Canoe routes are limited on and around Isle Royale due to the geography of the island and the tempestuous nature of Lake Superior. The Park Service recommends paddling only on inland lakes. Adventurous, big-water paddlers with patience to wait out questionable weather could travel around parts of the island using the shelter of the bays and coves.

Some routes in the island park include:

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Malone Bay to McCargoe Cove
2-5 days, Moderate
This all-inland waters route starts at Malone Bay on the southeast of Isle Royale and follows a series of lakes and portages to the head of McCargoe Cove on the northeast side. Paddlers start with a portage into large Siskiwit Lake. From there they can follow marked portages to Intermediate Lake and Lake Richie–both have canoe campgrounds.  From Richie, the route heads north through Lake LeSage, Lake Livermore, and Chickenbone Lake (where there’s another campground) to McCargoe Cove. The longest portage on the route is 224-rods. Trippers can return to Malone Bay via the same route or by extending the return trip to the east over the 382-rod portage into Chippewa Harbor (a narrow finger of Lake Superior) and then portaging through Lake Whittlesey back to Siskiwit Lake.

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McCargoe Cove–Lane Cove–Rock Harbor
6 days, Advanced
Advanced paddlers could mix inland water and Lake Superior paddling in a single trip.  Starting at Malone Bay, they could follow the route described above, but travel into McCargoe Bay itself to Indian Point. From Indian Point, they would need to negotiate an open stretch of Lake Superior to reach the portage in Herring Bay. From there they’d follow more protected Pickerel Cove of Lake Superior to Lane Cove. From there, it’s a series of Lake Superior Bays and portages–one 256-rods–to Rock Harbor and the end of the trip.