Cold, Snow, Ice, and Untimely Death Mark Another BWCA Fishing Opener
Untimely Death Marks Another BWCA Fishing Opener
It snowed across most of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness during the 2026 Fishing Opener. Indeed, Saturday, May 9 was marked by cold, snow and lingering ice across most of the eastern side of the wilderness.
Nonetheless, the team from Paddle & Portage traveled into the BWCA once again for the fishing opener. Lake trout were caught. As were walleye. Despite numerous snow squalls, relentless gusts of wind, and cold temperatures, the trip was by all accounts a wonderful experience.
After departing the BWCA on the Monday after the fishing opener, we were informed that Scott Stahnke, 73, had passed away. Scott was the owner of Ugly Baby Bait and Boats on the Gunflint Trail. The day before the opener, we’d featured Scott in a P&P article.
Travel with us for all of this in this episode of the podcast, which is supported by Sawtooth Outfitters, Borderland Lodge, and Bending Branches Canoe & Kayak Paddles.
Gunflint Trail Coffee and BWCA Paddling with Bob from Loons Nest
Coffee and BWCA Paddling Stories From the Gunflint Trail
Bob Carlson is a co-owner of Loons Nest Coffee on the Gunflint Trail. He’s also a lifelong paddler in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Bob went on his first BWCA when he was 3-years-old.
These days, Bob is busy running Carlson Roasting Company and Loons Nest Coffee. He still enjoys paddling in the BWCA with his family. Chasing lake trout and walleye are part of the experience on a Carlson-family adventure, but it’s more about sharing a passion for the canoe country with the next generation of paddlers, as Bob shares in this video episode of the podcast.
Watch the video podcast with Bob Carlson here.
This episode was recorded at Canoecopia 2026 in Madison, Wisc.
Support for the episode comes from Canoecopia, Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center, and Friends of the Boundary Waters.
The Ties of a Hybrid Fish to the BWCA
Splake and the Trout Hatchery Tour Near Lanesboro
Many of the brook trout and splake that end up in lakes in and around the Boundary Waters come from fish hatcheries in southeastern Minnesota.
Joe from the P&P Podcast recently toured the Peterson State Fish Hatchery, which is managed by the Minnesota DNR. The hatchery is located near the Root River and the popular tourist town of Lanesboro.
Assistant Fisheries Supervisor Ryan Wierzba led us on the tour. Among other things, we discuss how splake are made and how they end up in the lakes in and around the BWCA.
What is a splake? It’s a lake trout and brook trout hybrid. And they’re damn tasty, many anglers agree.
This episode is supported by Sawbill Canoe Outfitters and Borderland Lodge.
Check out the video tour of the hatchery in the video below.
Forest Service Scant on Details of Ely ‘Research’ Facility Closing
Forest Service to Utah Update & Talking BWCA and Books with Duluth Writer
The federal government announced last week it is moving the headquarters for the U.S. Forest Service from Washington, D.C. to Salt Lake City.
As part of the move, the Forest Service says it will also close or repurpose all nine of its regional offices, create 15 state offices, and shutter research and development facilities in more than 30 states, including a site in Ely on the edge of the Boundary Waters.
The specifics on what “research and development facility” in Ely will be closing remains in question a week after the announcement came out. Paddle and Portage media spoke with officials from the Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps April 4, as it’s possible they are included in the situation, specifically a historic research lab they now manage in Ely via a lease with the Forest Service.
Learn more in this episode of the podcast.
Also featured in the episode is Duluth writer Alex Messenger. Alex talks about his new book, “The Ice on the Lake.” He also shares stories about search and rescue operations he’s been on in the Boundary Waters, as well as the time he was mauled by a grizzly bear in Canada.
This episode is sponsored by Voyageur Canoe Outfitters on the Gunflint Trail, and Bending Branches Canoe & Kayak Paddles.
The Miscalculations of Spring in the Boundary Waters
Bring on April in the Boundary Waters
April. The month that’s been known to send fear up the spine of the Paddle & Portage Podcast team.
Recent revelations about what April can offer for BWCA and Quetico adventures has the podcast duo rejuvenated this year. A surge of outdoor activity in late March played a role in this newfound understanding of late winter in the Boundary Waters, as is shared in this episode, which is sponsored by Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters, Loons Nest Coffee, Friends of the Boundary Waters, and Ely Outfitting Company.
Kevin Kinney: Behind the Wool and Canvas
Kevin Kinney: Behind the Wool and Fabric
Kevin Kinney, owner of Empire Wool and Canvas Company, celebrates the natural world. He does so without apologies. A direct, straightforward creator, Kevin is a generous creator of fabric, though he doesn’t need your approval to know his work is being done the right way. He knows it. And most everyone who has some of his product knows it too.
Kevin has built small batches of garments near Lake Superior and the Boundary Waters for more than 20 years. He runs his business the same way he always has: Old school. Customers order direct. No waitlists. Manufacturer to customer. No B.S.
In this episode of the podcast, we learn about the journey of Kevin Kinney.
This episode is sponsored by Bending Branches Canoe & Kayak Paddles and Borderland Lodge.
Duluth Author’s New Book Showcases BWCA and Canadian Barrens
Ryan Rodgers – Where the Green Light Shines
Minnesota author and frequent Paddle & Portage contributor Ryan Rodgers has a new book about paddling canoes. “Where the Green Light Shines” will be available in summer 2026.
The book takes readers from Minnesota’s Boundary Waters into the Canadian barrens, a region rarely seen by most BWCA paddlers. The book tells the pull this area had on one of Minnesota’s most accomplished paddlers, Bob O’Hara.
Rodgers recently met up with Joe Friedrichs on the shore of Lake Superior in Grand Marais to discuss the book and other topics relevant to the Boundary Waters.
This episode is sponsored by Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters and Ely Outfitting Company.
Solo Trip Across the Border Lakes – Mona’s Story
A Solo Trip Across the Border Lakes – Mona’s Story
Mona Gauthier completed a 200-mile solo trip last summer across the border lakes of the Boundary Waters. It was her first solo adventure after completing nearly 70 trips to the BWCA.
In a new episode of the Paddle and Portage Podcast we share Mona’s story, including the highs and lows of her first solo trip and how it intersects with decades of introducing others to wilderness paddling.
Mona, who first traveled to the BWCA in 1983, will be presenting this weekend (March 13-15) at Canoecopia. Be sure to catch her presentation on Saturday afternoon. And swing by the P&P booth and say hello if you’re at the expo this weekend!
This episode is sponsored by Loons Nest Coffee and Sawtooth Outfitters.
Special thanks to Mike Gauthier, Sue Sullivan, Paula & Fred Furlich, Lisa DeLaney, Joanie Ouellette, Ruthie Davis, and Kevin Kenow for supporting Mona’s trip and helping to make this episode possible.
Watch a video of Mona’s trip on YouTube channel.