River Run Walleye at Red Pine Lodge

Having one of the best jobs on planet Earth, I am blessed to visit some of the finest outdoor destinations this incredible province has to offer. On a recent trip to Algoma Country we visited another bucket list location near Foleyet, Ontario, situated between Timmins and Chapleau on some of the most pristine, unspoiled wilderness settings you’re ever going to find or fish.

The Lodge

Tucked beneath a hill covered with red pine trees is the spacious, ranch-style building of Red Pine Lodge. The lodge has a pleasant rustic feel to it. This is an ideal family vacation centre. Upon our arrival, the first thing I noticed was the wide, white sandy beaches and the modern cottages, completely furnished for housekeeping.

Lodge owner Garry Litt has run the lodge with his family for many years and is an expert at providing the amenities and comforts of home while situated in a wilderness setting. Red Pine Lodge is located on the East Side of beautiful Ivanhoe Lake, 11 km from Foleyet, in the heart of Ontario's finest fishing and hunting districts. This lake, and the 27 miles of Ivanhoe River, lie among the hills studded with the stately red pine tree. This is wilderness country, away from the regularly beaten trails of the tourist.

This is a lodge location where one can breathe the clean, invigorating northern air, enjoy the long, sunny days, the star-studded nights—the Northern Lights in all their glory; the sounds of nature and the finest fishing and hunting second to none or just plain old-fashioned relaxing at Red Pine Lodge.

The lakeside fishing cabins, just a short distance from the main lodge and looking out over the lake, are our comfortable waterfront cottages. The cottages are cozy and can accommodate groups of two to 10 people. They are roomy with ample space to store your gear. They are fully equipped and contain all amenities, which are considered luxuries in such a remote northern location. It felt to us like being at a friend’s cottage, not someplace strange or new. This place has that comforting feel to it.

The Fishing

Our angling adventure began by meeting our guide and local angler, Connor Dunn, who has fished the lake his whole life with his family and knows where to find walleye at any time of the year, so we were already ahead of the game. Local knowledge is priceless when it’s your first time ever fishing a new body of water.

Connor and I set forth our game plan for the next morning to fish the Ivanhoe River, fishing for "drop back" walleyes that had finished spawning a week prior to our arrival and were slowly drifting back towards Ivanhoe Lake, although Connor mentioned that a lot of fish remain in the river all season long. Heading up the river from the lodge, we were met with a greeting from a big moose who was enjoying a morning wander through the shallow weeds at the top end of the lake near the river entrance. Talk about a great way to say "welcome to Ivanhoe Lake."

A short distance through some tight turns and flats leads us to our first spot of the day, a neck-down area with sharp dropping edges to deeper water with a slight current break, an absolutely perfect location for river walleyes. We rigged up some 1/4-ounce bright coloured jig heads in fire tiger and perch tones with either a live minnow or nightcrawler, and made short underhand casts to the sides of the boat in approximately 7-10 feet of water. When I heard those magical words, "fish on," from Connor. Yes, his very first cast, and he hits a 17-plus-inch walleye to start our day.

Yes, I am impressed and as excited as a kid.

We place the gorgeous walleye into our boat live well for an afternoon shore lunch and proceed to cast when I feel that exact same sensation on my line, the mushy weight of a walleye that has just inhaled my jig and nightcrawler and hookset. Another 17-inch thick walleye joined his buddy as our lunch guest.

Now we are excited. Connor picked the perfect spot to start our day, and it’s important to mention when you are considering your vacation plans to Ontario fishing lodges: please consider hiring a guide for a least one day of your trip to familiarize yourself with the lake, the surroundings, any potential hazards on the lake or river, the best baits, presentations, etc. These local guides are priceless in helping you have the vacation of your life in these magnificent wilderness surroundings.

The action did not stop. We positioned our boat along the shallow edge of the neck-down area and made short casts to the immediate edges of the weeds and first breaks from 6 to 9 10 feet of water, and continued catching a smorgasbord of fish, including northern pike, rock bass, yellow perch, walleye, and the hard-fighting whitefish, which made for some exciting fishing moments.

This was so much fun. Connor and I had never ever met before this trip, and here we were sharing hook sets, pleasant commentary, and a boatload of laughs. Just two guys having a great time fishing who had never ever met before, and yet it was like we had known each other for years.

A common bond, fishing.

Treat yourself and the ones you cherish to a classic Ontario wilderness vacation this year, and contact the great folks at Red Pine Lodge to book your trip to lovely Algoma Country, it is that real.

Red Pine Lodge

Host: Garry Litt
Box 94 - Foleyet, Ontario P0M 1T0
Toll-Free: 1-877-264-4911
Phone: (705) 899-2875
Email: redpinelodge@xplornet.com

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