Top-class fishing is becoming big business for Canada’s prairie provinces, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
With over 100,00 lakes and rivers, Manitoba is one of Canada’s top fishing destinations, offering experiences in every season, including in winter ice fishing on frozen lakes.
Whether clients are looking to cast from shore, navigate a quiet bay or venture to a remote lodge there are available options in all regions of the province – and there is often plenty more on offer beyond trying to hook that big catch.
To help simplify the choices for clients, Travel Manitoba has launched an initiative, Fish Manitoba, that showcases 14 fishing lodges that offer world-class angling options for trophy northern pike, walleye, lake trout and arctic grayling, along with various other activities and experiences away from the water.
These include Barrier Bay Resort, an adults-only retreat in Whiteshell Provincial
Park near Winnipeg. Year-round fishing is available on the resort’s lake.
Nestled on Winnipeg River, Eagle Nest Lodge offers a remote but accessible fishing retreat, reachable by boat or floatplane that is open mid-May through October. Along with casting for walleye, smallmouth bass and northern pike, guests can enjoy fine-dining and deluxe accommodation.
In the middle of the state, the five-star Kississing Lodge offers world-class fishing in pristine waters from May to September. Accommodation is chalet-style.
And in the far north of Manitoba, in the sub-Arctic region, Ganglers North Seal River Lodge is a premier-fly-in fishing resort that provides acres to five million acres of pristine wilderness, 12 river systems and 100 lakes.
Guests, are treated to a shore lunch after a morning fishing on a lake where few other humans have ever cast a rod, might also see wolves, bears or moose.
The lodge, which also offers ecotourism tours, provides guests the opportunity to “tick off several bucket list items in one visit,” says Gangler’s resident staff biologist Brian Kotak.
“Luxury up here incorporates several different things, such as gazing up at the northern lights;, seeing unique wildlife like barren-ground caribou, a subspecies of reindeer; hikes where we explain unique geological features; finding ancient archaeological artifacts; discovering the culture of Indigenous people – all of our fishing guides here at the lodge are indigenous folk that have lived her for thousands of years –and of course, for those who want it, great fishing.
“The impetus for introducing our ecotourism tours was the increasing number of families we see coming here who want more than just a fishing experience – and some don’t want to fish at all. They see this as a unique opportunity because the landscape is so different to anything else in Canada, with extremely rare geological features.
“We are extremely remote and 200 miles from the nearest road; there are no communities around here and yet in this remote wilderness you can stay in a beautiful lodge with private accommodation,”’ he added.
Neighbouring Saskatchewan is also a premier destination for freshwater fishing, its numerous lakes and rivers teeming with a variety of fish species. Popular catches include northern pike, walleye, lake trout and sturgeon.
The province is known for its trophy-sized fish, particularly in lakes like Tazin Lake (lake trout) and Last Mountain Lake (pike and walleye).
Lloyd Lake Lodge, in the north of the province, is open from May 25 to September 30.
The fly-in lodge, with private charter flights leaving from Fort McMurray, Alberta, on Wednesdays and Fridays, takes a maximum of 16 guests and is also home to moose, black bears, wolves, eagles and more and is known for its northern lights viewing from August to September.
“Catching fish is just the start of it; people come here to enjoy the serenity and the pristine surroundings; to switch off and relax,” says Lloyd Lake Lodge’s Wilma Uniat.
“Yes, the fishing is world-class, but we also teach you how to clean the fish and how to cook it. We take you on hikes, and there is a games room, a high-powered telescope, and the food is wonderful too. One of the owners is a chef and takes so much pride in the cuisine he serves.”
Lloyd Lake Lodge offers a three-day culinary holiday that includes premium fishing and four cooking classes.
travelmanitoba.com; tourismsaskatchewan.com
