June 3 – 7, 2021
We have boated over to IRNP 4 or 5 times in our Lund Tyee fishing boat so we are familiar with Mother Nature interfering with our plans. This trip was no exception.
We drove up to Grand Portage, MN and launched the boat at the Casino marina. This is the first time that I didn’t feel sick to my stomach with nerves when launching her. That calmness would soon change, however.
Winds were out of the southwest and didn’t seem to be an issue in the bay at Grand Portage. We could see white caps out in the big lake but still thought they looked manageable. Once we were out in the main lake, we quickly changed our minds. The waves were hitting us beam on causing us to rock from side to side. It was very uncomfortable and would make for a long ride so we turned back. We were able to secure a slip at the marina where things were nice and calm. We enjoyed a nice prime rib dinner in the Casino dining room and retired early so we could get an early start in the morning.
We awoke early Friday morning to calm winds but fog was visible out on the lake. After a quick cup of coffee we were underway. The weather forecast called for patchy fog so we thought we would probably drive out of it once we got away from shore a ways. We were wrong!
We kept a steady speed of 8mph across the lake in calm seas. Visibility was approximately 50 yards so we checked our radar often. Ten miles from shore we suddenly had a radar signature off our starboard bow that looked to be a small boat that was very close to our position. Mary backed the throttle down to maintain minimum steerage and Mike went outside to see if he could spot something. We couldn’t see them but could hear a flock of geese on the water off our starboard bow.
The fog lasted for another 9 miles or so before it lifted as we neared the island. The skies were sunny and the seas calm which made for a leisurely cruise up the west side of the island towards McCargoe Cove.
It turned out to be a beautiful day as we cruised into McCargoe cove towards our destination of Birch Island and Brady Cove. Brady Cove is where we’ve caught some of our biggest Northern Pike at 40+ inches. We anchored in the middle of the cove and relaxed with our binoculars, hoping to spot a moose. It didn’t take long and we spotted a young bull moose along the shoreline. He was completely submerging himself to reach vegetation growing at the bottom of the cove. He feed along the shore and eventually disappeared behind an island.
We pulled the anchor and decided to head up to the end of McCargoe cove where there is a dock the ferry uses to drop off hikers. The place looked deserted except for a lone kayak laying on the shore. The kayak would eventually paddle past us while we were docked at Birch Island.
Birch Island has a small but sturdy dock and a single camping shelter and latrine. It’s been one of our favorite stops while visiting the Park.
In the evening we unpacked our dinghy and inflated it for it’s maiden cruise. We had not tried the dinghy since purchasing it last fall. We headed into Brady Cove so Mary could try her hand at fishing for pike. We use an electric motor and two separate lithium batteries for the dinghy so we always have a backup battery aboard. Luckily we had a backup because the first battery quit working a short time after leaving the dock. Not knowing if we had a battery or motor issue we cut our trip short. The few casts Mary made didn’t produce an fishing. Next time we’ll remember to bring our spinner baits.
The next day we headed north to Pickerel Cove to try some fishing, We’ve had good luck in early July for Pike and Lake Trout while casting and trolling and wanted to see if early June would offer a different experience. The cruise up the lake was relaxing and the ride comfortable with clear skies and light winds, We spotted Canadian Geese, Hooded Mergansers, and Bald Eagles along the way.
Pickerel Cove has a shallow rocky entrance with depths of 4 – 6 feet so we navigated slowly into the cove. The water deepened into the 30+ foot rang as the cove widened. Near the end of the cove we marked lots of fish in 35 feet of water and made a few passes trolling a variety of lures at a variety of depths with no luck.
On our way out of the cove we stopped to make a few casts where a small creek enters the cove from an inland lake. As the inland lake warms in the summer we’ve found pike staged at the mouth of the creek. Today there were no pike to be had so we headed north out of the cove and towards Lane Cove.
The north side of the island was getting fogged in and Mike wasn’t feeling well so we settled into a leisurely cruise back to Grand Portage while the weather was favorable. As Mary was driving, another larger signature showed up on the radar. Thinking it might be a small island, she steered to go around it. Straining to see what it was through the fog, she finally spotted it. It was the ferry from Grand Portage looking like a ghost ship in the fog. Spooky!
Mike and Mary Adventures 