Frequently Asked Questions - Fishing

1. So what am I going to catch?

The fishing menu at Scott Lake Lodge is limited but satisfying. On Scott Lake the daily choice is simple: northern pike or lake trout. On many of our fly out lakes you can add arctic grayling to the list.

2. How many fish will I catch?

That’s a loaded question. Your catch rate will depend on many things, like the weather, water temperature and importantly your skill level and experience. And probably most importantly how well you listen to your guide (wives are much better at this than husbands). Let’s put it in this way: even if you are a terrible angler your guide will make sure you catch a dozen fish a day. A really good angler during ideal conditions (warm temps, sunshine and moderate winds) can bring 70 or 80 fish to the boat. Yes, that’s per day. We have had customers catch well over a hundred fish a day. The pike fishing can be fast and furious and the lake trout fishing is usually slower but more consistent. Anything under ten fish a day will push our guides to the edge of a nervous breakdown. We catch a lot of fish here.

3. How big?

Everyone wants to catch a lot of fish and a lot of big fish. We don’t claim to have the biggest pike or trout in Canada but we are in a perfect location to have huge sizes in both species. To the north there are bigger trout but the pike are typically smaller. And to the south the pike may be slightly bigger but the trout are usually smaller. Just like in the fairy tale at Scott everything is just right. Our top end on pike is 50” with very large girths and for trout we get a few around 46 or 47 with top weights in the low 40s. In a good season with a full house (400 anglers) we get close to a thousand trophy pike in a season and around 400 trophy trout. (Our trophy pike are 40” and trout 35”.) We catch a lot of pike in the 35-38” size, probably the hardest fighting size slot.

4. What about sight fishing for pike?

At Scott the water is as clear as gin but better tasting. Most of the pike on Scott are seen before they are caught, creating a tremendous level of excitement. On some of the fly out lakes the water is less clear but we have sight fishing conditions whenever the sun shines and sometimes when it doesn’t. It’s a big reason why so many experienced anglers keep coming back to Scott.

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5. How long is your fishing day?

Typically boats leave the dock between 8 and 9 in the morning and return between 5 and 6. Most customers love their fresh fish shore lunch so there is usually a mid-day break. But this is your vacation and the pace of the day will be set by you. Guided evening fishing is available for a $50 per boat fee but most anglers have a hard time leaving the lodge after an extravagant dinner.

6. What kind of boats are we in?

The lodge has 18.5’ custom Alumarine boats with 40 HP Yamaha outboards. All are equipped with sonar, life jackets and a lot of safety and communication equipment. On fly outs the boats are 16” custom Alumarines with 25 or 30HP Hondas.

7. Are flyouts available?

Yes, we have ten fly out destinations. They are optional because the fishing on the home lake system which includes three different lakes encompassing a quarter of a million acres is great. Many of our customers just love to get in the Beaver though and explore a distant lake. Many of our fly out lakes are part of a major river system which makes them more productive (more vegetation, more forage fish, etc) on the numbers side. The biggest pike and trout every season still seem to come from Scott and the connected lakes, Premier and Wignes. Even if all 12 boats stayed on Scott, a fairly rare thing, there is still around 20,000 acres per boat to explore. We have a lot of water.

8. How many other lodges fish Scott, Premier and Wignes?

None. There is one private cabin on Scott that is used only a week or two a summer but you will have a level of exclusivity and privacy that just doesn’t exist in many places these days. You will rarely see another boat. You just can’t find more exclusive or private fishing anywhere.

9. Can I take fish home?

The short answer is no. We take small pike and trout for shore lunches but all the big fish go right back where they belong. It’s been that way on Scott for 20 years and it shows. We still have a lot of huge fish!

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10. What type of tackle should I bring?

You don’t have to bring a thing. Unless you really love your own rods and reels leave the tackle to us. Each guide has an arsenal of gear: open face spinning, baitcasting, 9 weight and 4 weight fly rigs, trolling tackle for big trout and even ultra-light spinning for grayling. This is all good stuff, top end St. Croix rods and Shimano reels. Using our gear will make your travels a whole lot easier and it doesn’t cost you a cent. It’s all part of your package. Ask any other lodge what kind of gear they provide.

11. How about lures and flies?

We’ve learned the hard way that providing terminal tackle is a no-win situation. Most anglers have their special lures or flies. Bring what you have but remember that simplicity is the rule. For casting a few Mepps or Blue Fox spinners (size 4 to 6), a couple of Johnson Silver Minnows in the one and a quarter ounce size, a variety of Rappalas, a few Sluggos for the inactive ‘sleeping” pike and a bunch of the Storm plastics will fit the bill. We have a tackle shop with these and many more along with leaders and all the odds and ends you will ever need. Your guide may well pull out some of his favorites as well, but that’s between you and the guide. For fly fisherman it’s very simple—lots of leeches, black for sure and a few other colors with a size one/ought hook, some Deceivers, Whistlers and a top water or two. And yes, we have these and many, many more flies at prices far less than your local fly shop. We do provide complimentary flies for our grayling fly outs but your standard stream trout selection will work fine for these opportunistic but exciting gamefish.

12. How long and rough are the boat rides?

Many anglers who have been to Canada grind their teeth just thinking about the poundings they have had on some of the huge Canadian lakes. While Scott is big, over 100,000 acres, and Wignes and Premier sizable lakes as well, none of this water has an open expanse of more than 5 or 6 miles without islands or points to break up the “fetch”. Scott is really five distinct lobes with connecting channels and over 500 islands. The result is a watery wilderness without the huge five foot waves that can be encountered on lakes like Wollaston, Kasba or Reindeer for example. With no competing lodges the boat rides to fishing spots can be quite short. Our best lake trout holes on Scott are five minutes from the lodge. Typically you will be fishing within fifteen minutes of leaving the dock. Our longest boat rides are just over an hour but your guide will discuss your daily “fishing plan” and allow you to decide just how far you want to travel. On the fly out lakes the boating distances are all quite short. In short we will not shorten your spine and the guides are quite attuned to your comfort. A trip to a fishing lodge should be fun not painful.

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