Guest post by Nicole Stone of Nicole Stone Outdoors
Watch the trip: We Flew Into the Wilderness for Giant Lake Trout (YouTube)
If a giant lake trout is on your bucket list, Kamuchawie Lake needs to be at the very top of it. Kamuchawie is the remote fly-in outpost run by Bakers Narrows Lodge out of Flin Flon, Manitoba, and it was hands down the best trophy lake trout fishing I have ever experienced.
I first started hearing about Kamuchawie a few years back, including during my time at Tazin, when a few guests mentioned another destination that had to be on the list. That destination was Kamuchawie.
Back then, Kamuchawie was a DIY outpost. Guests were flown out to a cabin with beds and boats and pretty much did it themselves. Kamuchawie is HUGE, and figuring out the water and learning the rocks on your own, on an expensive fly-in trip, never sat right with me.
That changed when Bakers Narrows bought it. I’d already been to Bakers Narrows a couple of times, so I knew Kamuchawie would be in good hands. Add in the footage Jason Mitchell (watch his video here), Nick Lindner, TJ Erickson and Brett McComas brought home from past ice seasons, and I couldn’t wait.
This September, I finally made it. Between all of our mom schedules, the trip was TIGHT. We drove up Monday, flew in Tuesday around 3 p.m., fished from 5 until dark, fished Wednesday morning and evening (the wind ran us off the lake in the afternoon) and fished all day Thursday. That’s about two full days of fishing, and we still caught 12 lakers over 30 inches, 11 of them Master Angler-size.
The crazy part? The crew told us this was some of their slow fishing.
Getting to Bakers Narrows Lodge
The drive, albeit long, is simple. From the Pembina border crossing, it’s about 8 hours and 45 minutes (866 km, roughly 540 miles) north to Flin Flon, and it is blacktop the entire way. No gravel, no washboard. Just a long, easy day in the vehicle.
Crossing the border was just as easy. There was one vehicle ahead of us, and the questions were simple: Where are you from? Where are you going? When are you coming back? What do you have with you? We were through in five minutes, tops.
My biggest tip: stock up on snacks in Winnipeg. There aren’t many options between Winnipeg and The Pas.
We rolled into Bakers Narrows Lodge Monday night, grabbed some sleep and a meal at the lodge restaurant, and got ready to fly Tuesday.
The Flight In With Wings Over Kississing
Tuesday afternoon we loaded up with Wings Over Kississing, a family-run air service that has been flying lodges and outposts across northern Manitoba for years. They know this country.
If you’ve never flown into a lake on a floatplane, it’s an experience all on its own. The roads disappear, and it’s nothing but water, rock and spruce as far as you can see.
Pack light and check the luggage limit before you arrive (50 lb per person on the floatplane).
The Kamuchawie Outpost: Remote, But Not Roughing It
The Kamuchawie Lake outpost sits right on the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border, about 125 miles north of Flin Flon. You are about as far out there as it gets, but you are NOT roughing it.
There’s running water, a full bathroom and comfortable beds with linens provided. There’s even Starlink, so checking in at home every night was easy. Christina, our cook, kept us well fed.
What stands out most is that Bakers Narrows never sits still. The outpost was completely renovated, and while we were there a crew of contractors was on site working on the next round of upgrades. You can tell they care about this place, and it’s going to be in a league of its own when it’s finished.
The Results: 11 Master Angler Lake Trout in Two Days
The fishing side was simple too. We only had to bring warm clothes. Tackle, rods, the boat and the guide were all provided. Our guide Brody was AMAZING, great at guiding and a genuinely good person to spend the day with.
- Tuesday: flew in around 3 p.m. and fished from 5 until dark
- Wednesday: morning and evening (the wind pushed us off the lake in the afternoon, so we went in for a warm lunch)
- Thursday: all day
Here’s what we caught:
- 12 lake trout over 30 inches
- 11 of those were Master Angler-size (35 inches or better)
And then there’s Christina. Our cook finally got out on the water, and in her first four hours she caught four lake trout over 40 inches, plus around 15 more big fish. Four forty-inch lakers in four hours. That tells you everything you need to know about what swims in this lake.
How We Caught Them: Big Baits, Tiny Bites
We were throwing big Bondy baits, the kind you’d expect a 40-inch laker to crush. Brody told us that on a lot of days, that’s exactly what happens. With the spawn setting in and some windy, rainy weather, though, they were on a different pattern for us.
Some of the biggest fish of the trip barely touched it. You’d feel the tiniest tick, set the hook, and suddenly a giant has you fighting for your life. The biggest fish don’t always hit the hardest, so stay on your line.
We jigged close to the bottom with more of a “walleye tap,” as I call it: small, subtle lifts instead of big, aggressive rips.
Brody had LiveScope on the boat, which made it that much more fun. You can watch a giant laker come up off the bottom, follow your bait, sit right under it and decide. Watching a fish that size make up her mind on the screen is the most addicting thing I’ve ever done in a boat.
Bonus: Big Walleye at Kamuchawie Too
We were there for lake trout, so we didn’t chase walleye. The contractors at the outpost did, though. One of them caught a walleye by accident, and after that they couldn’t help themselves. They found some absolute GIANTS. Kamuchawie isn’t just a lake trout lake, and I’d love to go back and target them.
What to Pack for Kamuchawie Lake
This is one of the easiest trips I have ever packed for. It’s all-inclusive, so Bakers Narrows provides the food, rods, tackle and boats. You just bring yourself and the right clothes. We went mid-September and had sun, wind, rain and cold, sometimes all in the same day. Here’s what I packed:
- Rain gear. A good jacket and bibs. You will use them.
- Warm gear. We brought our ice suits in September and were glad we did. In midsummer you probably won’t need them, but bring warm layers either way.
- Boots. Waterproof and warm.
- An electronics bag. I film, so my cameras, batteries and chargers all live in one waterproof bag.
- Toiletries.
- Your license and passport. Buy your Saskatchewan angling license online before you go, and don’t forget your passport for the border.
With the 50 lb luggage limit on the floatplane, packing light is a must, and not having to haul rods and tackle boxes makes the drive and the flight so easy.
Know Before You Go
- Get a Saskatchewan angling license. The outpost sits on the Saskatchewan side of the lake. Buy it before you fly.
- Pack light. 50 lb of luggage per person on the floatplane.
- Timing. Open water runs early June to mid-September, and ice fishing is offered in the winter too.
- Small groups. The outpost holds up to eight guests in the summer and four in the winter while renovations continue, so dates fill fast.
- Trip length. 3, 4 and 7-night packages are available.
- Master Angler. Saskatchewan’s Master Angler program is catch-and-release only, and you need to submit in the same calendar year. Get a good horizontal measuring photo of every big one.
Why Kamuchawie Is the Best Trophy Lake Trout Fishing I’ve Found
I have fished a lot of water across Minnesota, Manitoba and Canada. If you have never caught a true trophy lake trout, a fish over 40 inches, Kamuchawie is the best chance I know of. The fish are there, the numbers are there, and Bakers Narrows takes care of everything else so you can just fish.
It’s remote, it takes some effort to get to, and it is worth every single mile. I’m already trying to figure out how to fit it into the schedule again.
– Nicole Stone. Read more of my trips at nicolestoneoutdoors.com and watch the full Kamuchawie video on YouTube.
Kamuchawie Lake FAQ
Kamuchawie Lake sits on the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border, about 125 miles north of Flin Flon, Manitoba. There are no roads in, so the only way there is by floatplane.
Drive to Bakers Narrows Lodge near Flin Flon (about 8 hours and 45 minutes from the Pembina border crossing, blacktop the whole way), then fly in with Wings Over Kississing. The flight is included in the outpost packages.
Open-water trips run early June through mid-September, and ice fishing is offered in the winter. Nicole’s group fished mid-September, during some of the slower fishing of the year, and still caught 12 lakers over 30 inches.
Big. In about two days of fishing, Nicole’s group caught 12 lake trout over 30 inches, 11 of them Master Angler-size (35 inches or better). The outpost cook caught four over 40 inches in her first four hours on the water.
The outpost is on the Saskatchewan side of the lake, so you need a Saskatchewan angling license. Buy it before you fly.
Yes. The outpost has Starlink.
Up to eight guests in the summer and four in the winter while renovations continue. 3, 4 and 7-night packages are available, and dates fill fast.
Yes. The lake holds walleye and northern pike too, including some giant walleye.
Not much. The trip is all-inclusive, so food, rods, tackle and boats are provided. Bring rain gear, warm layers (ice suits in the fall), waterproof boots, toiletries, your Saskatchewan angling license and your passport. There is a 50 lb luggage limit per person on the floatplane.
Book Your Kamuchawie Lake Fly-In
Ready for your own trophy lake trout? See the Kamuchawie Lake outpost packages or call Bakers Narrows Lodge toll-free at 1-866-603-6390 to check dates.
