From early November until April the canoe country is blanketed in snow and ice. The temperatures dip down frequently to twenty below and colder with wind chill. Hearty souls on cross country skiis, snowshoes and dog sleds venture into the wilderness areas for skiing, fishing and overnight camping trips.
April is a month of transition from winter into spring. The days become noticeably longer, the snow banks begin to disappear, and the lake ice begins its ice out phase. During the process of ice out, the ice goes through various shades of grey until it reaches its "black ice" stage. Once the ice hits the black stage it is nothing more than a huge mass of ice cubes. Canoeing through this mass resembles a paddle through a huge ice cream shake. The ice out process can take from two to five weeks depending on air temperatures and the amount of rain received. Ice out in the northwoods is typically completed the last week of April or the first week of May. Hypothermia is a very large concern during the first four to six weeks after ice out. April's temperatures can vary greatly. Day time temps can start in the twenties and go up into the sixties. Overnight temps can dip down to zero.
May is the month of renewal. The plants and trees begin budding out in leaf and flower. The animals and birds have had their young. Animals are more active, but caution should be used around mothers with young. Mothers, especially moose and bear, are very protective of their offspring -- give animals plenty of room when viewing or photographing them. May typically sees very few people until around Memorial Day. These groups are small and are mostly fishermen. Hypothermia is still a very real danger, so take caution when traveling. Don't go out in rough weather and make sure the canoe is well balanced after it's been loaded. Fishing for northern, walleye and lake trout is excellent throughout the month. Anticipate the blackfly hatch to occur around mid May. May's temperatures can vary from highs in the seventies to lows in the twenties. May tends to receive more rain.
June signals the longest days of summer. The forest's foligage is at its fullest. Wild strawberries are the berry of the month. A moderate number of visitors are coming to the wilderness areas. Most of the visitors are made up of families and groups of fisherman, with a few youth groups towards the end of the month. Lake trout fishing will be productive until mid June. Walleye, northern and smallmouth will be great throughout the month. The black flies taper off around the middle of the month. There will still be a few black flies present until the first frost of the season, however. The mosquitos hatch around mid June. Overnight temps for June will vary from 40 to the upper fifties. Day time temps will range from 50's to upper 70's.
July is the beginning of the dry, warm period. Rapsberries begin to appear the first two weeks of the month, while blueberries begin to produce during the last two weeks of July. The animals will tend to stay in the cool shade of the woods during the day and come out to the water's edge during the early morning and late evening hours. The first week of July is normally quiet with very few visitors. The next three weeks mark the beginning of the youth group period that remains consistant through the second week of August. Mosquitos taper off around mid July, but will linger if the north country has received unusually large amounts of rain in May and June. Northern and smallmouth will be the easiest fish to catch. Walleye are still obtainable if fishing in deeper waters. Daytime temps will vary from 60's to low 90's. The overnight temps range from 50's to 60's.
August starts off at the peak of the visitor season. By the third week in August the youth groups are heading back to school, and the typical visitor once again becomes the fisherman and small traveling groups. Animals become more active during the day late in the month. The blueberry crop is normally over by mid August and a few trees are beginning to change color. Walleye, northern and smallmouth fishing will still be productive, with lake trout fishing picking up in late August. The temperatures begin to cool off in late August with highs from the 50's to 70's. Plan on late August overnight temps in the 40's to 50's.
September marks the end of the canoeing season. The animals are more active during the day. The leaves change to the brilliant yellows, backed by the vaying greens of the pines and the splashes of orange, red and burgandy of the mountain maple and scrub oak. The peak leaf color is normally around the third to fourth week of September. Very few people visit the wilderness areas after Labor Day weekend. Hypothermia again becomes a concern. Walleye, northern, smallmouth and lake trout fishing are all productive during September. More rain and some snow is a possibility during the last two weeks of September (which are also the two most unpredictable weather weeks of the month). Daytime temps in mid to late September can vary from 40 to 60 degrees. Overnight from 30 to 40.
October is the northwoods transition month from fall to winter. Very few visitors are willing to risk the cold temperatures and unpredictable weather. Hypothermia is a high risk of canoe country travel during October. Walleye, northern, smallmouth and lake trout fishing are all good to excellent. Day time temperatures can vary from 30 to 60 degrees. Overnight temperatures can vary from mid teens to 40 degrees. There is a high risk of snow at any time during the month.
