Stewart Lake Loop

Mod
Portages
Lower Stewart Lake to Geejay Lake
Manomin Lake to Winnange Lake
350 metres
N49 degrees 49.78696’ W093 degrees 93.76843’
450 metres
N49 degrees 49.77275’ W093 degrees 93.72888’
Geejay Lake to Lower Stewart Lake
Winnange Lake to Manomin Lake
N49 degrees 49.78645’ W093 degrees 93.77188’
N49 degrees 49.77487’ W093 degrees 93.72432’
This portage borders a set of rapids that should
not be paddled. The trail is well marked on the right
hand side; expect boulders, a steep decline, and
damp conditions.
This trail is marked, well-used, and fairly flat with a
rocky area at the start and a beach at the end. This
portage takes place over an open area populated
with both cedar and red pine trees. There are
camping sites at the start, middle, and end of the
path. Running the nearby rapids is not advisable,
due to rocks and debris within.
Geejay Lake to Manomin Lake
500 metres
N49 degrees 49.77560’ W093 degrees 93.76840’
Manomin Lake to Geejay Lake
N49 degrees 49.77575’ W093 degrees 93.76379’
The trail is well marked, and features a private cabin
at the landing (which serves as a good marker).
This portage includes a waterfall, as well as several
rapids that can be run if you are experienced with
white-water paddling. The path itself runs through
a pleasant cedar grove, albeit with intermittent cliffs
and steep drop-offs that require caution.
“The Devil’s Staircase”
550 metres
Winnange Lake to Stewart Lake
N49 degrees 49.80448’ W093 degrees 93.71167’
Stewart Lake to Winnange Lake
N49 degrees 49.80573’ W093 degrees 93.71841’
The start of this portage can be cut short by 50
meters if you can paddle up the creek further to the
start of the staircase. This portage is notoriously
difficult due to a very steep incline at the start of the
path followed by rough terrain (such as rocks, roots,
and slippery conditions). After the ‘staircase,’ the
trail flattens out and ends at a grassy beach area in
Stewart Lake. Use extreme caution and take things
slowly for the duration of the climb; be prepared
to challenge and exert yourself to overcome the
toughest part of the journey.
Lower Stewart Lake Campsite
Winnange Lake Campsite
N49 degrees 49.79816’ W093 degrees 93.76062’
N49 degrees 49.79880’ W093 degrees 93.67625’
This campsite is located 5.5km from the entry
point on Stewart Lake; it is very large, open, and
features trails throughout accompanied by several
rock fire pits.
This site is located on a 500 meter-long beach that
is one of the highlights of Winnange Lake. There are
a variety of camping spots here that will all provide
a miraculous sunset.
N49 degrees 49.78048’ W093 degrees 93.73842’
This campsite is 11 km away from the Stewart Lake
entry point, and is marked by a large inuksuk and
is located on a flat rock shelf with large open areas
that are good for tenting. The campsite is 1.2
km away from the start of the next portage into
Winnange lake.
Total Distance: 23.5 km
Total Days: 3
Portages: 5
Difficulty: Moderate
The Stewart Lake Loop – a chain of lakes that are classed
as a natural environment park – serves as an outstanding
recreational experience that is an excellent example of what
Northwestern Ontario has to offer. The Stewart Lake Loop
borders the historical Experimental Lakes, and is home to
breathtaking rock formations, beautiful beaches, and a diverse
set of lakes, all having their own distinct and special features.
Lake of the Woods in the center of North America lies halfway between Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, and Key
Largo, Florida. Sioux, Ojibway and Cree were the primary First Nations people who lived in the Lake of the
Woods region on the margin between the great plains of the west and the rock-based Canadian Shield
around Hudson Bay.
Both Britain and France were actively searching for a route across North America to connect their trading
businesses in Europe with promising new markets and products in China as early as 1650. Financing for
exploration generally came from the profits of fur trading around the Great Lakes and selling high-fashion
garments in Europe.
Campsites
Manomin Lake Campsite
Lake of the Woods
Canoe Routes
Stewart Lake
Loop
Britain eliminated its French rival in 1763 to take over three-quarters of North America but, by the end of
the War of Independence in 1783, the United States of America earned its own independent territory with a
boundary that established Lake of the Woods as the northwest corner of the new country. Suddenly, Lake
of the Woods became international territory.
The shape, the size and location of Lake of the Woods has been part mystery, part rumor and very difficult
to survey ever since. At 100 km diameter with 14,522 islands to fool the unwary voyager, it took until 1925 to
pin down exactly the “most northwesterly” point shared by Minnesota, Ontario and Manitoba.
Meanwhile, the fur trade carried millions of dollars of goods and beaver fur through a narrow, hidden
passageway known as French Portage Narrows. Gold, caviar, muskies, timber, newsprint, floatplanes and the
Canadian Army are parts of historical Lake of the Woods.
Join us here for your own exciting, scenic and historical tour of the unconventional lake in the middle of the
continent with discoveries for everyone.
– David Malaher
Special thanks to our
project partners:
17
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Trans Canada Hwy
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Stewart Lake to
Winnange Lake Route
17
1
49.97648, -94.53315
Stewart Lake Air Way
Enter point portage over rail
road tracks 50 meters onto
wooden platform to dock.
2
49.82387,-93.72076
Possible camp site
Small camp sites, .5 of a mile
from enter point.
3
49.81200,-93.74267
Entrance into Railway Bay
from upper Stewart
Open shallow water way through
road, portage accessible 30
meters over old road as well as
large possible camp site.
49.81392,-93.75980
Railway Bay road entrance
Road entrance into lower
Stewart/Windermere Lake
Alternative start point for trip,
no portaging over railway tracks.
6
49.80117,-93.76031
Lower Stewart, possible
camp site
Medium camp site on island,
needs to be developed.
7
49.79816,-93.76062
Lower Stewart, large
campsite
Large campsite well developed
with many trails.
8
49.78696,-93.76843
Lower Stewart portage to
Geejay Lake
Start of portage.
9
49.78645,-93.77188
Geejay Lake portage into
Lower Stewart
Start of portage.
10 49.78344,-93.77565
Geejay Lake campsite
Campsite on peninsula after/
before portage on Geejay Lake.
11 49.77560,-93.76840
Geejay Lake portage into
Manomin Lake
Start of portage, accurate
information.
12 49.77575,-93.76379
Manomin Lake portage into Start of portage.
Geejay Lake
13 49.77199,-93.75265
Manomin Lake campsite
Medium campsite at South
end of island
14 49.76823,-93.73719
Manomin Lake rocks
Point of interest.
15 49.78048,-93.73842
Manomin Lake campsite
Large campsite, Marked by
inuksuk, before Manomin to
Winnange portage.
16 49.77275,-93.72888
Manomin Lake to
Winnange portage
Start of Portage, Accurate
information, 3 campsites start,
middle, and end on portage.
17 49.77487,-93.72432
Winnange Lake to
Manomin Lake portage
Start of Portage.
18 49.79880,-93.67625
Winnange Lake beach
Very large beach with
camping areas.
19 49.80448,-93.71167
Winnange lake to Stewart
Lake portage
Start of portage.
20 49.80573,-93.71841
Stewart lake to Winnange
Lake portage
Start of portage, beach with
camping area.
Lower
Stewart
3
5
.
49.80658,-93.78391
Stewart Lake
4
Rd
5
Rail Rd.
il
Road entrance, large campsite,
and waterfall/rock formation as
point of interest
2
Ra
4
1
20
19
6
18
7
Winnage Lake
Provincial Park
Winnage Lake
9
8
10
Geejay Lake
15
11
Manomin Lake
12
17
16
13
14
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