Saturday, March 27, 2010

DNR Announces Spring Fishing closures

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will temporarily close several fishing areas in Cook County during the beginning of the 2010 fishing season to protect concentrations of spawning walleye.

Closures on Minnesota-Ontario waters are made in cooperation with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and affect both sides of the border.

The following closures will take effect April 1:

· Sea Gull River from Sea Gull Lake through Gull Lake to Saganaga Lake approximately 1/3 mile north of the narrows, closed through May 28.
· Saganaga Falls on the Minnesota – Ontario border where the Granite River enters Saganaga lake - closed through May 31.
· Maligne River (also known as Northern Light Rapids) on the Ontario side of Saganaga Lake, closed through May 31.
· Channel between Little Gunflint and Little North lakes on the Minnesota-Ontario border, closed through May 31.
· Cross River (inlet to Gunflint Lake) from the Gunflint Trail to Gunflint Lake, closed though May 28.

Because of an anticipated early spring ice-out in 2010 (and early completion of walleye spawning activity), the following areas, which are normally closed to fishing for one or two weeks at the beginning of the fishing season, will not be closed this year:

· Tait River from White Pine Lake to the Forest Road 339 crossing - not closed in 2010.
· Junco Creek from the first log dam above County Road 57 downstream to Devil Track Lake, and including a portion of Devil Track Lake near the river mouth – not closed in 2010.

Closures apply to fishing only; travel is permitted through these areas. The closures are intended to protect concentrations of walleye that may be vulnerable to over-harvest. All closed areas will be posted.

For more information contact the DNR office in Grand Marais at 218-387-3056, or Steve Persons, Grand Marais Area fisheries supervisor, at steve.persons@state.mn.us.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Ice Update on Seagull

I will keep posting the ice updates as I get them from the forest service.


An ice update:
The ice on Seagull is starting to schism and the cracks are widening, but the cold weather last night and today sealed them up again. The ice is definitely moving though. If the weather warms up again and the winds stay up, we will start to see some serious movement and breaking up. We will be only crossing when we have to and I would recommend that no more vehicles of any kind (including snowmobiles) be on the ice.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

How to change a permit you ordered.

To get an overnight paddle permit either you or a cooperator have to reserve the permit on recreation.gov. We are more than happy to reserve your permit for you and we can also issue it at our lodge. Many people do like to order their own permits.

If you order your own permit, it automatically goes to the Gunflint Ranger Station to issue if you do not select another issue station. You can go back into your permit and select a cooperator as an issue station. So, if you ordered your own permit and would like us to issue it when you arrive to stay or get your canoes, go ahead and change the issue station to Cooperator: Clearwater Canoe Outfitters.

You cannot change your entry date or your entry point on your permit, but you can make several changes to your permit after you reserve it. You can...

1) change the issue station
2) change the exit date
3) change the exit point
4) change the number of watercraft
5) change the party size (changes in this category will adjust your credit card billing)

To make changes to your permit,

1) sign on to your account on recreation.gov
2) click 'see details' on your permit
3) click 'update reservation' in the upper right portion of the window
4) scroll down until you find the items you would like to change.
5) make and confirm your changes. Be sure to go to the bottom of the window and click the 'confirm changes' button. You will get a window that says 'Changes Complete'

If your entry point or entry date has to change, you will have to cancel your permit and reserve a new one.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Wolves

This is wolf mating season. A pack of wolves is usually around eight and their is a strict hierarchy in the pack. Only the dominant male and the dominant female will have puppies during the mating season.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

What is happening in the woods now

Phenology is a word that I really didn't learn until I moved to the lodge in Minnesota. It is the study of periodic plant and animal life cycle events and how these are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate.

To me this translates into 'what is happening in the woods now'.

I try to listen to WTIP from Grand Marais streaming on PC and they have been giving phenology reports regularly. These are the changes we see every day in the woods but probably a little more interesting when someone else explains them to you and the reasons that they happen.

Tree Wells: Tree wells are when the snow melts at the bottom of the trees. Any woody growth above ground absorbs heat from the sun, uses some of that heat and emits some of that heat. The well of water that forms at the bottom a tree is from the heat of given off by the tree melting the snow at the bottom.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Update on Clearwater lake

One of our Wilderness Rangers were out on Seagull, Sag and Clearwater this past weekend. From mid-trail and beyond there is very little snow on the ground and none on the lakes. The lakes do have 2 feet of ice as of Sunday March 13th. The lakes melt and get sloppy during the day but then they drain and dry up at night.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Tofte Road and Entry Point Update

From one of the Wilderness Rangers: Yesterday (Monday) I did a run of the Tofte Entry Points. I was able to drive all the way to Homer and Brule, though the road was soft in a few places. No snow on either of the lakes but the ice still looked good. Sawbill looked the same. Also got in to Kawishiwi and Hog Creek. Again, the road was soft but the ice looked good.