Lapond Lake

Making Connections

  • Portage North, 160 rods, to Big Lake
  • Portage Northwest, 10 rods, down the Portage River
  • Paddle South, up the Portage River, to Big Rice

Maps

  • Fisher F-9, Cummings, Big Moose, Fourtown Lakes
  • McKenzie No. 16, Burntside Lake

Links

  • DNR Lake No. 690177
  • Lake Map No. C0819
  • Lake Table No. 1
  • MDH Fish Consumption Advisory - N/A
  • MPCA Water Quality - N/A
 Lapond Lake
Scale 1:21420
Full image approximately 2 miles square

Description

Lapond is a rather small and extremely shallow lake on the Portage River, 25¾ miles southeast of Crane Lake and 13½ miles northwest of Ely. Something of a rounded triangle in form, with roughly ¾ mile of shoreline to a side, Lapond is barely 3' deep. It sits amid boggy lowlands with the Portage River entering at its southern tip and exiting from the northwest corner. A 10 rod portage bypasses the section of the Portage River just below the lake in an up-and-over carry with a 13' crest. Off the northern shore of Lapond, a 160 rod (½ mile) portage connects with the south end of Big Lake. Starting off with a relatively level carry across the soggy margins of the lake, the trail climbs some 27' over a height of land before dropping back to the shores of Big, just outside the BWCAW.

With the exception of a portion of the northern shore of Civil War vintage (1863-64), the forests which ring Lapond date from the relatively recent burn of 1894. The Independence Day windstorms of 1999 did not significantly affect the Lapond area.

Campsites

Lapond supports a single established campsite, along its eastern shore.

Planning Considerations

Lapond sits on the Big Lake/Burntside route, which crosses this portion of the BWCAW north/south and border-to-border, running through Big, Lapond, Big Rice, Hook, Rice, and Slim, to Burntside. It also has connection, by way of the Portage River and Big Moose, with Cummings and the many route options which radiate from that big lake.

Lapond is included in Beymer, The Boundary Waters Canoe Area, vol. 1, The Western Region, routes 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 21.

Wildlife

The shallow waters and boggy margins of Lapond should be good for moose, not so good for fish.

Notes and Comments

If you camp at Lapond, plan on filtering your water. It's likely to be a protein-rich soup for much of the season.

 

Line of Spruce Trees

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Last updated on 11 April, 2004