The Lunker Walleye of Lac Seul

When we started planning our locations for the walleye series and came across the website for Williams Lake Lodge and Lac Seul, we circled this trip in red ink. Having a reputation for king-sized walleye is one thing, but when folks tell you that 8- to 12-pound walleyes are more common than 6-to-8-pounders, we listen more attentively.

Our trip to Williams Lake Lodge was a relatively easy drive-in location, as they had just completed the “new” road from the logging roads that now take you directly to the lodge, instead of boating in, which was normal in years past. Approximately one and half hours from Dryden, Ontario, we arrived at the main lodge—the traditional lodge nestled right along the lake's edge and the beautiful wilderness of Ontario's Sunset Country was impressive.

The lodge features clean, modern cabins. While they aren't luxurious, they have rustic log cabins as well as newer frame cabins, and a cozy main lodge that has that Northern Canadian vibe.

They offer 17- to 18-foot boat rentals with floors, comfortable seats, and 40- and 50-horsepower outboards. Some even come with electronics to help you navigate and find the big ones.

The live bait station was a sight to behold. The owners of this lodge leave nothing to chance—the aeration systems and ice treatments keep the minnows fresh and lively right down by the dock.

We travelled to Williams Lake Lodge during the middle of September. We crossed our fingers that Mother Nature would afford us conditions to film a great show that would inspire viewers to consider this location for their next vacation. Well, Mother Nature rained on our parade but we still shot our scenes between the light rain showers and cold north winds that came across Lac Seul.

We headed out with our lodge guide, Brian, who lives in Dryden and knows the lake system very well. He told us tales of the early season bite and how awesome it is in the dead of summer with many large walleye being caught on a regular basis.

I was hooked.

Now what you read next is not a typo or an attempt to convince anyone that every single day or outing is going to be as good as our day. In truth, we actually only fished in the morning from 8 am to 11 am and, considering the boat ride from Williams Lake through to Lac Seul was approximately 40 minutes, and by the time we set up our camera equipment and picked the first spot of the day to fish, we were closer to 9:30 am before we even wet a line.

But, from the very first drop, on the very first spot, Brian stopped—which was a gradual sloping rock point leading from 8 feet of water to depths ranging from 20 to 27 feet and depths of 30+ feet—began the onslaught of catching fish non-stop until our cameraman insisted we had more than enough walleye for two shows, never mind the one show we planned on shooting.

Dropping our 3/8 and 1/4-ounce ball head jigs directly below the boat with a lively minnow hooked thru the top lip on 8-pound fluorocarbon line and St.Croix medium action spinning rods was all we needed to hook up fish, after fish, after fish.

I have never caught so many big walleyes in my life on consecutive casts.

The fish finder was alive with bright orange streaks on the bottom, rising to 3 feet above the bottom in the magic overall water depth of 27 feet.

When we drifted out deeper, we stopped getting bit.

When we drifted in shallower, we stopped getting bit.

This school of walleye contained entire families of 5- and 6-pound fish to the earlier year classes of 14- to 18-inch fish.

Our bites ranged from soft mushy weight sensations to outright thumps, signalling the bigger fish were definitely on the chew big time this morning.

The majority of larger walleye all had the jig hook protruding through the top lip and made for easy catch and release of these prime spawners, which in turn keep reproducing the walleye population this fishery is known for. 

I have to admit—we shot our show and let our camera crew head back to the warmth of the lodge while we stayed out with Brian for a few more hours of sheer madness, catching all sizes of walleye and having a ton of laughs, while depositing some incredible moments into the memory bank.

If you’re looking for a true Bucket List Location that has both the numbers and size of walleye, with huge northern pike up to 30 pounds, and bonus smallmouth bass that are virtually never touched, I suggest you consider Williams Lake Lodge for your next fishing vacation and bank your own memories that will last a lifetime with the walleyes of Lac Seul.

Call the friendly owners Ken and Kathy Burton at Williams Lake Lodge. They can be reached in winter from November to May 1st by phone at (262) 736-4044 or in summer months from May to November (807) 808-0267 Visit them at www.williamslakelodge.net

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