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Travel Alberta, All Rights Reserved Written by: Travel Alberta
Alberta's fly-in fishing lodges will get you hook, line and sinker.
Northern Alberta's fly-in fishing lodges offer some of the best fresh-water fishing in the world. They're remote, pristine and professionally managed and run.
Triumph With Trophy Fish
"The fishing conditions, depending on where you go, are tremendous," says Paul Mathias, general manager of Winifred Lake Lodge. "I would tell you that anything in northeast or northwest Alberta is relatively untouched and you could expect to catch trophy fish of virtually any species available in the province." The region is rich in great northern pike, walleye, northern trout, whitefish and perch.
Dan Wettlaufer, owner and operator of Andrew Lake Lodge, says the largest trout ever caught in the lake was 25 kilograms (55 pounds). The largest northern pike weighed in at 18 kilograms (40 pounds).
"The fish are fighters, especially the northern pike," says Jim Comeau, owner and operator of Island Lake Lodge.
Many of the lodges are so remote they're only accessible by airplane. That far north, the summer sun is warm, the days are long and darkness never really settles.
Access Is Easy
Edmonton, Alberta's international gateway city to the North, is often a first point of departure for fishing enthusiasts who arrive from out-of-province. Fort McMurray further north is another popular gateway.
Affordability, coupled with glassy lakes, sparkling rivers and excellent bird and big game watching make Alberta's fishing lodges the perfect getaway for the entire family. There's a lodge to suit everyone's perception of paradise.
From the four-star luxury and fine food of Winifred Lake Lodge to the rustic do-it-yourself cabins of Mikisew Sport Fishing, each lodge exhibits its own character and charm. Whichever lodging you choose, the experience, friends and memories will last a lifetime.
Discover Pristine Lakes
"In Northern Alberta you're set down on a pristine lake," says Tim Gillies, general manager of Mikisew Sport Fishing. "You know there's no one else there and there are no roads there. You can go out without a guide, which a lot of people really like."
Mikisew Sport Fishing offers anglers a rustic retreat with minimum connection to the outside world. Guests are dropped off by amphibious Cessna at any of the company's 10 lakes and left to fish, cook for themselves and enjoy the spectacular scenery and environment at leisure. There are no guides and Gillies refers to the cabins as drop camps. Each cabin has a stove, fridge, dishes, barbecue and satellite phone.
"We're there for people who like to do it themselves," says Gillies. "To fly into a lodge with guide and cooks you'll pay at least twice as much, depending on the level of service."
In contrast, Winifred Lake Lodge is aimed squarely at comfort. Located 185 kilometres southeast of Fort McMurray, the lodge has an outdoor hot tub and is vehicle accessible. Suites have queen-sized beds, private bathrooms with showers, satellite television and high-speed Internet. All-terrain vehicle tours through the boreal forest are also available.
Enjoy Fine Food
"It is the same kind of experience you can expect in any four-star resort," says Mathias. "We do have chefs. I don't know that I would call it fine dining, but certainly very, very well cooked home-style meals and Winifred Lake has a very good reputation for two things besides fishing: food and its service."
Like many of Alberta's fly-in fishing lodges, Andrew Lake Lodge combines luxury with the simple life. Guests have a choice of accommodation, from full service in the main lodge, with chefs and housekeeping, to do-it-yourself cabins.
"Northern Alberta has a pristine wilderness environment and absolutely no development," says Wettlaufer, the lodge's owner and operator. "It's completely untouched, so the lakes harbor some of the best sport fishing in all of Canada."
Up at Island Lake Lodge, Jim Comeau agrees. That's why he and his wife settled on Island Lake to build their lodge from scratch. Though the project began with cabins in 1984, Comeau has just completed the main lodge and now offers full service as well as do-it-yourself cabins equipped with stoves, barbecues, fridges and dishes.
"The lake has lots of islands," Comeau says. "So you can get out fishing all day, every day because you don't have to worry about the wind."
Fort Chippewyan Lodge, overlooking the shores of Lake Athabasca near the border in northeast Alberta, offers simple, hotel-style lodging. The restaurant has servers, a bartender and cooks that prepare home-cooked meals and homemade desserts.
Though the lodge doesn't offer guides, the fishing is great, says Lillian Dodds, lodge manager, adding that Lake Athabasca is alive with northern pike.
The oil boomtown of Fort McMurray, 400 kilometres north of Edmonton, acts as a jumping-off point for these and many more lodges. Guests arrive from all over the world, spend the night and in the morning fly to the edge of the Canadian Shield. There, the stresses of daily life dissolve in the silvery flash of trout, the thrashing struggle of a northern pike and the haunting call of the loon.
"I would say to anybody, any first timer, that if you are ever going to try a fishing lodge experience you can't go wrong with Winifred Lake," says Mathias. "It's very, very affordable and we make sure, regardless of your experience, that you catch fish and go home with memories that last you a lifetime."
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Copyright © 2006 Travel Alberta, All Rights Reserved
Travel Alberta is the destination marketing organization for the Province of Alberta. Guided by the Strategic Tourism Marketing Council, Travel Alberta is the steward for the effective delivery of tourism marketing programs. For information about our organization, please visit our Travel Alberta industry web site at http://www.travelalberta.com
