Lake of the Woods
The Largest Freshwater Apex Predator In North America
Experience an unforgettable fly fishing trip for one of the most unique species that are only found in small parts of North America. Join us for the best musky fishing Canada has to offer.
Musky Fishing on the Fly
Epic Narrows Musky Camp is the only fishing lodge in the world dedicated to fly fishing for Musky. This fishery is a good mix of high density, and the potential for true giants, which lends perfectly for fly fishing. You have to move a lot of musky to get one to bite, and with a large population of wild fish we do see our share. Combining this with the staggering amount of islands to get out of the wind, Lake of the Woods is a fly fisherman’s paradise. We also have sections of the lake that have very productive pike fishing with fish in the 36-45 inch range.
Musky are of course a very challenging fish to catch, but on Lake of the Woods – everyone will get chances over the 5 days of fishing. The encounters we have each day with Musky keep us fully engaged, this includes follows to the boat and bites. With Lake of the Woods large population of musky to target, and the big leaps and bounds in fly, rod and line technology, Musky are now a very catchable species on the fly. Epic Narrows Musky Camp takes 6 guests a week, 2 guests per boat, and a mix of single and double occupancy rooms.
Show more +Musky are of course a very challenging fish to catch, but on Lake of the Woods – everyone will get chances over the 5 days of fishing. The encounters we have each day with Musky keep us fully engaged, this includes follows to the boat and bites. With Lake of the Woods large population of musky to target, and the big leaps and bounds in fly, rod and line technology, Musky are now a very catchable species on the fly. Epic Narrows Musky Camp takes 6 guests a week, 2 guests per boat, and a mix of single and double occupancy rooms.
Why go Fly Fishing for Musky
There are a lot of unique fish around the world worth targeting on a fly. This list includes arapaima, golden dorado, kundzha, taimen, and mahseer. Musky fit right in on a list like this. A unique fish that is only native to a tiny part of North America, and not found anywhere else in the world. Unlike many of the tiger musky that are now stocked throughout the US, Lake of the Woods Musky are both native and wild.
People may sometimes incorrectly associate Musky with Pike. However, make no mistake, musky are a completely different animal. Landing a wild musky on the fly is no simple task and takes a lot of effort and perseverance, it is a true accomplishment. These are shockingly large musky that can bring grown men to their knees.
Lake of the Woods
In the granite fortress of western Ontario, lies the crown jewel of North American lakes: Lake of the Woods. One of the most prolific lake systems in the world, this gem has long been cloaked in lore for musky fishing. With 14, 000 islands and over 47 species of fish, you never know what will attack your fly.
The Lake of the Woods area has a rich history dating back to 7,000 BC when small bands of Palaeo Indians were hunting prehistoric large game. The aboriginal peoples who first settled in the Lake of the Woods area over 7,000 years ago called the lake “minestic” or “Lake of the Islands”, a name befitting an area with endless islands
Epic Narrows Musky Camp
Epic Narrows Musky Camp is the combination of two beautiful lakefront facilities with excellent fishing right off the docks. Each has a large main lodge and all the amenities you would expect. There are both shared and single occupancy rooms with private and shared bathroom options. Meals are exceptional, and times are based on fishing schedule preferences. We will also enjoy plenty of fish fries with walleye at the lodge’s outdoor eating areas. Guests will enjoy hot showers, internet, and occasional cell service, which are all found at Epic Narrows Musky Camp. Our main lodge is a 10-minute boat ride from town and has regular power; however, our outpost lodge is well off the power grid, far from civilization and is powered by a large diesel generator. The multiple locations allow you to effectively fish the most productive waters and set this lodge apart from any other fly-fishing musky destination in the world. Simply put, there is no better place to target musky on the fly on earth.
Your Trip Includes Stays at 2 Incredible Lodges
Lake of the Woods is the 35th largest lake in the world. With 14 000 islands and 65 000 miles of shoreline to fish, our program is designed to access the best parts of it by utilizing 2 different lodges over your stay. Your journey starts at the upscale Main Lodge, only a 10 minute boat ride from Kenora. Although a more populated area this gives us quick access to famous musky areas like the ‘bus stop’ and Crow rock, plus the advantage of easy access to all the necessities from town. After 2 days here we take guests on a 2 night adventure to our private island in the most remote part of the lake. In one incredible week, guests get two distinct, unforgettable adventures on the musky rich waters of Lake of the Woods.
Main Lodge
Musky Outpost
Amenities
Accommodations
Guides
The Fishing
Fishing is quite intense at Epic Narrows Musky Camp. The biggest fish feed during moon rise and moon set, sunrise and sunset which are called majors and minors. The top water fishing can be exciting right at dark so we like to be on the water at this time. Our most productive fishing will consistently be early in the morning and late in the evening. We are often off the water during the heat of the day but occasionally there is a good mid-day bite. Multiple fishing sessions are offered and guests can fish them all, or take some sessions off to catch up on sleep. Our Musky average is around 42 inches, but guests will have a real opportunity to beat the coveted 50-inch mark.
There may have been a time when slinging big musky flies was just too much work, however, modern technology in lines, rods and flies has made life easy. The flies range from 6 -12 inches and are tied as light and sparse as possible. The new shooting heads take care of all the work. We also like to use 2 handed, overhead-casting surf rods which takes the effort out of it. It takes a bit of practice to ensure your rod is doing the work and not your shoulder, but once you get it down it is no different than any saltwater fishing.
There may have been a time when slinging big musky flies was just too much work, however, modern technology in lines, rods and flies has made life easy. The flies range from 6 -12 inches and are tied as light and sparse as possible. The new shooting heads take care of all the work. We also like to use 2 handed, overhead-casting surf rods which takes the effort out of it. It takes a bit of practice to ensure your rod is doing the work and not your shoulder, but once you get it down it is no different than any saltwater fishing.
Quick Facts
- 90% of the world’s native musky are found only in Ontario and Wisconsin and to this day the only place in the world with wild musky is in North America. Tiger Musky which are ½ pike and ½ musky are stocked worldwide but are not true musky.
- Musky can live up to 30 years. com listed the musky as one of the 7 most hard-to-catch fish in the world, right there with Blue Marlin, and Goliath Tiger Fish. Mysteriously, the musky has never left the North American territories and can only be found in the Northern parts of the U.S. and the Southern parts of Canada
- Their speed, resilience, beautiful coloration, toothy smile, and the fact they are only found in one small part of the world make this fish truly fascinating. You can’t help but have 100% appreciation for the true apex predator.
- Northern pike are a good sports fish but the distribution is circumpolar. The distribution of the northern pike (Esox lucius) in Europe, Asia, and North America is one of the broadest distributional patterns of any fish species in the world. Great for beginners pike are easy to catch and populations are everywhere. Then you have Tiger Muskellunge which are the ‘Frankenfish’ of the genus and are the hybrid offspring of Northern Pike and Muskellunge. Tiger Muskellunge are usually considered hardier and grow faster than either parent species. It becomes pretty apparent that Musky are quickly in a league of their own.
- There is no doubt in our minds and we can say this with confidence, Lake of the Woods is the finest muskie fishery in the world today.
- Conservation: One of the few examples of a fishery that is far better today than it was 25 years ago. The muskie fishing is even better today, thanks to the modern management and high-quality fishing regulations. The objective was to take the finest muskie fishery in the world and make it surreal. And it worked out splendidly
- Over 10,000 years ago, Lake of the Woods was carved into the granite of the Canadian Precambrian Shield by receding glaciers. The underlying bedrock of the lake is among the oldest of geological formations to be found on Earth.
- The Lake of the Woods area has a rich history dating back to 7,000 BC when small bands of Palaeo Indians were hunting prehistoric large game. The aboriginal peoples who first settled in the Lake of the Woods area over 7,000 years ago called the lake “mystic” or “Lake of the Islands”, a name befitting an area with over 14,000 islands. The lake is a natural wonder created without any human interference. It is the 36th biggest lake in the world
Getting To Epic Narrows Musky Camp
Winnipeg is easy to get to no matter where you live in North America, why? Because it is the geographical centre of Canada. No matter what major city you are coming, from the flight will be less than 2.5 hours. Guests fly into Winnipeg, Canada, and overnight. You will be shuttled to the town of Kenora very early on the following morning (a 2-hour drive), and then it is a 30-minute water taxi ride to Epic Narrows Musky Camp located on a private island. We will immediately hit the water!
Information
Details
- You will arrive in Winnipeg the night before your trip. From there take your per-arranged shuttle to the hotel of your choice. A shuttle will be organized to Kenora in the morning, where a water taxi will bring you to Epic Narrows Musky Camp.
- Please purchase your license. You must have:
- 8-day angling license for your duration
- We have a decent supply of beer and wine at the Epic Narrows Musky Camp but no hard alcohol. Duty-free is a great place to purchase alcohol before entering Canada. Our health care is expensive and you will feel it when you buy booze here. Please note there is no liquor store at the lodge and people regularly regret not bringing scotch to toast that 30 lbs Musky they caught!
Before travel
Traveling with Special Items: Fishing Equipment
- Travelling with outdoor gear and most fishing-related items is permitted. Outdoor enthusiasts should carefully prepare and pack to avoid the removal of prohibited items from checked baggage or surrendering prohibited items at the security checkpoint. Here is a specific list of all permitted and prohibited items.
- Fishing Rods – Rods are permitted as carry-on and checked baggage. However, please check with your air carrier to confirm that it fits within their size limitations for carry-on items. Ultimately, it is the carrier’s decision as to whether or not it can be transported as carry-on baggage.
- Tackle and Other Equipment – Most fishing equipment should be placed in your checked baggage, especially tools and other tackle equipment that can be considered sharp and dangerous. Expensive reels or fragile tackle such as flies should be packed in your carry-on baggage. (*T.S.A. Recommendation from T.S.A. website, March 1, 2009)
- Please keep in mind that these are T.S.A. policies for flights originating within the United States. Canada may apply different standards and different policies concerning rods, reels, flies, etc.
ID Requirements for Airport Checkpoints
Adult passengers are required to show a U.S. federal or state-issued photo ID that contains the following: Name, date of birth, gender, expiration date and a tamper-resistant feature to be allowed to go through the checkpoint and onto their flight. Passengers who do not or cannot present an acceptable ID will have to provide information to the Transportation Security Officer performing Travel Document Checking duties to verify their identity. Passengers who are cleared through this process may be subject to additional screening. Passengers whose identity cannot be verified by TSA may not be allowed to go through the checkpoint or onto an airplane.
Acceptable IDs include:
- U.S. passport card
- DHS “Trusted Traveler” cards (NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
- U.S. Military ID (active duty or retired military and their dependents)
- Permanent Resident Card
- Border Crossing Card
- DHS-designated enhanced driver’s license
- Driver licenses or other state photo I.D. cards issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles An airline or airport-issued ID (if issued under a TSA-approved security plan)
- A foreign government-issued passport
Information for Traveling with Liquids: T.S.A.’s “3-1-1 Plan for Carry-Ons”
3-1-1 for carry-ons = 3.4 ounce bottle or less (by volume) for each item; 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. One-quart bag per person limits the total liquid volume each traveller can bring. 3.4 oz. container size is a security measure. Consolidate bottles into one bag and X-ray separately to speed screening. Declare larger liquids. Medications, baby formula and food, and breast milk are allowed in reasonable quantities exceeding three ounces and are not required to be in the zip-top bag. Declare these items for inspection at the checkpoint.
Show more +Packages & Rates
$5,000
+ Tax
5
Days
5
Nights
Jun-Jul
Months
Food, accommodation, flies, rods, reels and lines (we have a multitude of Musky lines to use), beer and wine, shuttle to and from Winnipeg, multiple sessions of fishing throughout each day (common to fish 12 hours or more per day all combined).
Flight to and from Winnipeg, hotel in Winnipeg, shuttle to Kenora, hard alcohol, gratuities for kitchen staff or guides, fishing licenses