The largest freshwater apex predator in North America

Musky on the Fly:

We are the only fishing lodge in the world dedicated to fly for fishing Musky.  If this is something you have considered doing, there is no better place to execute. Located amongst the most dense population of Musky in the world, Lake of the Woods is a fly fisherman’s paradise. This is a very challenging fish to catch, but with us – everyone will get chances over the 5 days of fishing.  It is extremely rare to not hook a fish during your stay, and the average is one encounter a day. This includes follows to the boat and bites. With a 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. Our lodge takes 6 guests a week, 2 guests per boat, and a mix of single and double occupancy rooms.

 

Why go Musky Fishing?

There are some great fisheries in the United States to find trophy Musky, but anyone in the know will consistently tell you about one iconic fishery that surpasses the rest by an exponential degree.  This is of course Lake of the Woods.  Lake of the Woods has sheltered waters, visible structure, big bodies of shallow water and a mix of tannic and clear water to fish each day.

Quick Facts:

  1. Musky can live up to 30 years.  They are old, and smart, however our area allows you to have musky encounters nearly every single day. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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. You can leave the warm water trout and salmon closures behind and have a reliable healthy fishery to explore.
  4. The underlying bedrock of  Lake of the Woods is among the oldest of geological formations to be found on earth.  It is beautiful lake to explore with over 14 000 islands.

Dates Available for 2024:

  • June 17 – June 22 Week 1 –  Full
  • June 22- June 27  Week 2 – Available
  • July 8 – 13 – Week 3 –Full
  • July 13 -18 – Week 4 –   Full
  • July 18 – 22 – Week 5 – Full
  • July 23-28 – Week 5 – 2 spots

 

The Lodge

The lodge is a beautiful lake front facility less than 10 minutes from the best fishing.  There are 2 single occupancy rooms and 2 shared rooms for our 6 guests.  The lodge is lake-front with spectacular views from the oversized decks.  The lodge is located at the end of a dirt on a peninsula with beautiful, private views.  Meals are scheduled around the fishing.  Hot showers, internet, and occasional cel service are all found at the lodge as it is has hydro. Our location sets us 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 Guides

  • Derek Botchford Operator
  • Dave Page Musky Guide
  • Corwin Trent Musky guide
  • Derek Botchford Operator

    As operator and guide of the musky camp it is my job to ensure your trip is a successful one. From the moment you book with us I will be at the ready to assist you in anything that may arise with regards to your trip. From the first contact with Epic, to organizing your travel from Winnipeg to the lodge, to watching you make your first cast, I will be there for it all.  Throughout your stay with us I will facilitate everything with the lodge manager and guide team to make it is a once in a lifetime experience.

The Fishing

The fishing:

Fishing is quite intense.  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 very exciting right at dark so we really like to make sure we are on the water at this time.  Our most productive fishing will consistently be early in the morning and late in the evening.  Mid days we often take off but occasionally there is a very good mid day bite.  Multiple fishing sessions per day will be offered and guests can fish them all, or take some sessions off to catch up on sleep.  Our  Musky average around 42 inches, but guests will have a real opportunity to beat the coveted 50 inch mark.  There may have been a time where 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 really takes the effort out of it. It takes a bit of practice to make sure your rod is doing the work and not your shoulder, but once you get it down it is no different than any saltwater fishing.

Equipment:

We will supply the flies but guests are welcome to bring their own.  Check with us before you buy any to make sure they will work on our waters as Musky files can be around $40 each.  10 and 11 weight rods are ideal and we will go over the best lines in detail in our pre-trip  (however floating lines or light intermediate shooting heads are ideal).  It isn’t a dredge game at all.  In fact most likely 30% of takes will be on giant poppers on the sun phases.  They are just hard to land on surface bites. Anglers need to wait for the fish to take and sink, than drive home multiple hard strip sets.

Exclusive Amenities and Facilities

Exclusive Amenities

  • Food prepared by our own Epic Waters chef.  The lodge takes 6 guests a week.
  • Sweeping lake views from the lodge
  • comfort foods scheduled around the fishingpaired with wines for dinners
  • Wilderness park setting; wildlife abounds
  • The lodge in located at the end of gravel road. There are other cottages nearby but we are located on a private peninsula. We are a 10 minute boat ride to the fishing.

Facilities

  • Laundry availible
  • Shore lunches each week
  • Hot Showers
  • internet
  • ice
  • coolers
  • drive in, easy access to anything one may need
  • Massive front deck and sitting area all lakeside

Accommodation

 

Lakefront Lodge overlooking Lake of the Woods

  • Single and double occupancy rooms
  • Well appointed rooms, comfortable mattresses and new pillows
  • reading and writing table
  • 3 shared bathrooms
  • hydro
  • massive decks at the lodge to relax
  • massive deck on the lake to park boats, relax, fish or swim

How to Get There?

Winnipeg is very 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 lodge very early on the following morning (2 hour drive),  We will immediately hit the water!

What equipment and documents should I bring?

 Details

1. You will arrive in Winnipeg the night prior to your trip. From there take your per-arranged shuttle to the hotel of your choice. In the morning  a shuttle will be organized to the town of Kenora, where a water taxi will bring you in to the price island.

2. Please purchase your license. You must have:

  • 8 day angling license for your duration

3. We have  beer and wine at the lodge but no hard alcohol. We can stop at a store on the way in. Duty free is a great place to purchase alcohol prior to 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

– Flight times and travel details confirmed directly with airlines
– Passport and/or travel documents reviewed and double-checked- All equipment packed and ready to go

Travel info

Traveling with Special Items: Fishing Equipment

Traveling with outdoor gear and most fishing-related items is permitted. Outdoor enthusiasts should carefully prepare and pack to avoid 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 flight originating within the United States. Canada may apply different standards and different policies with regards to 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 in order 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 in order 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

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
Drivers Licenses or other state photo I.D. cards issued by 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 traveler 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.

Packages and Rates

Rates:  $5000usd plus tax for 5 days and 5 nights

included:  Food, accommodation, flies, rods, reels and a multitude of lines, beer and wine, shuttle to and from Winnipeg, multiple sessions of fishing throughout each day (common to fish 12 hours of more per day all combined).

Not included: flight to and from Winnipeg, hotel in Winnipeg, shuttle to Kenora, hard alcohol, gratuities for kitchen staff or guides, fishing licenses 

Ready for an Epic Adventure? Contact Us to Book

call us tel:+18778469153

send derek an email

Derek Botchford 
Owner Operator