests so every expedition we design is unique. You can call us toll-free at 1-800-848-5530 or 1-218-365-3251 and we'll talk about your expedition with you. You can also fill out our quick and easy online form. There's no obligation and it only takes a few minutes to reserve some dates and to make a sketch of your route.


We're John and Lynn O'Kane, your hosts at Voyageur North Outfitters. Twenty years ago we founded Voyageur North on a very simple principle: when you serve people well and give them good value, they come back. Outfitting is our only business. It's not a hobby or a sideline. It's what we do for a living. We're proud to be members of the Professional Paddlesport Association.

The call of the loon, a northern jumping, coffee perking on the campfire, the aroma of frying bacon, moonlight sparkling off the water. It's all here, waiting for you in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Quetico Provincial Park in northeastern Minnesota and southwestern Ontario. Voyageur North Outfitters is in Ely, the gateway to the Boundary Waters.

History - Every fall from about 1750 until the mid-1800s, the Voyageurs carried trade goods through the Boundary Waters as far as the Great Slave Lake in Canada's Northwest Territories. They spent the winter in the interior trading with the Native Americans. When the ice went out of the lakes and rivers, they returned with beaver and other pelts. In fact, the Voyageurs' route through the Boundary Waters defines the Canadian-U.S. border.

Geology - The lakes and landscape of the Boundary Waters were carved out of three billion-year old rock by glaciers that covered the area only a million years ago. If you look closely, you can find grooves in the rock left by the glaciers. The glaciers left behind rocky shorelines and clear lakes.