Fawcett Lake to Orloff Lake Canoe Trip

Tipperary · #1 08-01-2012, 11:41 AM

If the title doesn't say it all, I'm planning to take a canoe trip from Fawcett Lake to Orloff Lake. I don't even know if it's possible.... The reason I'm posting here is I'm hoping that if anyone is familiar with the area and the water levels, they will provide some advice.

The route I'm planning on taking is entering Fawcett Lake, and following the little stream that enters it on the east side in the basin portion of the lake. I plan on paddling east up the stream (hopefully there's enough water to carry a canoe), until I enter the unnamed lake 15 km to the east (as the crow flies). From there, I should have no problem being able to continue to the east side of that connected "lake" system, and then continuing east through another stream until I hit Orloff.

I will be travelling with at least one other person, and taking all the precautions necessary for being out 20 km's into an area pretty much only accessible by foot.

If anyone has some info on the area and if there will be enough water to float on, please share your advice!!! I won't mind a short portage but I don't want to hike 10 km through bush carrying a canoe.

This is posted in the fishing section because fishing will be the main purpose of the trip. If I can't make it up the stream I will hang out at Fawcett Lake to try to catch some walleyes.

pickrel pat · #2 08-01-2012, 01:28 PM

never done it, never been, but I would bet atleast 50 portages due to beaver dams alone..........

chuck0039 · #3 08-01-2012, 02:06 PM

I have tried with friends in the winter with snow machines. Lots of Beaver damms to contend with. we always end up exiting the river onto an ice bridge the gas company puches over the river just west of where the pipline crosses on your map.

I know in past summers and falls we have crossed the Mink River with quads where some of the cutlines cross and the water hardly makes it half way up on the tires on bed rock (some areas are deeper then the quad is tall). This year the water in the lake is low so I can't imagine the water in the river has gone up any.

If you do decide to go take lots of pictures, that would be a beautiful journey in the summer!

Tipperary · #4 08-01-2012, 02:25 PM

Thanks for the replies! I love that area, the countryside is unbeatable. Unfortunately I live near Edmonton so the drive makes it more of a rare journey.

At the end of the day if the work gets too hard (beaverdams, shallow water, etc) we can turn around and play in Fawcett Lake.

Chuck, is Mink River the one that I have highlighted for the trip, or another location?

chuck0039 · #5 08-01-2012, 03:50 PM

Yes

blackburbot · #6 08-01-2012, 06:33 PM

I havent boated it this year. too low if water may long weekend. Just was up there yesterday and the lake is fairly high. Had about 6 inches of rain in the last week. Normally run it with a jet boat and doing 35km/hr. The farthest that we made it is about a third to half way judging by gps positions and that takes about one hour or so. So even though it looks close it will be about 70-90km of river distance. Usually the water flows fairly slow into fawcett lake, it is still going to be about 2-4km/hr current. Typically the river is about 2-3feet deep with deeper spots scattered throughout. It would be a nice paddle/journey. but you would be better off just putting in at Orloff. Or try putting in at the weir on Slave lake floating down to Smith or putting in on the weir at the west end of Fawcett and going down to to Smith

prodogg02 · #7 08-01-2012, 08:02 PM

i was there on sunday.idk if i would go near the athabasca in a canoe or boat it was realy high and flowing fast there was a huge log pile on the bridge to .i have fishd fawcett my whole life an always wonderd what that trip would be like if u got a quad try peter or paul lake.
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Cal · #8 08-01-2012, 08:31 PM

How does that creek compares to the outflow river? I've canoed the outflow (maps usualy call it Fawcet River, locals call it Moose river) to Smith. At normal levels getting a canoe down the outflow is possible but tricky. At high levels its a pretty good trip but there can be lots of timber to fight with. Not sure if that is any help. If you do it let me know how it goes, very interested.

davegrant · #9 08-02-2012, 12:16 AM

Another great canoe trip in the area is to canoe(easy no rapids) down Pembina River from Flatbush Bridge to mouth where enters Athabasca river. Takes about 4 hours with numerous fishing holes along the way. Big fish in there at mouth personally have seen a 28 pound pike, 9.5lb burbot and a 12 lb walleye pulled out over the years . Athabina road on Google Maps.

Tipperary · #10 08-02-2012, 05:30 PM

Some great points raised by all! Pretty difficult to make it upstream even if I took a 3 day trip. Downstream would be possible, but I'd have to convince someone to drop us off at Orloff then pick us up. The other concern is no communications (I can't expect cellphones to work around there), so if the creek isn't passable, the driver would have no idea that we had to turn around.

I might just have to do a fishing/hunting trip there and save the canoe trip for when I get a little more experience with it and have more time in the area.

I will explore the mouth of the inlet into Fawcett and take some pictures, probably early September, so that I will know for the future at least. Thanks for the help everyone!