Buck Lake Lodge

Ang and Pete fly-in to do some wilderness outpost fishing in Algoma.

Ang and Pete are big fans of the fishing that the Algoma region of Ontario has to offer. Let’s face itwith great scenery, thousands of bodies of water, multiple fish species, and an array of great lodges, who wouldn’t be?

They are also big fans of the people in the area...hardcore outdoors people! They love fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, kayaking...you name it, they do it.

For this Fish’n Canada episode, they travelled to Buck Lake Lodge on what is referred to as Buck Lake (in actuality, its true native name is Obakamiga Lake, which means “lake of many bays”).

The trip commenced from a previous shoot in Northwest Ontario, so it involved a drive east and south on Hwy 17 to White River and then a turn north onto Hornepayne.

Some driving distances from popular cities. (Photo credit: Buck Lake Lodge)

“We had to drive the White River route,” says Angelo, “in order to pick up a brand new four-stroke long shaft outboard to bring into the lodge. Thanks to our friends at Mercury, Superior Marine, and Algoma Tourism for getting this motor safely and quickly to us.”

After a good night’s sleep in White River, the boys woke up to a constant misty and rainy morning... not conducive to safe flying. After a quick breakfast, they ventured north on Hwy 631.

This is the calm “after” the storm.  (Photo credit: Fish'n Canada)

"This was the best part of the drive," says Pete. "We saw two gorgeous bull moose along the highway...a real bonus in such rugged terrain."

The bad weather stayed relentless; it just would not stop! They puttered around the thriving metropolis of their departure point of Hornepayne (not many Timmys in that area) and eventually made their way to Forde Lake Air Services. 

After what seemed like an eternity, the pilot finally said it was safe to fly.

The short fly-in to Buck Lake Lodge is always a highlight… true Northern Ontario travel. (Photo credit: Fish'n Canada)
Beautiful scenery abounds. (Photo credit: Fish'n Canada)

Upon arrival at one of the fully appointed Bingwood log cabins, the entire team unloaded the gear and had a chance to hit the water for a few hours. Unfortunately, the rain never really left, and thus, the camera pretty much stayed in the bag.

For a cabin situated out in the middle of nowhere, this is what we deem as luxury. (Photo credit: Fish'n Canada)

"When weather like this happens," says Ang, "Pete and I don’t take the day off. Instead, we tell the camera operators to sit tight and make sure all the gear is ready to go while we go check out the fishing."

Here is the lodge-supplied map. (Photo credit: Buck Lake Lodge)

“We covered a ton of water,” says Pete, “but couldn’t put together anything solid... not really what we anticipated, but we knew that the potential for greatness could be right around the corner.”

Little did the guys know that they would find greatness in an area called Witches' Nose. “At the Forde Lake Air Services,” says Ang, “we met a departing customer flying out from Buck Lake Lodge and all he said to us was 'Witches Nose'...hmm.”

On that wet and windy day, Ang and Pete definitely found fish at Witches... unfortunately, they were the wrong species. It was loaded with northern pike in around 12 feet of water...a preferred walleye depth is given to us by the locals.

“Finding pike isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” says Pete, “especially when a couple of them bent Ang’s stick almost completely over...he broke off two giants in short order. Eight-pound flouro with no wire leader on medium action spinning gear usually doesn’t have a chance!”

“If lots of pike are present,” continues Ang, “then bait must also be there...oh yeah, and walleye too!”

Each boat has a measuring stick to help you with your catch. With a regular license and on a daily basis of catch or possession, you are each allowed 4 walleye 18 inches, under or 3 walleye 18 inches and under and 1 between 18 – 22 inches. (Photo credit: Fish'n Canada)

Day Two found the guys waking up to almost the identical weather as Evening One; lots of rain and, of course, strong winds! With that, again, the camera was left in the bag for about 90% of the day. The guys did, however, get to chart some great-looking water, really defining specific structures. 

On Day Three (their final day), the skies somewhat parted, but the temperatures were nothing short of “make sure you wear every piece of warm clothing you have.” It was one of those mornings.

On our final day, we woke up to this! (Photo credit: Fish'n Canada)

After a chilly boat ride back to Witches Nose, Ang and Pete immediately started catching quality walleye in around 16 feet of water. They knew that 12 feet deep meant pike, so they had to look elsewhere.

“With the water temperatures hovering on and around 52° F,” says Pete, “we figured the walleye would be a bit lethargic. That’s still pretty cold.”

“Trust us,” continues Ang, “we tried casting and dragging plastics, but none of them would work”.

The jig and live minnow were the ticket!

How would you like to catch 50 - 100 of these babies in a day? (Photo credit: Fish'n Canada)

With the use of the latest and greatest technology on their sonar, the boys dialled in a perfect depth range that they could stick to for the entire day. The result was 20 to 30 picture-perfect walleye, 15 to 20 pike (when they ventured too shallow...they just couldn’t help their foolish selves), a gorgeous whitefish, and get this: a white sucker. Pretty good fishing for one day!

With Garmin’s new Quickdraw and Colour Shading features, Pete and Ang completely mapped out great areas like Witches Nose and then proceeded to catch walleye after walleye. (Photo credit: Fish'n Canada)

“Unfortunately, we didn’t get a whole lot of filming time up at Buck Lake Lodge,” says Angelo, “but it speaks volumes as to just how good their fishing is. With our very limited shooting time, we still came out with what we feel is an amazing episode.”

Contact Buck Lake Wilderness Lodges & Outposts

Phone: 1-888-366-0712 
Website: http://fishbucklake.com

Buck Lake Lodge...it’s yet another Algoma diamond in the rough.

About Fish'n Canada

As one of the original pioneers of Canadian adventure television, the Fish'n Canada Show has been broadcasting their pursuit of the ultimate adventure for over 30 years. Hosts Angelo Viola and Pete Bowman educate and entertain audiences with their passion and enthusiasm for fishing. Both are inductees in the Canadian Anglers Hall of Fame. Check out their episodes and video on the Fish'n Canada YouTube Channel and like them on Facebook!

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