Lodge recommendations

[PickerelHunter]

Hey guys...hoping for a little advice from the experts. I have a great lodge that I go up to a couple times a year near the Timmins area and will be doing so again on multiple occasions this summer. An extra week has opened up for me at the end of July and I really wanted to try something new. I have done a significant amount of research and have a few lodges in mind both in Quebec (Laurentians), and Wawa/Hornepayne areas as of now.

 

I'm interested in the Quebec area or Northern to North western Ontario (10 hour drive is fine and I'm sure I can even convince the girlfriend of driving further if need be...Longlac/Greenstone would probably be absolute max though). Remote/secluded area would be great.

 

We need a place that includes boat/motor/gas in their price. Meals are not necessary but obviously a bonus. Accommodations can be as rustic as they get, just a place to sleep in between fishing time really. Can be cottage or room in a lodge.

 

Primarily we would like to fish for pike (numbers over size of fish) and walleye as the secondary target.

 

We are really looking for something affordable (fly-ins are out of the price range for sure).

 

Word of mouth is the best way to decide on these new places. Anyone can put up a bunch of pics up and make an expensive website. But it's what the real fishermen feel about a place that is what's most important.

 

Thanks for any input you may have.

 

Pete

[solopaddler]

Wow, not too many people are interested specifically in numbers of smaller pike. That's about as easy it gets to find, pretty much every single lodge in N/E Ontario and QC has scads of small pike.

 

There's been a lot of chatter on the board recently about Lady Evelyn lake just north of Temagami. You may want to do a search on the topic and look into it, it would probably fit the bill for you perfectly.

 

There's several lodges that operate on Lady Evelyn and all seem to be highly regarded.

[PickerelHunter]

Thanks for the recommendation...I've heard good things about Lady Evelyn as well and that's closer then where I've been looking.

 

As for the odd request for #'s...I'm trying to get her into the sport and she's done amazing with it in the last year...wanted her first northern experience to be 'busy'

[adempsey]

Personally, I never had much luck with pike on Lady Evelyn Lake the times I went (July and August trips). It was disappointing actually [the walleye and smallmouth fishing is great though!]. We fished [what I would consider] textbook locations and never really caught that many. We experienced the same thing on Horwood Lake. Maybe we're doing something wrong, I dunno. We did have much better luck on Ivanhoe Lake though, although the lake did have more ideal weed beds to fish for pike.

 

I'd suggest looking at the boat-in outposts on Ivanhoe Lake from Red Pine Lodge and Air Ivanhoe. Nice jumbo perch in the lake too. It's possible they aren't good choices for a party of 2 though.

 

Although we didn't have spectacular fishing on Horwood last year, I still think the lake is a great location; and others have done well there for walleye. The price at Horwood Lake Lodge is a great value for what you get. Horwood Outpost is another place to consider - although not quite as nice as Horwood Lodge, I think it's in a better location for fishing.

 

Good luck!

Edited March 19, 2012 by FishLogic

[DanD]

Have a look at Horseshoe Island Camp; I think it would fit the bill quite nicely for you; competitive pricing for a basic boat to camp and probably 6-7 hours from Barrie.

The camp itself is on the only part of the Montreal River system that flows north and is more or less the head waters of the Montreal River.

Hydro has that section of the system dammed off, making Lake Mistinicon; after the dam the river makes a hair pin turn and flows South down through Matachewan and further South East to places like Latchford.

There are no towns before Lake Mistinicon to dump their waste into the river.

If you’re looking for numbers and the occasional 30-40 inch pike, you likely won’t be disappointed. As for pickerel, once you find where they are hiding that day, you won’t get board, there are tons to be had; but they’re like a fart in the wind, you won't know where the stinkers are going.

Everything at the camp (lighting, fridge and hot water tank) runs on propane, which can make the cottage a bit warm at night for sleeping; but the cottages are clean and well screened. The running water for the cottages comes from a water tank positioned up a fairly high hill and gravity fed to the cottages. The tank is/was filled twice a day from the lake; we only ran out of water once in the three summers we went there; someone forgot to fill the pumps gas tank. There’s no hydro at the camp, so bring a battery operated radio, if you want some noise and a good flash light; I don’t think I’ve ever really seen dark until I spent my first night there.

As for boating on this lake; we were never chased off by the wind; it never really got rough enough not to go out or worry about.

I’ll stop here before someone calls spam on me; but it’s a decent place for the money. Google them for their web site and more info.

You’ll see adds that the camp is for sale; but I was going to book with them again this summer and was told that even if it does sell the place will be open for business. We decided on a fly-in this year and that's the reason I didn’t book with them.

Attawapiskat here we come!!!

 

Dan.

[kennyblackmax]

One lodge that we really love, and has a great reputation is Mar Mac Lodge on Esnagi Lake. The Walleye fishing on this lake is beyond reproach and the Pike fishing is fantastic as well. You can also fish for Perch and Whitefish and can access a lake via a short walk that has trophy brook trout and Lake Trout Esnagi Lake is 27 miles long and the boats Mar Mac Lodge uses are 18 foot cedar strips with 20 Horse power Yamaha and Mercury 4 stroke. This lake is remote but can not only be accessed byair but by VIA Rail from Sudbury. They offer reduced rates for Canadians coming in that direction and as well as up to $300.00 discount for spring fishing when the Pike and the trout are at there best. You may have seen them on Canadian Sportfishing, Fish'n Canada, Fish TV and Going Fishing. There are also 2 outposts that you can get to from the train, they are at the Northend of the lake. The family that owns this also owns Lodge Eighty Eight and White River Air and have been in business since 1959.

 

good luck

[solopaddler]

One lodge that we really love, and has a great reputation is Mar Mac Lodge on Esnagi Lake. The Walleye fishing on this lake is beyond reproach and the Pike fishing is fantastic as well. You can also fish for Perch and Whitefish and can access a lake via a short walk that has trophy brook trout and Lake Trout Esnagi Lake is 27 miles long and the boats Mar Mac Lodge uses are 18 foot cedar strips with 20 Horse power Yamaha and Mercury 4 stroke. This lake is remote but can not only be accessed byair but by VIA Rail from Sudbury. They offer reduced rates for Canadians coming in that direction and as well as up to $300.00 discount for spring fishing when the Pike and the trout are at there best. You may have seen them on Canadian Sportfishing, Fish'n Canada, Fish TV and Going Fishing. There are also 2 outposts that you can get to from the train, they are at the Northend of the lake. The family that owns this also owns Lodge Eighty Eight and White River Air and have been in business since 1959.

 

good luck

 

I'd be curious to know if you're affiliated with White River Air, regardless I do concur with what you're saying.

 

I've flown with them several times over the years. Great operation, great people, great camps and great fishing.

 

I'd still be using them but their prices have gone up a tad and they're a bit out of range for me.

[Nipfisher]

La Reserve Beauchesne is an excellent choice for you. Lots of fishing options.