Wilderness Walleye

Fly-in Fishing with Glassy Bay Outfitters

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have an entire lake that is known for excellent walleye fishing all to yourself, for days on end? I know what that feels like now since our road trip to Elliot Lake this past summer visiting with the gracious hosts of fly-in camps called Glassy Bay Outfitters.

aerial landscape elliot lake

Our fly-in fishing experience began at the docks of the Sea Base in Elliot Lake. After the plane was loaded, we embarked on our journey to our ultimate fly-in fishing experience.

bushplane

On our flight to Bark Lake, we saw picturesque sights below as we flew over remote lakes, dense forests and wildlife. Once landed on Bark Lake, we taxied up to our camp and dock. From there we unloaded and the hosts gave us a quick tour of our camp for our stay. Bark Lake is very remote and we had the opportunity to catch an abundance of Walleye.

The sea base is located on Elliot Lake, the central meeting point for parking and floatplane departure. If you are travelling from out of town and need somewhere to spend the night, they also have a lodge that is available for you!

bushplane and outpost camp

We stayed at Middle Bark/Grey Owl, Located on Bark Lake, 40 miles north of Elliot Lake. Bark Lake is known for its outstanding walleye fishing but also offers Northern Pike and lake trout. The Grey Owl camp is located in the middle section of Bark Lake. The camp is named after a historical, well-known author named Grey Owl. Grey Owl was a British-born conservationist, fur trapper, and writer who disguised himself as an Indigenous man in the 1930s. Here lies one of his camps he would escape from civilization to pursue his interests in fur trapping, canoeing, and writing. His camp is dated, but only 100 meters from our main outpost camp.

According to the outfitters, the walleye don’t really start to turn on till early to mid-June and continue to be good throughout the season. The early season can be fantastic!

angler fishing walleye

Most find that trolling slowly with jig heads with a tail and worm works best. Worm harnesses work well as well. The daily limit is four per person and four in total possession.

We decided to slow troll with a worm harness and split shot weight combination on the edges of breaks between fourteen and eighteen feet of water bouncing our worms off the bottom a fair distance behind the boat and had no issues finding both walleye and northern pike on several locations with similar characteristics which were large boulders and gravel tapering to deeper water or along long tapering rock points off islands.

angler fishing walleye

The pristine wilderness surroundings with not another soul in sight for three days felt incredible, like a cleansing from social media, the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and the sights and sounds of nature ensured a great night’s sleep between fishing excursions to different parts of the lake.

angler fishing boat

Looking for something different this year?

Consider a wilderness, remote trip with Glassy Bay Outfitters, it definitely was an amazing experience I will never forget.

Contact the Outfitters

www.glassybay.com

Special Teaser to inspire you 

About Karl Kalonka

It's possible Karl's love for fishing began as early as the age of five. His parents took the kids on weekend trips across Ontario fishing for panfish, catfish, and bass. "I started with a bobber and worm from the time I was five years old," says Karl. These days, he has the enviable task of doing what he loves for a living, travelling across Ontario fishing, filming and producing two outdoor series, Extreme Angler and Crappie Angler TV.

Recommended Articles

The Best of Ontario

Home to World-Class Fishing & Hunting

Hit The Hard Rock Cafe

Ice fishing for jumbo perch and crappies in Northern Ontario.

Against the Grain

Smallmouth fishing in the heart of walleye country.

Experiencing Prince Edward County - The Angler’s Way

Walleye fishing on the world-famous Bay of Quinte.

Fishing Northern Ontario

Hitting The Road With Fish TV

Dog Lake Walleye

This lake has it all, but the incredible walleye fishing is what brought us back

Dogtooth Lake Resort Smallmouth

A drive-in smallmouth bass trip to remember

Oles Adventure Resort

Quality smallmouth bass fishing on Whitefish Lake

Speed is Key When Fishing for Muskie in Northern Ontario

Anglers need to balance the size of their lure with the speed of their retrieve.

Bass Love the Grass

Northern Ontario is home to incredible fishing for both smallmouth and largemouth bass.

The Muskie: A Lean Mean Fighting Machine

Ontario is the number one Muskie destination on the planet.

The Best Brook Trout Fishing

Discover world class fishing in Northern Ontario—home of the world record brook trout!

Take Someone Fishing

Easy to learn, affordable, and fun: Fishing is a sport for everyone!

Ice Fishing With Fido

Ice fishing is the perfect opportunity to teach your dog the ins and outs of fishing, only simplified. 

The Ontario Fall Crappie Hunt

Ontario's 400,000 lakes are home to a variety of fish species.

When to Use Bright Lures and Dark Lures

An interesting insight, using bright lures on bright days and dark lures on dark days.

Top 10 Streamers for Ontario Brook Trout

Big Brook Trout get that way by eating lots of smaller fish which is why streamers work well.

Ontario Brown Trout Fishing

It may be the best fishing on earth.

Loch Ness Fishing

Loch Island Lodge is an Angler's Dream

4 Best Shore Lunches in Ontario

A shore lunch is a tasty meal that you won't soon forget. Here are the best most memorable meals we've had lakeside in Ontario!