Algoma Country is well known for its outdoor wilderness opportunities. From kayaking to hiking to fishing and hunting, its beautiful landscapes provide the perfect setting for whatever the outdoor enthusiast's heart desires. As well as its abundance of inland rivers, creeks, and lakes, the Algoma region also borders two of Ontario’s Great Lakes: Huron and Superior. However, if you’re on the hunt for massive smallmouth bass, you needn’t look any further than The Outpost Lodge, which is located in “Trophy Alley”— an area of phenomenal fishing in lakes and rivers to the west, east and north of Sault Ste. Marie.
The Outpost Lodge is within a two-hour drive of the US-Canada border and is ideal for anglers who are looking for a wide variety of fishing opportunities within a short drive of a main lodge. Whether you’re looking to bring your boat and cook with your buddies or want the full-service meal deal, the lodge has options suited to everyone’s preferences and budgets.
Originally built in the 1950s by a professor at the University of Chicago, this lodge has faithfully retained its historic architecture and is filled with relics of anglers who fished there in the past. Current owners Jim and Anne Kehoe are exceptionally knowledgeable about this history, as well as the current state of the fishing there, and enthusiastically entertain guests with their passion.
The area surrounding the Outpost Lodge boasts a variety of fish species, including northern pike, walleye, trout, largemouth bass, and the lodge’s proudest boast—massive smallmouth bass. Walk and wade opportunities are plentiful in the streams and creeks, while many of the surrounding lakes provide the perfect opportunity for boat fishing.
In preparation for a trip to the Outpost Lodge, I would suggest keeping the motto “Always Be Prepared” in mind. Bring 5- and 6-weight rods for bass, 4- or 5-weight rods for trout, and 8-weight rods for pike. You’ll also need a variety of fly lines—intermediate, floating, and sink-tip options, depending on the time of year, weather and species.
In my experience fishing this area for bass, Woolly-Buggers are the prime fly choice. I am particularly fond of rabbit strip versions of this versatile pattern, as well as beaver and tan and olive sparkle variants. Other patterns, such as bass poppers, work well, but Woolly Buggers are the tops.
Not surprisingly, this area is a favourite of fly anglers due to the variety of possibilities, the gorgeous landscape, and the dream of landing a trophy-sized fish. Whether you’re fishing one of the local streams for trout, or a nearby lake for bass, The Outpost Lodge is an accessible, budget-friendly choice for any angler.
The Outpost Lodge
8572 Hwy 129
Thessalon, Ontario P0R 1L0
Phone: 705-841-2518
Email: outpostlodge@hotmail.com
Web: www.outpostlodge.com
