Thursday, August 1, 2013

Why Did the Boat Cross the Lake?

Each season we get several questions on how long it will take to get to a particular fishing spot or exploration site.  To give you an idea of what you can expect with the new Honda 15hp and 20hp motors I broke out the map and did some math.

The new 15hp electric start Hondas on Parker Lake average between 16 - 20 mph depending on several factors.  Most notable are how windy it is, how heavy the boat is, and how much your tackle box weighs.  We'll use the average of 18 mph for the math.

Travel time - Distance Covered for 15 hp on Parker Lake
5 minutes - 1.5 miles
10 minutes - 3.0 miles
15 minutes - 4.5 miles
20 minutes - 6.0 miles
25 minutes - 7.5 miles

So, how about the 20hp electric start Hondas on Red Lake?  Well, they are a bit faster although several of them are pushing the Lund SSV models which are a bit wider and heavier model.  They handle any kind of rough water nicely though.  Speeds average 19 - 23 mph so we'll use 21 mph.

Travel time - Distance Covered for 20 hp on Red Lake
5 minutes - 1.75 miles
10 minutes - 3.50 miles
15 minutes - 5.25 miles
20 minutes - 7.00 miles
25 minutes - 8.75 miles
30 minutes - 10.5 miles

So what does that look like on the map?  Glad you asked.  Here you go...

Parker Lake

Central part of Red Lake

West end of Red Lake

Northeast Red Lake (Slate Bay area)

Southeast Red Lake (St. Paul Bay area)

East Red Lake (Howey Bay / Lower Chukuni River)

Sure it's not exact, but it gives you a ballpark idea.  I could keep you busy all week with fishing spots within a 10 minutes boat ride of the lodge.  But, if you like exploring this will help you plan your day so you can make it back in time for supper.

Travel times to some popular destinations:
Mouth of Young's Bay     5 minutes
South Narrows                  5 minutes
Halfway into Martin Bay  10 minutes
Wolf Narrows                   15 minutes
Para Creek                        15 minutes
Back of St. Paul's Bay      15 minutes
Barge landing                   15 minutes
Back of Parker Lake         15-20 minutes depending on which fork you take
Mouth of Slate Bay           20 minutes
Potato Island                     20 minutes
Back of Slate Bay             30 minutes
West Narrows                   30 minutes
Post Narrows                    35 minutes
Keg Lake                          40 minutes

Do these match what you thought?  Let us know!

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