Green Wilderness Lodge

Fishing on a historic flooded river in the Ontario Wilderness

On the drive to this great lodge, it’s very easy to see why it is called Green Wilderness. And from the drone shots, you can get an even better view of the beauty there. Located on Lake Mattagami, you have miles of water filled with hungry walleye, northern pike, perch, whitefish, and smallmouth bass!

This “lake” is actually a flooded river. This was an important waterway for floating timber to help build up mines and homes in the area around 100 years ago. I’m sure many of the people in the bush camps back then spent some spare time fishing. And that’s always fascinating: when you’re fishing places like this in Ontario, you’re fishing history. And in the quiet, calm days on the water, when you look around at the incredible scenery, you have the same views they had back then. Well…except for the new boats and equipment.

Green Wilderness Lodge morning on the dock

Owner Russel Thibodeau has installed an impressive amount of solar power to keep the lodge (family-owned and operated) running with clean energy. This is a great example of the care that his family takes in maintaining both the lodge grounds and the environment as a whole!

All the cabins are spacious with great views of the lake. The sunrise each morning is picture-perfect. Our cabin had three bedrooms and can easily sleep over eight people. It also featured a full bathroom with a toilet, sink, and shower. For cooking meals, the kitchen is equipped with all the cooking needs; utensils, pots, pans, cutlery, plates, cups, etc. There’s also a deck barbecue for your fresh-caught walleye! We had a great group shore lunch right at the lodge fire pit one evening. What better way to meet other guests and share stories of the day’s fishing adventures with each other? If you need anything from town, Timmins is about a 45-minute drive away. Green Wilderness is just far enough away to feel very remote.

Green Wilderness Lodge cabin deck

shore lunch

green wilderness lodge walleye fishing lake mattagami

Green Wilderness has a launch ramp next to the dock if you decide to bring your own boat, which many guests do. This is a great option and is not always available at lodges. You can also choose to use one of their deluxe fishing boats. They are 14- to 16-footers outfitted with 15-25HP motors, which are great for exploring up and down the lake. You don’t have to go far to catch plenty of walleye! In fact, many of our catches were within sight of the main dock.

Walleye is the target fish. But there are also hungry northern pike and smallmouth bass that feed in the middle of the day when the walleye can slow down. The size of walleye range from eaters up to 30-inch trophies! So you have both numbers and sizes. There are also some big perch that roam around. I hooked into a nice 11-incher and heard about a group that got into some much bigger. We’re talkin’ about 12- to 14-inch perch! They are fun to catch…and eat!

Lake Mattagami Outpost Cabin

They also offer an outpost cabin, just a short boat ride away. The cabin sleeps up to 12 people with many amenities. It includes running water, a shower, and a sink in the bathroom as well as an outhouse. You have the cooking and eating utensils, refrigerator, countertop stove, and a BBQ. You will need to bring your own towels, sleeping bags, and pillows. Green Wilderness Lodge offers different options, from affordable Housekeeping and American Plan packages to a special Family Package.

Book This Trip

www.greenwildernesslodge.com

About Troy Lindner

Troy Lindner is a co-host of The Ontario Experience airing on The Sportsman Channel. He was born and raised in Minnesota, which included many travels into Ontario, Canada growing up. The son of legendary angler, Al Lindner. Troy always enjoys journeying north across the border to experience the incredible fishing of Canada. A seasoned bass tournament fisherman, he has won over 40 events, including the 2016 Wild West Bass Trail AOY. His favorite fish to catch are smallmouth bass, with muskie being a close second. And Ontario waters offer trophy fishing adventures for both of these!

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