Chub River
» Display Chub River Map
» Display scrollable USGS Topo Map of Chub River
» Show Simple Chub River Map
Nearest Entry Point: Brant Lake #52 Fishing: Unknown
Maps: Fisher F-12; McKenzie #7 River Depth: About 5 feet
Fire History: 2006 Cavity Lake Fire
River Length: From its source at Bingshick Lake to its mouth at French Lake, the Chub River is about 3.1 miles long.
Campsites: None Wildlife Seen on Visit: Turkey Vulture, Loons (in Seahorse Lake)
Last Visited: June 14, 2020 River Elevation: Headwaters at Bingshick Lake at 1735 feet. Mouth at French Lake at 1659 feet. Average of about 25 feet per mile of elevation loss.
Water Clarity: N/A

ROUTES/PORTAGES FROM THE CHUB RIVER:
To Bingshick Lake: Walk the 13 rod portage
To Fay Lake (east end of lake): Walk the approximately 40 rod portage
To Fay Lake (west end of lake): Walk the 45 rod portage
To Flying Lake (north end of lake): Walk the 15 rod portage
To French Lake (north end of lake) - this is also the Seahorse Lake portage: Walk the 25 rod portage
To Seahorse Lake (east end of lake): Paddle In
To Warclub Lake (west end of lake): Walk the 15 rod portage
Access to: Kekekabic Trail

Chub River

Gunflint Ranger District

Most of the Chub River is slow moving, but it is punctuated in several spots by short rapids that are avoided by portaging. As a rule, the portages along the Chub River are rugged (one is about as bad a portage as you will find in the BWCA). Nearly the entire course of the Chub River experienced the effects of the 2006 Cavity Lake Fire.

The Chub River officially starts at Bingshick Lake, but also gets some of its headwaters from a creek flowing in from Flying Lake. The river than flows through three other lakes: Fay Lake, Warclub Lake and Seahorse Lake. None of these lakes have much fishing potential. The Chub River ends at French Lake, after it cascades down a series of steep rapids that parallels the French Lake to Seahorse Lake portage.

The Kekekabic Trail crosses the Chub River in two places. The upstream location is between Warclub Lake and Fay Lake, where it follows the portage trail for a good part of its length. Be careful to stay on the portage and not head off onto the "Kek" where they intersect. The second crossing farther downriver is between Seahorse Lake and Warclub Lake. The trail follows the river on one side or the other along most of the Chub River's course.

References:
Beymer, Robert, Boundary Waters Canoe Area – Volume 2 – Eastern Region (Berkeley: Wilderness Press, 2006), 156, 158.

Traveling the Chub River (Upstream)

Click on the photos below to see the full resolution image - Use your browsers back button to close photo and return to this page.

Your trip along the Chub River begins at French Lake, at the French Lake to Seahorse Lake portage. The rapids/waterfall just to the left of the portage as viewed from French Lake, is the last gasp of the Chub River. The river comes to an end here where it enters French Lake.

Chub River 1
The Chub River flows into French Lake here, just to the left of the portage landing behind that row of bushes growing in the water, which are visible in the lower left of your view.



Head up the portage from French Lake to Seahorse Lake. You can hear the Chub River pouring down the sharp rapids from Seahorse Lake on your left. The undergrowth allows for occasional glimpses of these rapids. At the top of the hill you arrive at Seahorse Lake. Seahorse Lake is really just a wide section of the Chub River. [Explore Seahorse Lake]


Chub River 2
Seahorse Lake lies before you after climbing the short portage up from French Lake.



Continuing your trip up the Chub River, you paddle across Seahorse Lake. From the French Lake portage you head north, up the "tail of the seahorse". As you approach the north shore of Seahorse Lake (around the "mouth of the seahorse"), you take a sharp right and head east. As you head east the lake slowly grades into the Chub River (hard to tell where the lake ends and the river begins). You are paddling along the "nose of the seahorse".


Chub River 3
View of the south shore of the long eastern channel or "nose" (or is it the Chub River) extending out of the northern part of Seahorse Lake.



Paddling along the Chub River toward the east until you reach the Warclub Lake portage. There is no perceptible current until you reach the portage.


Chub River 4
Arriving at the portage to Warclub Lake.


Chub River 5
Looking upriver through the mild rapids in direction of Warclub Lake. The Kekekabic Trail crosses the river on that string of rocks that stretch across the river in the middle distance. The portage landing is just to your right out of your field of view.



This portage is fairly short, but it is somewhat rugged. The portage landing at the downstream end on the Chub River isn't too bad. The water is a bit deep, but you can easily step out onto the mushy shore. On the Warclub Lake end, you can either put in from the beaver dam (there is usually one here) or by putting in between those large boulders you see. A solo canoe is easiest from the beaver dam. Think the boulders would be easier if you have a partner in the canoe. [Explore Warclub Lake]


Chub River 6
Warclub Lake strikes a pretty pose just above the rapids where the Chub River flows out its western end. This view is to the east. The beaver dam is right at your feet, to the left.



Paddling from the Chub River portage on the west end of Warclub Lake, across the lake, to its eastern side. After arriving at the east shore, you will once again re-enter the Chub River.



From the east side of Warclub Lake continue on a mostly eastward heading until you reach the Fay Lake portage. You may have to do the beaver dam ballet through this section, depending on how busy the beavers have been lately.


Chub River 7
Approaching the Fay Lake portage. The Chub River bubbles through a set of rapids to the right of your view. The portage landing here is good, albeit a little soft.


Chub River 8
The Kekekabic Trail crosses the Chub River on this log "bridge" at the western end of this portage.



This portage is practically a bushwhack. It is really bad. It follows the same path as the Kekekabic Trail for a good bit of its length. To begin, the portage offers a boulder strewn creek to carefully pick your steps through. It then traverses some brushy trail as it climbs the slope above the Chub River. It then descends down a rumble strewn path to the edge of the river and sometimes even goes into the river. Through this section you just sort of make it up as you go along, as the portage is underwater (thank the beavers for that). Climb over or under several downed trees. The portage continues with more rock hopping and weaving around, over or beneath more fallen trees. Downhill a little bit to the edge of Fay Lake. At this point you are probably too tired to care about fishing Fay Lake. That is just as well, as the lake hardly has any fish worth the bother. [Explore Fay Lake]


Chub River 9
The water here is fairly deep so loading/unloading requires a little care.



This is the one lake that the Chub River flows through that actually feels like a real lake and not just a wide spot in the river. From the end of that ruthless portage, you paddle out into the open part of Fay Lake. From there make for the south shoreline (to avoid the wind which is blowing from the south) and follow that shore all the way to the east end of the lake. At the east end of Fay Lake, look around for the portage landing to Flying Lake. It's on your map afterall. You may find the landing for it (which exists), though the actual portage doesn't go far...it disappears into a tangle of burned forest shortly after it begins. From the former location of the Flying Lake portage, paddle a short distance north up the east end of Fay Lake and make a right into the Chub River. Follow the Chub River a few hundred feet until it becomes unnavigable. At that point, to your right is the portage landing. This is an unmarked portage (not on maps). You take this portage to the next navigable section of the Chub River.


Chub River 10
The start of the unmarked portage that leads to the next canoeable section of the Chub River. The landing here is surprisingly descent. It can be a little hard to find, but just paddle as far as you can up the Chub River from Fay Lake (a few hundred feet) and when you can't go any farther, just look to the right and there will be the portage landing.



This unmarked portage is roughly 40 rods long. It is somewhat rugged. Near the end, at the base of a large beaver dam, you hop a small stream (which is the Chub River) and then walk along the base of a slope which will be on your left. To your right is a drowned forest which was probably brought to that state because of the beaver dam which raised the level of the Chub River. Put your canoe in at the base of the slope above the beaver dam.


NOTE: DON'T HAVE VIDEO FOR THIS SHORT SECTION -- From just above the beaver dam at the drowned forest, you need to paddle about 80 rods (a quarter-mile) to the northeast along the Chub River until you reach a T-intersection. At this "T", you can go north to the portage to Bingshick Lake. Otherwise, go south and you will soon come to the portage to Flying Lake. Bingshick Lake is the source of the Chub River.



THERE IS NO SOUND ON THIS VIDEO - CAMERA MALFUNCTION: This portage is straight up hill along a creek. Actually in the creek. Even though you walk in water most of the way, the footing is OK. Watch out for slick spots in steep, shaded rock sections where slippery algae could form. Once you make it up the slope, just head to the left along the exposed rocks. There is a large table rock that sort of marks the location of the canoe landing. [Explore Bingshick Lake]

This concludes your travels along the Chub River upstream from French Lake to Bingshick Lake.

Route Connections for the Chub River

The Chub River flows through several lakes along its short journey of 3.1 miles from headwaters to mouth. From the Chub River, you can portage or paddle into Bingshick Lake, Fay Lake, Flying Lake, French Lake, Seahorse Lake or Warclub Lake.

Return to Top of Page


 
PMA #1: Weeny PMA #4: Tick PMA #7: Pitfall PMA #10: Hairy
PMA #2: Canthook PMA #5: Spider PMA #8: Mugwump PMA #11: Weasel
PMA #3: Sundial PMA #6: Drag PMA #9: Humpback PMA #12: Fungus
- www.BWCAwild.com - All Rights Reserved.
All images, videos and text property of www.BWCAwild.com - No reuse without permission.
DISCLAIMER AND TERMS OF USE --- CONTACT US --- PRIVACY POLICY