Trophy Lake Trout and Smallmouth Under the Northern Lights

I’ve stayed at many resorts and outposts across Ontario, and this was the first time I got to see the Northern Lights! The photo above was taken right from our cabin’s deck, what a sight! Owners Wayne and Karla Clark of Clark’s Resorts operate two drive-in resorts and over 25 fly-in outposts. They also have a very large live-bait business supplying numerous lodges with fresh minnows.

For this trip, we were filming at their Anishinabi Fly-in Lodge. This is only a 10-minute flight from the airbase at Northern Lights Resort on Cedar Lake, 25 miles North of Vermilion Bay, Ontario. If you’re looking for a semi-remote cabin, without being too far away, this is a great choice for you. On the main island along with the lodge are four beautiful lakefront cottages. Away from the main island, also on Anishinabi Lake, is an excellent outpost cabin called Williams Narrows. The cabin we were staying in has plenty of room to sleep, eight-plus people. It also included a spacious refrigerator, dining area, cooking and eating utensils, stove and outdoor deck complete with a grill. With only four cabins on the main island, you have plenty of space. There’s a beautiful large cabin there that can accommodate a bigger group, perfect for families. It has the best view of them all!

The two main target fish there are lake trout and smallmouth bass. The lakers get big, I mean, really BIG. We visited in the heat of summer and still caught them. Earlier in the season you can catch them shallow. There’s also great smallmouth bass and northern pike fishing. Even though there are no walleye in Anishinabi, if you’re looking for a shore lunch, no problem. There are a number of portage lakes (and daily fly-ins) to get some walleye action for both catching and cooking. Our guide, John Jakobs, knows the lake well. He found some deep schools and put us on the bite. We did keep one smaller laker to eat. And it was delicious! Freshly cooked fish in a frier at the cabin is the next best thing to a shore lunch.

The smallmouth we encountered were grouped up along the many boulder shorelines. They like to bite in the heat of the midday sun, a time when the laker and pike bite can be slow. A number of times, I hooked into a smallie and it had a small school following it. Expect some doubles in the boat when you’re fishing there. Or triples! The boats you use can easily fish two or three people.

Seeing the Northern Lights has been on my bucket list for a long time. This is not an uncommon sight while visiting Ontario. There are apps and websites that track to best times to see them. The bright green and white lights only lasted maybe 10 minutes from when we first saw them. But I’ll remember them for the rest of my life!

All the fly-in packages include flight to and from the base, the cabin for five to seven nights, well-maintained 14- or 16-foot boats with swivel seats and new or near-new 8HP or 9.9HP motors, fuel for outboard and generator, landing nets, minnow buckets, paddles, mid-week camp checks, ice, water, and LIVE MINNOWS! All outposts feature hot and cold running water, all have electric fridges, all have showers, stoves with ovens, gas BBQs, and gas fish cookers, all cabins are well-lit, and Honda generators are available at all locations. The cabins are also equipped with dishes, cooking & eating utensils, bunk beds with mattresses and memory foam pillows, and sleeping bags or comforters.

The evening sunsets are amazing—be ready to take a lot of photos! Anishinabi Fly-in Outpost is great for both small and large groups. The short flight is nice for first-time float plane passengers, or if you don’t want to be too far off the grid. Also, there is WiFi in the main island lodge to keep you connected. Clark’s Resorts has over 25 outposts, you have a lot of options!

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Clarks Resorts & Outposts
Toll Free: 1-866-744-2154

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