This Quetico canoe route loops through the southeast corner of Quetico Provincial Park. Bring your fishing gear and be prepared for excellent angling. Portage around beautiful Silver Falls and into Saganagons Lake.  If you choose, spend a day or two fishing Saganagons Lake many prosperous bays.  Continue your trip to Mack Lake which boasts excellent walleye and smallmouth fishing due to it’s remote location.  Wander along the Wawiag River and into Kawnipi Lake.  Kawnipi Lake has some of the most productive walleye and smallmouth fishing in the area.  Take as many days as you would like fishing the many bays of Kawnipi before following the beautiful Falls Chain back down to Cache Bay.  On the way home, a tow boat pick up at Hook Island can be arranged to save about 6 hours paddling across Saganaga Lake. (This trip requires a Remote Area Border Crossing Permit in addition to a Quetico Park permit and Ontario Fishing Licenses.  See our Quetico page for more information.)

Ontario Parks entry permit needed: #74 – Saganagons

Maps for this route – Fisher Maps – F 26 & F19 & F25 or McKenzie Maps – 25 & 38 & 6A & 26 & 37

(Route lines are an approximation and should not be used for navigation.)

Starting at Saganaga Lake, paddle or get a tow to American Point/Hook Island

• Continue paddling into Cache Bay – Stop at the ranger station pick up your permit and pay user fees
• Portage 130 rods around Silver Falls into Saganagons Lake – Silver Falls can be tricky when the water levels are high.  Be sure to ask for advice and current conditions in the office before starting your trip.
• Paddle into Bitchu Lake
• Portage 259 rods into Ross Lake – portage may be shorter depending on water levels in Ross Creek.
• Portage 246 rods into Cullen Lake
• Portage 46 rods into Munro Lake
• Portage 149 rods into Mack Lake
• Take a short portage into Mack Creek
• Turn off onto the Wawiag River
• Continue into Kawa Bay
• Paddle into the main part of Kawnipi Lake and into Atkins Bay
• Portage 4 rods around Kennebas Falls into Kenny Lake
• Portage 48 rods around Canyon Falls
• Portage 56 rods around Koko Falls
• Portage 32 rods around Little Falls – portage is on the east side, some maps are mislabled
• Portage 7 rods around Bald Rock Falls
• Portage 17 rods around rapids
• Portage 50 rods around rapids
• Paddle into Falls Chain heading up stream into Saganagons Lake
• Portage 75 rods over Dead Man’s Portage -or- skip this portage by paddling longer around the peninsula
• Portage 130 rods around Silver Falls into Cache Bay – Silver Falls can be tricky when the water levels are high.  Be sure to ask for advice and current conditions in the office before starting your trip.
• Stop for a tow boat pick up at Hook Island or paddle back to the Saganaga Lake landing for a pickup

Snapshots from this route