Seeking advice on multi-day kayak/camping trip (for next year)

Hey all 

So this evening I started toying around with the idea of doing a multiple day kayak trip making stops along the way to camp and hopefully fish.  Basically packing everything on (and in) the kayak, hitting a water way, and just getting the hell outta dodge for up to a week.

I started reading up on a few ideas on paddling.net but am wondering if any of you have had any trips that you've done or know of any that you would recommend.  Considering I'm planning for next year, my options right now are pretty open to anywhere on the West Coast. 

I figure I'll just leave this as open as possible as to hear as many ideas as I can.  Would love to hear some insight!

Thanks!

Cameron

My wife and I did a multi-day trip in the San Juans a few years back and it was amazing. You can go Island to Island with a plethora of boat-in sites. I only fished from shore since we were in a tandem sit-inside touring vessel and it wasn't really a fishing trip. Fishing seasons are peculiar up there. Definitely worth researching ahead of time if you plan on targeting certain species.

I'm hoping to paddle the Upper Missouri River Breaks in the spring. I've never done it, but it looks like a great multi-day trip (up to 149 miles). I don't think the fishing is great in that stretch of the river, but I'll definitely give it a try.

I'm hoping to paddle the Upper Missouri River Breaks in the spring. I've never done it, but it looks like a great multi-day trip (up to 149 miles). I don't think the fishing is great in that stretch of the river, but I'll definitely give it a try.

The wild and scenic portion of the Missouri between Loma and the Fred Robinson (Highway 191) Bridge is a very fun and scenic trip.  It's an easy flatwater trip, but remote and away from any services.  The areas marked as "rapids" on maps are just sections where the current speeds up a bit, which created problems for steamboats back in the 1800s. The section above the Judith River is the White Cliffs section, and the section below the Judith River has badlands character.  If you do it in the spring, the current will move along more quickly than it does in the late summer, and the grass will be green, which is nice. But don't do it too early, as spring weather can be unpredictable.  As in, you might get snowed on.  You'll need to carry all of your water.  There are a lot of fun side hikes.  Watch out for rattlesnakes.  One side hike which is not obvious is in the River Left draw below Eagle Creek, which contains a cool narrows through the white rock.  There is a lot of gumbo soil in the area, so don't use unpaved roads if it has been raining.  The fishing can be quite good on this section of the river.  I suggest that you post a request for information and advice about fishing this section of the Missouri in the Montana section of the Northwest Kayak Anglers Forum. There are a couple of active kayak anglers from Great Falls who can give you advice.

I wouldn't recommend the section of the Missouri between the Fred Robinson Bridge and Fort Peck Reservoir.  As you approach the reservoir, the current stalls out in a maze of willows and shallow water. and then you'd have a lot of paddling on flat water with wind hazards in order to get to the nearest access point near the mouth of the Musselshell River.

Hey all 

So this evening I started toying around with the idea of doing a multiple day kayak trip making stops along the way to camp and hopefully fish.  Basically packing everything on (and in) the kayak, hitting a water way, and just getting the hell outta dodge for up to a week.

I started reading up on a few ideas on paddling.net but am wondering if any of you have had any trips that you've done or know of any that you would recommend.  Considering I'm planning for next year, my options right now are pretty open to anywhere on the West Coast. 

I figure I'll just leave this as open as possible as to hear as many ideas as I can.  Would love to hear some insight!

Thanks!

Cameron

Cameron, if you haven't done any multi-day kayak river trips, start by doing a couple of overnight trips. Fish your way to a campground, camp for the night, and then fish your down or back to a takeout the next morning.  Once you get your gear and gear storage figured out, you can take on longer trips.  You may need to reduce the amount of fishing gear you take, as the rear cargo area of your kayak will contain some gear.  If you've done backpacking or bike touring, you won't have any problem kayak camping.  Just figure out how to stow your gear in your kayak in dry bags.

Some members of the Northwest Kayak Angler's Forum have been doing several day kayak fishing trips on the John Day river in Oregon.  Search that forum for information and people who are sources of information.  The bass fishing is allegedly excellent. There are a couple slightly rambunctious sections of this river, but floaters routinely canoe the river, so you'll be fine in a fishing kayak.

There are a bunch of trips you could do in Montana.  I discussed the wild and scenic Missouri in the previous post.  The Smith River has great scenery and excellent trout fishing, but you'll need to get a permit.  You can do long trips on rivers such as the Yellowstone and the Marias.  Another option is the Flathead River below Flathead Lake, from below Buffalo Rapids down past Dixon to Perma or beyond.  The section in the Flathead Reservation is very undeveloped, and has good bass fishing, but don't forget to buy a Tribal recreation permit with your tribal and Montana fishing license.  If you're up for some low-key whitewater, the North Fork of the Flathead, which runs along the west side of Glacier Park, is a very nice trip.  Check for any restrictions on floating, as the park recently closed the park to floating because mussels were detected in Tiber Reservoir, which is between the park and Great Falls.

If you're willing to deal with some National Park Service bureaucracy, Lewis Lake and Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone Park are a fun option.  You paddle across Lewis Lake and pull your kayak up the Lewis River about a mile to Shoshone Lake.  The water in the Lewis River is lukewarm due to thermal activity in the area.  There isn't any road access to Shoshone Lake, and there is a geyser basin at the upper end of the lake.

If you’re up for some real whitewater, I posted a description of a 4-day low-water fishing trip on the Selway River in Idaho at http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=13913.0 , and I posted a description of a 6-day low-water fishing trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon in Idaho at http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=14090.0 . You’ll need to get a permit via a lottery to float the Selway before August 1, and you’ll need to get a lottery or call-in permit to float the Middle Fork.

 Napali coast, Kauai. Its dreamy

If you wanted to head down south, check this trip report out
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/showthread.php?t=30245

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Forgot to mention Catalina. Hit that spot with my wife just this last Spring for 3 days. You can't take your own Kayak so we were on an OK Cobra tandem which was a little  tippy for fishing, but we covered 8+ miles daily. Fishing wasn't great due to lack of Kelp. Spearfishing is really the ticket down there. I did see that some outfits rent Malibu 2XLs which is what I fish off and holds just enough gear. Gonna be slow going if you get into any wind though.

Thanks for all of that info/advice, pmmpete.

Here's another thought... How about the Black Canyon area behind Hoover Dam? According to some postings on the Hobie forum, it can be paddled/pedaled both ways. And there are some hikes to hot springs along the way.  It's not that long, so maybe only 2 or 3 days...

Oh wow, TONS of ideas and info!  Thanks everyone!  Sorry haven't been able to check this and respond.  Been busy prepping for Turkey day 

I've done quite a bit of backpacking so I'm sure I could get the packing down fine, but I do like the idea of starting with an over-nighter as a test run.  Leave it to me to go balls to the wall first time at this lol.  Really smart idea though, thanks.  Reminded me that I've also wanted to check out that island on Lake Tahoe that has campsites available by kayak.  Might be a great test run for this idea.

I really appreciate all the input, fellas.  Thanks!

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but Lake Sonoma or Tomales Bay are also places that would work as a good test run. I really enjoyed kayak camping on Lake Sonoma and it definitely helped us sort out what type of paddling length/number of nights was realistic.

Thanks for your input forumname (your handle is about as original as mine haha).  I'd actually forgotten about the camp site at Tomales and didn't know about Lake Sonoma but I'll check it out!

As of this morning, I booked a site in Tahoe for next June.  There's an island that's accessible by non-powered craft only in Emerald Bay.  I found out about it while looking for easy kayak camping ideas.  Place looks killer.  There's about 15 sites on the island, with 3 of them being right on the beach.  I'd read that those 3 get swooped up quick so I set a reminder to book it as soon as reservations were open (today at 8am).  Super stoked. 

Still gotta read up on the fishing for Tahoe, but I'm just glad I got the spot.  Any Tahoe fishing tips? 

Thanks for all the ideas, guys.  Really helped!

Cameron

I've been thinking about a multi day kayak trip from Lake Itasca (Northern MN) to St Paul MN on the Mississippi River. Along the way camp and Fish for Northern and Walleye.

I haven't been Walleye or Pike fishing in YEARS.  I miss it.  Used to do fly-in outposts in northern Ontario with my Dad when I was younger.  That trip sounds epic!  One of these years I wanna do something like that as well.

There are a few of us that have been looking at a trip on Sacramento River, salmon, trout and striper fishing in the fall.

Camp on BLM land.

https://www.blm.gov/style/medialib/blm/ca/pdf/redding.Par.28357.File.dat/Bend_Brochure_Map.pdf

Last two years have been busy, putting it on list for Sept/Oct 2017