Home

If you’re looking for big Lake Trout it makes sense to go where the world record was netted. If you’re looking for monster Northern Pike, it makes sense to go where the Canadian record was caught.

And if you’re looking for both - and maybe a 20+ inch Arctic Grayling, while you're at it - look no further: both the 102 pound world record Laker and the 42 pound Canadian record Northern were taken from the deep blue waters of beautfiul Lake Athabasca.

Co-owner Jeff Perala first realised the tremendous fishing potential here twenty-five years ago, when he spent several summers canoeing around the lake, feasting on the abundant fish. Our original Johnston Island Lodge has been operating on Lake Athabasca for fourteen years. We opened our Spring Bay Lodge seven years ago. They are 35 miles apart, in starkly different terrain: Johnston Island is classic Canadian shield country, while Spring Bay Lodge is literally built on sand. Johnston lies in the heart of a group of islands, close to dozens of great little pike bays and a short boat drive to where the big lakers lurk. At Spring Bay there are two massive pike bays, filled with lush weed beds, and once again it's a short ride to some terrific lake trout fishing. Both lodges also offer some very good Arctic Grayling fishing, and at certain times our guides are able to provide a delicious Walleye shorelunch.

Field & Stream Magazine has called Lake Athabasca the Number One destination for Trophy Lakers in North America. (F&S writer Ken Schultz said it was the only place he'd been where the fishing was better than the brochure!).

That's a pretty good endorsement!

Why is the fishing so good? There are several reasons: there are no roads to Lake Athabasca, for one, and very few lodges. It's off the beaten track. More than that, though, is the fact that two huge rivers - the mighty Peace and the Athabasca - both drain into this magnificent lake, in a confluence that creates one of the largest inland deltas on the planet. With their massive flow they bring rich nutrients that support vast numbers of fish - enough to support incredible numbers of trophy lake trout and northern pike.

Lake Athabasca is located just south of Canada’s Northwest Territories and runs across the Alberta-Saskatchewan borders. At 230 miles long it ranks as North America’s 9th largest lake – and the 19th largest in the world. It's part of a geological trinity which includes Great Bear and Great Slave, legendary lakes which together drain into the Arctic Ocean via the Mackenzie River system.

It is bordered on the north by the dramatic granite of the Canadian Shield, and on the south by the Athabasca Sand Dunes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the fastest growing desert north of the 58th parallel.

The west end of the lake stretches into Alberta, but two-thirds of the lake is in Saskatchewan, where the waters are deep, cold and clean – perfect habitat for Lake Trout. Up to more than 400 deep in places, it provides unparalleled habitat for both species – not to mention Arctic Grayling and Walleye. Both our lodges offer superb opportunities to catch trophy Lakers and Northerns. And while our Spring Bay Lodge is known for its pike fishing, and our Johnston Island Lodge for its Lakers, the fact is that each offers excellent opportunities to catch big lake trout and northern pike.

I have fished both Great Bear and Great Slave several times, and Lakers has more big trout over 20 pounds than either of them. Your guides are a pleasure to be around and I truly appreciate the care they take in driving the boat in rough waters. I also caught my biggest three trout of my life, with a 31, 33, and 34. Warren McGaha