How does sight fishing for walleye in the middle of summer in clear water sound? Well, that’s what we experienced (along with whitefish and pike) at Troutfly Lake Outpost. You have this amazing body of water all to yourself. Along with the two other adjoining lakes and a bonus portage for beautiful brookies.
The adventure started at Pickle Lake, where the air base is located. We stayed the night there and then took an easy flight over the beautiful Ontario wilderness to the lodge 60 miles east. This system of lakes actually feeds into the famous Albany River. We were joined by Randy Combs, who has been visiting Troutfly Lake for 40 years! There’s something very special about this place, and he had some amazing stories to tell. What better guide to explore this remote outpost than someone like Randy?
Northern pike, walleye, lake trout, brook trout, and whitefish are on the list here. The whitefish I caught there were the biggest I’ve ever had on the line. The walleye and whitefish can be found in very shallow water because this Sunset Country location has clear and cool water. We easily caught fish under the boat, watching them bite in 6 feet to 10 feet of water.
Troutfly Lake is 5 miles long and 1.5 miles wide, covering 2,500 surface acres. Conservation limits are in effect there: two walleye, two northern pike, one lake trout, and brook trout are catch-and-release only. You have access to three different lakes by boat: Troutfly, North Troutfly, and Red. We fished Red, which is very shallow and slightly stained. The walleye were up in 3 feet to 8 feet of water near the weeds, along with the pike. The pike were also found roaming the shallow sandy flats; they can be spotted very easily and hit about any lure you throw in front of them.
The owners set this cabin up great! We’re talkin’ solar-powered lights, hot and cold running water, heated shower, three bedrooms (two bunks, two singles), wood stove, big dining table, propane cooking stove and oven, grill, and all the cooking utensils you need. This whole cabin can comfortably sleep up to eight to 10 people. For the bathroom, there’s a port-a-potty outhouse just steps away out the side door. It has everything you need for an off-the-grid fishing experience! The two boats at the main cabin are outfitted with 20-HP Yamaha engines. And there’s even a separate fish cleaning house next to the dock for those fresh-caught Ontario walleye!
There’s a nice short portage available on the south end. The water looks like something you’d see in the Caribbean. It’s full of brook trout. You could either pull the boat over to the portage or tie it up and walk the bank. I caught a brookie on the first cast! And we continued to catch them pretty well for the little time we fished. Randy has been there on numerous occasions and has seen them up to 4 pounds from this little gem.
Being off the grid is truly special, especially in today’s fast-paced world. If you want to get away from it all and enjoy a rare clear-water-walleye factory… along with great whitefish, pike, and lake trout fishing…Troutfly Lake is it!
