Tammy MacDonald, Author at Scott Lake Lodge

Happy Thanksgiving 2025

by Tammy MacDonald | Nov 25, 2025 | 2025 Fishing Season

As the grocery stores fill up their main displays with pumpkin filling and gravy packets, the fall really does nestle its way into the year. Words of gratitude fill this holiday, and we want to be sure you know how much we appreciate you! From all of us at Scott Lake Lodge, we wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.

colors of the spawn

With the mornings becoming frosty and crisp, it’s hard not to cherish those warm sunny days of this past summer. The far north brings all four seasons within May to September. The spring crew arrives, flying over hard lakes, ready for the chance of snow and wake up the lodge from the winter slumber. Within days, the ice begins to melt and the shift into rising temperatures welcome eager anglers ready to fish. The peak of summer boasts full trees, flourishing native flowers and the monster pike migrating into the bays. The height of the heat starts to bring resonance of the magic that is to come. The northern lights begin to fill the night sky in late July and dance us into the Fall; a favourite for many. The leaves turn, the vast sunsets come earlier and the trout appear in the shallow reefs, changing their fin colours to match the season: bright, vibrant shades of orange, red and yellow.

Sportshow Season 2026

The Scott Lake Lodge team will be heading down to Nashville this year, a first for us!

The Safari Club International will have their outdoor show from February 18 – 21. We are booth 3134 and would love to see both familiar and new faces.

Send Jon Wimpney a text (306) 209-7150 or email him if you’d like to get together while we are there.

Photo Contest: 2025 Season

The quality of a trip is hard to capture. However, we would like to share some of your photos or videos that capture your favourite memory of Scott Lake Lodge from this past season.

There are 3 ways to enter:

1. Email your photo to Jason
2. Post your photo on Facebook and tag us @scottlakelodge
3. Post your photo on Instagram and tag us @scottlakelodge

The contest will run from December 10-15, 2025. Our management team staff will vote to select the winner. The top prize is a $500 Scott Lake Lodge store credit to be used during your 2026 trip. Second place winner will receive a fishing tackle package and third place receives a Scott Lake hat.

Send us your best shot!

Non-Stop Angling

Check out this video made by Landon Marcinek with Non-Stop Angling. As you’ll see for yourself, his trip to Scott Lake in late July was full of exciting moments. Watch until the end for his fish of a lifetime!

Our NEW Mailing Address

Same folks, different address. If you are sending anything to our main office in Wisconsin, please use the following mailing address. If you need the street address, contact Shirley at 888-830-9525.

Scott Lake Lodge
PO Box 69
Tomahawk WI 54487

Top of the Fish List

With the change in season and the Christmas lights at arm’s reach, we can’t help but start thinking about the new year and what fish will be found up at Scott Lake. Our guest list is nearly complete for the 2026 season, and if you haven’t already, we hope to get your trip booked. Whether it be a gift under the tree or a long-awaited bucket list adventure, we have you covered. Our Sales Manager and Head Guide, Jon Wimpney, will help you get any dates and information for that trip to the 60th parallel. Send Jon a text (306) 209-7150 or email him to save your spot.

Stay Tuned

Be sure to keep an eye out on our blog and social media, as we will be partnering with The Wet Fly Swing Podcast and Tourism Saskatchewan as we have a HUGE GIVEAWAY starting this week. There will be some upcoming episodes of the podcast where we discuss flyfishing at Scott Lake Lodge; we will be sure to share those links as well.

It’s Time

by Tammy MacDonald | May 10, 2025 | 2025 Fishing Season

Spring is on its way to the north. Watching the weather and following along with satellite imagery, the snow line is creeping south towards the 60th parallel. Excitement for the upcoming season hits a whole new level at this time of year.

We are one week out from our spring crew heading in via helicopter. We have some new fuel tanks coming in at that time as well. Spring will be busy on the island with construction in full swing to finish the new cabin (Otter) and major renovations on Loon cabin. Cabin deck improvements are on the agenda as well as some surprises to look for down by the waterfront. The list is long, but the group heading up is more than capable.

We’ve been on a journey to enhance the accommodations and amenities for each and every guest that visits our island. We’ve learned that each season brings feedback and new opportunities for improvement. Our process will never stop.

Who is Scott Lake Lodge?

Last summer we enlisted our friends at Launch Pad Creative to help us tell the story about this special place. We think this final video does a great job of conveying the passion our team has for Scott Lake Lodge. Check it out!

2025: It’s not too late

First, we need to say thank you to all of our guests. 2025 is a sell out and we are humbled and so grateful for your trust in us. We will be working tirelessly every day to deliver the best fishing trip you’ve ever had. While the books are full, we inevitably have some in-season cancellations. If your schedule is flexible and you want to get on our short list, contact Sales Manager Jon Wimpney (306-209-7150) There is still time to fish with us this season.

And never too early…

We’ve always offered our current season anglers the first opportunity to secure their week, cabin and guide for the next year. It’s an option that nearly 70% of our guests take advantage of. We also have an early wait list for 2026. At the end of each week, any un-booked spots for next season will be offered to those on the wait list. If your plans include a trip to Scott in 2026, now is the time to get those plans in motion. Get in touch with Jon to get on the list.

Pink Watercolor Happy Mother's Day Facebook Event Cover (1)

In Case You Missed It: 2025 Annual Report

by Tammy MacDonald | Feb 3, 2025 | 2024 Season

Happy Holidays 2024

by Tammy MacDonald | Dec 23, 2024 | 2024 Season

We hope today finds you safe and warm, surrounded by loved ones and with great memories of your Scott Lake adventures. Right now, our island in the far north is a very different place compared to the bustling and exciting atmosphere of the summer season. On Christmas Day it’s lonely. And dark.

For this Christmas Day our island will be quiet. The only sights and sounds will probably be the passing of a few ravens with their distinctive low-pitched wingbeats gently disturbing the profound quiet of the 60th parallel. Over our three-decade history there have been a few winters where we did a “winter watch” with a staff member arriving around the first week of January and staying until spring breakup. In our early years Earl Crawford did that lonely duty and about twenty years ago our Sales Manager Jon Wimpney did that job for a couple of winters before we realized that there wasn’t a need to have a winter presence. Jon recalls his time on the island: “Wake up, stoke the fire, melt some snow for water, clear off the solar panels for power and make some coffee.” Then and now a few trappers and hunters from Fond du Lac or Stony Rapids might drive by on snowmobiles, but generally the land belongs to the caribou, moose, wolverines, and wolves. It is a quiet (and dark) place at Christmas.

On Christmas morning the sun will rise at 9:08 AM. But by 2:42 PM it will be ready to call it a day. Don’t let that schedule make you feel even a little cozy though. Many of our team members have made visits in December and January to check on the place or do winter construction. If you look right up at the sun, you don’t have to look very high. It’s high point today, the sun will be just under 7 degrees above the horizon. And looking at the sun, even on a clear day, you will not feel the slightest hint of warmth. On a cloudy day you will feel like you’re walking around in perpetual twilight. It’s not until late February or March that it feels like real daylight. For Christmas of 2024 things are balmy at the lodge, in the high 20s. Most years you would put a dash in front of that number. The lowest temperature on record for Stony Rapids, 50 miles to the south, was -59F in January of 1972. Temps of -30 have been common in December and January. Of course, in six months it’s an entirely different story. The sun will reach its peak altitude of 53 degrees on June 21: the day will be a lot longer with just under 19 hours of sunlight. The temperatures will be a lot more inviting, probably in the 70s. The hottest day ever recorded temperature at Stony Rapids was 98 degrees on June 28, 2002, just a week after the summer solstice. Interestingly some of our current guides were on Scott’s water that day and probably drinking a lot of it. Cory Craig, Greg Hamm, Jan Phoenix, Chester Porteous and Jon Wimpney were all on duty (Paul Hamilton and Steve Linder just missed that cutoff). That’s a temperature range of 137 degrees. A lot of things about the far north are extreme, including the extremely good fishing.

For this winter break our team is spread all over Canada and the world, but we know that each of them is thinking about June 9, 2025 when we start the fun all over again. We all look forward to putting on the best fishing show in Canada for our 2025 guests.

Some Fun Facts About Scott Lake Geography

The lodge is located at 59 degrees, 59 minutes and 28 seconds latitude. Since a degree is roughly 69 miles, a minute 1.15 miles and a second 101 feet that puts the lodge 3,131 feet south of the 60th, close enough to call us 60th parallelers.
The 60th crosses the following countries: the United States (in Alaska of course), Canada, the UK, Sweden, Finland and Russia.
At the 60th the circumference of the earth is exactly half of that at the equator.
About 40% of Canada’s land mass is above the 60th.
The 60th is the lowest latitude that experiences “white nights” where darkness on the solstice does not drop below “nautical twilight” (in plain English it just doesn’t get dark for most of June and July).
The true Arctic Circle where on June 21st the sun doesn’t set and on December 21st it doesn’t rise is at latitude 66 degrees and 56 minutes, about 450 miles north of Scott Lake Lodge.
Careful research indicates that the latitude of Scott Lake Lodge is the most fun of any latitude on earth.

The Best Gift: A 2025 Scott Lake Adventure

A fishing trip to the Canadian wilderness might not be under the tree, but it can be on your calendar. We have first-class accommodations, exquisite dining, amazing fishing, and unmatched customer service. We would love to share it all with you.

We have a few spots left scattered throughout the summer. Get in touch with our sales manager Jon Wimpney via email or call/text 306-219-7150 soon. He will work his magic to get you a spot in 2025 or put you on the waiting list for 2026. Don’t miss out!

Week 19 Recap: A Perfect Ending

by Tammy MacDonald | Sep 19, 2024 | 2024 Season, Arctic Grayling, Lake Trout, Northern Pike

“A PERFECT ENDING”

Another Fishing Season in the Books

One would think, after 90 consecutive days of managing, guiding, cooking, serving, cleaning and fixing, that the Scott Lake team would be tired, listless and ready to call it a close to the fishing season. Not the case. Maybe it’s like the horse who smells the barn and races back to its stall after a long ride: it knows the end is near and gives it his all. Whatever the inspiration, the Scott crew doubled down on their service commitment for the final group of the fishing season, or maybe they were just playing off the high energy of this fun-loving group (you know who you are) who brought to our island an incredible level of enthusiasm and excitement for the closing session of the season. They came to have fun and to catch fish, in that order. They accomplished both magnificently. It was a lively bunch who traveled from many hot spots in the lower 48 to enjoy the cool temperatures of the 60th parallel in September. They were energized. The sauna, hot tub, spa and our two bars (especially the bars) were jumping all week. This group had it all: great fishing, northern lights viewing, impressive wildlife sightings and interesting dining. There was a strong “let’s have a party tonight” vibe for the entire week, even when on Day 4 vicious winds shut down fishing for the day. Few ventured out that day in some very heavy waves. If they did, they didn’t go far. No trophy fish were landed that day (lowering the week’s trophy total significantly), but a black bear did make an appearance so at least one pin was handed out after dinner that night. (The lodge recognizes some wildlife encounters by awarding “trophy” pins for spotting black bear, moose or muskox.)

And there were plenty of actual fish pins handed out too. The week ended with 130 trophy fish landed, heavily leaning toward northern pike and Arctic grayling. While the lake trout did start their annual migration upwards toward the shallow reefs, they were late this year, probably due to the still warm surface water temperatures. Hundreds of smaller lakers were in the shallows but the big ones were still in deep water. Only four trophy lake trout were landed for the week, the biggest a 37.5” laker off Scott Lake taken by James Abell who landed big trophy fish in all three of our species, earning the 100+Club jacket. The big trout were generally still deep and with great pike fishing on Scott and the fly out lakes not too many guests spent time doing the deep trolling needed to bring them up. The pike fishing was just too good. Our northern pike were feeding heavily on windy, rocky shorelines and in the remaining weed beds. There were many hundreds of pike caught with 77 hitting the 40-inch or over trophy category, not our best week of the season but not shabby either. Tom Granneman, Francis Sun and Dan Spielman caught pike of 44-inches. Dan also got a 45-incher along with Jim Ward. The biggest pike of the week was on the line of James Abell, a beautiful 46-incher. There were many of pike in the 40- to 43-inch range with Collen Clark, Tom Granneman, Clay McCain, Mark Graf and Frances Sun enjoying days with three-trophy pike in the boat. Mark and Frances along with Dave O’Donnell also had four-trophy pike days. As with the previous group, there were frequent comments about the weight and girth of the pike that came to the boats. The typical 40-inchers in September probably weighed three pounds more than the same fish weighed earlier in the season. And it was common to hear about 100 or more pike in the boat for a single day; the pike were in the attack mode all week.

For those that ventured into our rivers, our grayling with their trademark high, iridescent dorsal fin were very cooperative. Grayling of our “supersized” mark of 18 inches or better were taken by Mark and Rebecca Graf, Dan Spielman and Frances Sun. James Abell and Randy Grooms had a big grayling day on the outflow of Odin Lake with their biggest were just under that 18-inch mark. Dry flies and sub-surface nymphs were the winning tickets for grayling action.

There were trophy dinners all week. The culinary team ended the season strong, featuring dinners like beef bourguignon, seafood risotto, lamb loin, smoked brisket and lobster with a tenderloin to name just a few of the offerings. Between the over-the-top group shore lunches and the lavish dinners, no one lost any weight on this trip. Many may have gained a few pounds, but all gained indelible memories of fishing at its best. We had an almost even split this week between long time regulars and first-time guests. Based on bookings and comments, we gained a lot of new regulars. It was simply a wonderful week to spend in the far north and a perfect ending to another fishing season our guests and staff will always remember as one of the best. Stay tuned for a season summary: it will have a big number for our total trophy count.