I just finished (31 May 2018) my 22nd annual Canadian fishing trip with the last 8 of those years spent at Fireside Fishing Lodge in Sioux Lookout, Canada. Fireside is... read more a full-service lodge operated by Alan and Audrey providing accommodations, meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and boating equipment. The accommodations are very nice – clean and comfortable - providing everything one would need including daily maid service. The food is restaurant style providing many choices for breakfast, a few options for lunch – I have only had the packed lunch with sandwiches, chips, fruit, beverage, and homemade cookies to maximize my fishing opportunities - and several choices for dinner which you order a day ahead of time. Audrey is the chef making tasty and generous portion meals to satisfy any appetite after a full day of fishing. The ‘not-your-mothers-meatloaf’ and pork chops are two of my favorites, but I assure you all the meals are good. She is assisted, at least this year, by Joanne, Ashely, and Candice who are the dining room servers. They are always eager to greet each guest, ask about your day fishing, and provide excellent service with a joy and simile that is pleasant and refreshing. They each pay attention to every guest need adding their own special “flavor” to a convivial meal time. Alan manages the dock assisted by Devon and Shawn. They are always there to assist with boat launch and docking. Again,... I just finished (31 May 2018) my 22nd annual Canadian fishing trip with the last 8 of those years spent at Fireside Fishing Lodge in Sioux Lookout, Canada. Fireside is a full-service lodge operated by Alan and Audrey providing accommodations, meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and boating equipment. The accommodations are very nice – clean and comfortable - providing everything one would need including daily maid service. The food is restaurant style providing many choices for breakfast, a few options for lunch – I have only had the packed lunch with sandwiches, chips, fruit, beverage, and homemade cookies to maximize my fishing opportunities - and several choices for dinner which you order a day ahead of time. Audrey is the chef making tasty and generous portion meals to satisfy any appetite after a full day of fishing. The ‘not-your-mothers-meatloaf’ and pork chops are two of my favorites, but I assure you all the meals are good. She is assisted, at least this year, by Joanne, Ashely, and Candice who are the dining room servers. They are always eager to greet each guest, ask about your day fishing, and provide excellent service with a joy and simile that is pleasant and refreshing. They each pay attention to every guest need adding their own special “flavor” to a convivial meal time. Alan manages the dock assisted by Devon and Shawn. They are always there to assist with boat launch and docking. Again, they are very eager to ensure every guest has a first-rate fishing experience. They handle all the “dirty jobs” like putting gas in the boat, mopping floor of fish slim, plugging in your trolling motor, cleaning up your daily trash you throw in the storage bin, and all the other little details.

Now the exciting stuff – the fishing is AWESOME. Little Vermillion is approximately 5500 acres buried deep in the Canadian wilderness. The lake holds Pike, Musky, Smallmouth Bass, Lake Trout, Whitefish, and Walleye (a very small population but growing). I have personally caught all these species. The lodge practices catch-and-release on a “voluntary” basis as the lake is controlled by provincial regulation. This is awesome as the fishery simply continues to grow with bigger and bigger fish. This trip didn’t produce any “life-time” fish, greater than 40 inches for Pike and 45 inches for Musky but I certainly have caught both and I did see several fish of both species that would qualify. Unfortunately, I was not able to get them to bite. Smallmouth bass are plentiful with the largest one at 19 inches for this trip, a real beast. You will catch fish here! There are a lot of fish and Alan as well as the other guest are willing to share tips, fishing spot, hot lures, etc.

If you are looking for a real Canadian wilderness experience without having to worry about the details (meals, boat equipment, etc.) and just worry about which spot and lure your going to try next, this is the place for you. More