490 
FOREST AND STREAM 
August, 1918 
O NCE the dam has been passed and 
Squirrel lake reached, the canoeist 
will enter upon the most interesting 
stage of his trip. Squirrel lake is a rather 
large body of water, as Wisconsin lakes 
run, being about 3 miles long and 1/2 miles 
wide. Its shores are well timbered and 
beautiful camping sites are abundant every¬ 
where. If he so desires the traveler may 
profitably spend a day in camp on this 
lake. The fishing here is very good. The 
south end of the lake will generally yield 
good catches of bass, while other game 
fish may be caught almost anywhere. Large 
muskies are also taken in this water. 
Diamond lake, connected with Squirrel 
lake by a short, narrow stream, is the next 
body of water on the route. This is a 
small, shallow, weedy lake and generally 
harbors many large mouth bass. Its shores 
are marshy in places, but camping places 
may easily be found. The canoeist will 
have no difficulty finding the connection 
leading to this lake if he but follows up 
the west shore of Squirrel lake. The small 
stream from Diamond lake is the only one 
entering the larger lake up to this point. 
From Diamond lake the canoeist must 
make his first portage to reach the next 
body of water on the route—Booth lake. 
This trail may easily be found by follow¬ 
ing up the right shore from the entrance 
into the lake. Two small, detached pine 
trees on the lake shore mark the commence¬ 
ment of the carry. From Diamond lake 
this trail leads north over a ridge for about 
one-fourth mile. 
Booth lake is a beautiful little sheet of 
water lying in the midst of well-wooded 
country. One of the resorts on Squirrel 
lake keep boats here for the convenience 
of guests. The bass fishing is good at 
times. From this lake another portage is 
necessary to reach Buckskin. This is the 
most difficult carry on the trip and if 
Booth lake is reached late in the afternoon 
the canoeist will do well to go into camp 
for the night and not attempt this carry 
until the following morning. 
Some maps show a stream connecting the 
head of Squirrel lake with Booth lake, 
but it is impassable to anything not pos¬ 
sessing gills and fins. 
As mentioned above the voyager will 
meet the most difficult lap of the cruise 
on the carry between Booth and Buckskin 
lakes. The trail starts in a bay well up 
toward the head of the lake on the west¬ 
ern shore. A small clearing exists at this 
point. The trail then leads through 
the woods, after which it enters a cran¬ 
berry bog and passes through it for about 
a quarter-mile. It then turns to the left, 
climbs a ridge, turns to the right, and con¬ 
tinues along this, through a large clearing, 
to Buckskin lake. The stretch through the 
bog is the only difficult part of this carry. 
Due to the fact that one sinks to the knees 
in the soft going the work of getting 
through the canoe and pack sacks is ex¬ 
hausting. The trail is faint along the ridge 
and through the clearing, but with care can 
be followed without great difficulty. 
B uckskin lake is, in my estimation, 
one of the most beautiful of all of 
, the lakes through which the route 
passes. It lies in a virgin wilderness and 
nowhere is there any sign of man. At the 
south end are a number of very pretty, 
pine-covered islands which afford excellent 
camp sites. The bass fishing is especially 
good in this lake. 
The portage from Buckskin to Clear is 
not easily found. It commences on the 
western shore near the south end of the 
lake and but a short distance above the 
mouth of the creek. For some years a pole 
in the lake marked its commencement. 
The portage leads up a short, steep hill 
for a distance of about one hundred yards, 
after which it turns to the south. Don’t 
follow it after it turns in this direction, 
for it but leads to an Indian sugar camp 
situated about one-half mile away. Rather 
strike due west and keep going until Clear 
lake comes in sight. 
The charm of unknown waterways 
Clear lake well deserves its name, and 
it is a very pretty body of water. Good 
bass fishing is to be had in this lake. 
From the west shores of Clear lake com¬ 
mences the last and the longest portage of 
the trip. Should this lake be reached late 
in the afternoon it would be the part of 
wisdom not to commence the carry until 
the following morning. However, the trail 
is well defined and kept and the going 
is good. The carry is about one and one- 
half miles in length. 
Some of the railroad maps of this sec¬ 
tion of the country show a long lake as 
being located between Clear lake and 
Squaw lake. This is incorrect; no such 
lake exists, so do not spend time search¬ 
ing for it. 
Once Squaw lake has been reached the 
remainder of the cruise is easy and pleas¬ 
ant. Squaw lake is the head water of the 
south fork of the Flambeau river, and is 
noted for the big muskies that are caught 
in it. In fact all waters drained by the 
Flambeau and its branches contain mus- 
callonge. The waters of Squaw lake, 
Squaw river, Round lake, Pike lake and 
the south fork appear of a copper hue 
when viewed from a boat. However, it is 
clear enough when dipped up. The fish in 
these waters, especially the muskies, are 
characteristic in that they are much darker 
colored than those taken from the waters 
drained by the Tomahawk. 
The source of the Squaw river lies in a 
deep, narrow bay located directly west of 
the terminus of the trail leading from 
Clear lake or, in other words, directly west 
of Cedar Lodge Resort. Some maps show 
the source of the river at the extreme 
north end of the lake, but this is not cor¬ 
rect. The river is fairly wide and deep, 
and with the exception of the dam at 
Squaw lake and a few riffles below it there 
are no obstructions. The fishing in this 
river is very good. The current is slug¬ 
gish and the banks high and well timbered. 
Three hours of paddling from Squaw 
lake should bring one to Pike lake. This 
latter body of w T ater, as well as Round 
lake to which it is connected by a short 
thoroughfare, are noted muscallonge wa¬ 
ters and many of these big fish are caught 
here each year. Should one wish to try 
for these gamey monsters these lakes are 
well worth fishing. 
The entrance to the thoroughfare leading 
from Pike lake to Round lake may be 
easily distinguished when one is at the 
mouth of the Squaw. A white house on 
the west shore of Pike lake marks the 
spot to head for. This house stands at the 
entrance of the thoroughfare. An hour’s 
paddle from the mouth of the Squaw river 
should bring one to a resort on Round 
lake but a short distance south of the 
source of the south fork of the Flambeau. 
Should one leave Squaw lake early in the 
morning this resort will be reached in time 
for the mid-day meal. As is shown on the 
map, a number of other lakes may be con¬ 
veniently reached from Pike lake and 
Round lake should one desire to make 
some easy and interesting side trips. 
T HE source of the south fork lies 
around a point about midway of the 
western shore of Round lake. A 
dam is located here. This may be passed 
through in the canoe if the gates are 
opened high enough. 
The south fork of the Flambeau is a 
stream to delight the canoeist’s heart. Its 
banks, in the main, are well timbered and 
the current is fairly rapid. Good camping 
places may be found everywhere, and the 
fishing is very good. White water is fairly 
abundant, but most of the rapids may be 
negotiated safely by the man who has had 
some experience in this work. However, 
I would caution the novice to be careful in 
these stretches of fast water. Do not take 
chances, for an upset will not only mean 
the loss of a large part of the outfit, but 
may be the means of a serious accident. 
Beach the canoe and look over each stretch 
of fast water when you come to it. If it 
appears to be beyond your capabilities to 
(continued on page 492) 
