2025 Fishing Season in SK and NWT with Scott Lake Lodge

December 2025

by Tammy MacDonald | Dec 22, 2025 | 2025 Fishing Season

Whether you’re in the sun or bundling up in the snow, we hope your holidays are filled with joy, family, friends and good tidings!

Up on the 60th parallel, as winter tightens its grip, the lake disappears beneath snow and ice. The tiny village many of us call home during the summer settles into stillness. The bush goes quiet, the days grow short, and the only tracks are those left by wind and wildlife. It’s a time that reminds us why Scott Lake exists at all; a remote, wild refuge shaped by water, weather, and the rhythm of the seasons.

As winter settles in and the lake rests under ice and snow, we’re thinking about the moments that define a season at Scott: the quiet mornings on the water, the pull of a good fish, a cup of coffee in the lodge, and evenings sharing stories of the eventful days. These simple, meaningful moments are what make Scott Lake Lodge special, and they’re made even better by the people who come year after year.

2025 Photo Contest Winners

GRAND PRIZE: Josh Dreyfus – for the stunning capture of the Otter float plane at night, with the northern lights making for an epic and colourful background!! Unbelievable capture!

SECOND PLACE: Mike “Deadwater” Rogers – years into a longtime fishing partnership with Biff Piston, these two seem to never stop having fun. Here Mike is captured mimicking the face of this lake trout while wearing his extra special, personalized fishing sweatshirt!

THIRD PLACE: Tim Fierbaugh – Always great to see groups of family and friends come together for an adventure at Scott Lake. The Fierbaugh boys have been catching big fish with us for years, with the happy addition of the Benson family bringing their skills and big smiles to the table!

SPECIAL MENTION: Jason Ziegler – These photos of almost matching trophy trout are not only truly impressive, but they have a great story behind them. With their guide Graham, Jason and Laurie felt these big boys bite at the same time. A double header is always fun, but when there are two trophy lakers in the net at the same time, that makes for a standout memory.

Congratulations and a huge thank you to everyone who submitted photos. It’s always nearly impossible to narrow it down!

A Perfect Gift

Give them a gift they will never forget! A trip to Scott Lake Lodge is a gift like no other. Unbelievable fishing, first-class accommodations, exquisite dining, and unmatched customer service create an unforgettable experience. We are 95% full for 2026 but do have a few slots in prime weeks available. Now is the time to act! Call/text Jon at 306-209-7150 or send him an email right now. He will make sure your gift is the gift of the year.

See You Next Summer

Thank you for being part of the Scott Lake Lodge family. Whether you spent time with us this past season or have been part of our community for many years, we’re grateful for the trust, friendships, and memories we get to share in this remote corner of the North.

As we look ahead, we’re already dreaming of open water, rising fish, and welcoming faces back at the dock. We hope you’re doing the same. Until then, enjoy the time with loved ones, and know that Scott Lake will be waiting for you when the season turns again.

Wishing you a peaceful holiday season and a new year filled with adventure.

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.

Week 19 in Review: This Is The End..Almost

by Jason | Sep 12, 2025 | 2025 Fishing Season, Arctic Grayling, Lake Trout, Northern Pike, Website Fishing Blog

Week 19 in Review: This is the end…almost

Fall is Trout Time

It isn’t easy to sum up the feelings of the final week. The culmination of so much work, so many memories made and shared. It’s bittersweet; the end is in sight, but somehow you are never quite ready for it. Especially so on the nineteenth and final week of the 2025 season. Fall in the north showed her true splendour, and the weather was perfect. It was hot and sunny during the days, cooling off for perfect bonfire weather in the evening. Geese flew overhead as the full moon and the northern lights lit up the night sky. There were fish stories galore, the trout were shallow, the pike were feeding ravenously, grayling pounded dries, and the annual whitefish run was on. Our final crew was wonderfully wild; the excitement that showed off the planes on the first day was the same as when we sent the last group south. It was a lot of fun…the fishing was on fire!

Big pike made up the bulk of the 188 trophy-sized fish that our anglers hauled in this week. These toothy predators are as fat as can be in the fall, each fish bulked up after a summer of feeding. The sun and light winds made for some great action on the rocks and weedbeds of Scott and the flyout network. Eleven super-sized pike over 45” were landed, including three 47” fish caught by Mike Rogers, John Heinmiller and Dave O’Donnell. This brings our record-setting season total up to 39 giant pike over 47”! Dave and John both added a 46.5” pike to their fish tales this week, James McCain hit a new personal best at 46”, and Priscillia O’Donnell added a 46” also. Many of our anglers shared tales not just of pike over 40”, but those in the 36-39” range that came in droves this week. They fight hard and make for incredible fishing days. Each week, during the introductions, we encourage people to enjoy each fish…this week, they certainly did.

Fall is trout time, and this week did not disappoint. As the lakers stage to spawn on well-oxygenated cobblestone reefs and points, they develop bright orange or yellow bellies and the leading edge of their fins turn a brilliant white colour, betraying their Char genetics. Lake Trout belong to the genus Salvelinus, sharing genes with Brook Trout and Arctic Char. This was just the start to the spawning run, with the smaller males making up most of the catches, however, some big females were up shallow, testing the light tackle. Sweetwater Mike Rogers waited until the last afternoon to land a 42” shallow trout, the fight sounded epic, and Mike led the way with 108” for his entry to the 100+ Club. Clay McCain found a 41”er, David Stetzler a 39.5 and Dan Spielman and Galen Faulconer both tallied 38” ers to round out the top trout action.

Grayling love sunny days in the fall. John and Julie Heinmiller found this out as a part of our last plane to Tukto, they both found 20” grayling in the rapids on the tundra lake. Bill Sandbrook, Joe Mayhew and Clay McCain all got into 19” fish on their days in the rapids. The dry fly action this time of year can be exceptional. Watching these northern fish clear the water to take flies never gets old. The same goes for northern lights and bonfires, we had both in fine numbers this week. The Last Cast happy hour was a full house each day with excited tales and fish and wildlife…bears, muskox, moose, otters and wolverines were all sighted and photographed. It was a fine week to end off a superb year. Thank you to the anglers who closed out the season with us, and thank you to each adventurous angler who visited us in 2025. It was a big year for Scott Lake Lodge; we can’t do this without you! Though this is the end of our regular season, the work for 2026 starts today. Constant incremental improvements to our infrastructure, flyout network and the beginning of our procurement and hiring process are already in the works. We won’t rest until we meet our goal of the best lodge fishing experience in Canada.

September 10

Just a good picture showcasing the great days they’ve had this week! From the weather, the fishing, the laughs & more, Galen & Poach do it right! #canadianwilderness #fishinglife #exploremore #getoutthere #canadianfishing #OrvisEndorsedLodge

September 9

The season shifts & the lake trout wear it proudly, the burnished orange & gold colours shine bright as if polished by autumn itself. #laketroutfishing #catchandrelease #canadianfishing #fallcolors

September 8

Congratulations to John for this beauty! Him & Spencer were crushing it today & even landed a trophy triple with 100+ total inches!! #orvisendorsedlodge #canadianfishing #catchandrelease #laketroutfishing #northernpike #graylingfishing

September 7

Holy Pike! Mike & Biff are a long time fishing duo and have seen a lot over the years. A day like this doesn’t happen always but when it does it’s unforgettable! Mike landed many pike today, although this tank takes the cake! #gonefishing #northernpike #canadianfishing #exploresask #catchandrelease

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Week 18 in Review: The Leaves Dropped and the Trout Came Up

by Jason | Sep 7, 2025 | 2025 Fishing Season, Arctic Grayling, Lake Trout, Northern Pike, Website Fishing Blog

Week 18 in Review: The Leaves Dropped and the Trout Came Up

Trout in the Shallows

We wait all summer for it…the moment the lake trout migrate out of their deep water haunts and stage on rocky reefs and points in preparation for their fall spawn. This annual event is driven primarily by water temps, though photo period also plays an important role. At the start of the eighteenth week at Scott, our water temperatures were quite high for this time of year. Some north winds and cold overnights changed things in a hurry. Our group of anglers were treated to almost all four seasons this week, sun, rain, wind and about 50 degrees of temperature variation. Some good rain gear a few layers and folks stayed fishing. The good news…the fish didn’t mind one bit. Pike, trout and grayling were are all fat, feisty and ready to chow down.

With 14 super-sized pike over 45” this week, the big girls were out and ready to play. Our biggest pike was a Wholdaia Lake giant caught by Patrick Hurst, at 48.5”, one of the biggest of the season! Brian Floen got into a 46.5”er, while Mike and Veronica Strobel netted a pair of 46’s. Kevin and Don Thorp found success in a couple of big fish a 46 and 45.5’er, while Adam Strobel and Adam Sturdivant both fought and landed 45s. What a pike week! The average fish is substantially heavier this time of year, after recovering from the rigours of the spring spawn and 4 months of chowing down on whitefish, burbot and even other pike. Weeds and rocks were the locations of our fall pike this week, guides playing the wind to their advantage meant success for the anglers. Knowing the daily and seasonal movements of pike across over 2 million acres of water is a challenge; we are fortunate to have a guide team that can crack the code.

The trout were starting to get caught in the shallows, mostly the smaller males eager to get on with spawning activities. There were a few big ones found up top, though, Liz Snyder got into a 39” blimp on that tested her light tackle. Valerie Stobel got into a last day 39” hog also. John Deitz led the way on trout with a 41.5”er out of Selwyn, while his fishing buddy Greg Glenn got into a tug of war with a 40”er the same day. Trout were plentiful and starting to don their white fin edges and orange bellies that mark the fall spawning run when the trout in the shallows are plentiful. Grayling are always putting on their most brilliant colours. Fall is prime time for these river dwellers, eager to feed on dry flies this time of year. Those who got into the rapids were blessed with incredible action. The Thorps, Don and Kevin, Liz Snyder, Ron Jurgens, Jim Kusar, and Abby Sheinian became our newest members of the 100+ Club in a record-setting year for new entrants!

The fire at the lodge was cooking around the clock, keeping the cold weather at bay, saunas, hot tubs and bonfires filled the apres-angling hours. Anglers were patiently waiting each evening for a break in the clouds that would let the aurora shine through. On the last night, they were rewarded. The northern lights danced and morphed from white to green to pink and back again. A truly awe-inspiring sight: watching the northern lights from the deck of a cabin just shy of the 60^th Parallel, it’s something many only see in pictures but these lucky anglers have their own memories, plus pictures.

September 5

Tim’s rod bent, the pike bit, and the rest is fish story history! #catchandrelease #gonefishing #northernpike #OrvisEndorsedLodge

September 6

Pine marten channeling its inner squirrel—tree life looks good on it! #exploremore #getoutdoors #pinemartens #canadianwilderness

September 4

The love of fishing knows no bounds, when the fish are biting the anglers are ready. Cheers to Adam for this great catch! #northernpike #canadianfishing #OrvisEndorsedLodge #exploremore #catchandrelease

September 3

Despite the cold, grey skies, Patrick & Jan went out there and did what they do best. Patrick landed this absolute tank to end off a great day of fishing! #exploremore #fourfootpike #OrvisEndorsedLodge #northernpikefishing

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Week 17 in Review: A Farewell to Summer

by Jason | Sep 3, 2025 | 2025 Fishing Season, Website Fishing Blog

Week 17 in Review: A Farewell to Summer

Fall Fishing is on the Way

For a few groups now, we’ve been circling the idea that fall fishing is on the way. There have been hints, yellow leaves on the birches, the sky a slightly darker shade of blue, and it gets dark just after supper. This week, the northern summer did its best to convince us the change in season was still weeks away, temperatures in the first few days were in the high 80’s even touching 90 degrees Fahrenheit, or 32 Celsius for our Canadian staff. It was hot, shorts off the dock in the morning kind of hot! What a feeling to be wet wading a wild river in the Northwest Territories at the end of August and watching grayling launch themselves after dry flies. Sight fishing for pike in water measured in inches instead of feet. It was an amazing week, the first three days, people were wondering how it could be warmer on the 60^th parallel than at home. Then, all of a sudden, about 3 a.m. on the fourth morning, fall came. Canada geese led the charge from their tundra nesting grounds, and the north wind followed. Fall was here. The fish, however, were still hungry and cooperative as fall fishing begins.

Our anglers were lucky this week; 149 total trophy-sized fish were landed, of those 87 were pike, 54 grayling, and only 8 big trout came to the nets. This is a transitional time for the trout as they begin to spread out in the water column, preparing for their fall spawning season on cobblestone reefs. Todd Schroeder was the top trouter, catching a 39 and 38” laker. Susan and Kevin Edwards added a couple of big trout of 37 and 36.5” on a tundra adventure to the far north. While trout were a bit tougher to catch, the pike were plentiful and found in shallow water this week. 87 big pike were brought to hand, admired and gently released to fight another day. Some were even made famous on our nightly photo essay aptly named…Fish Porn.

Peggy Light was our top pike angler this week, catching a giant 47.5” northern as a part of an incredible day filled with seven pike over 40”. Deed Whitney had a similarly epic day of catching six big pike on the fly. In all, ten fish over 45” were caught, Tom Granneman and Shad Smith with the 46” mark, Dennis Schroeder and Chris Goggans hit a pair of 45.5”s. A few big fish at the 45” mark from Todd Scroeder, and Tom and Pete Granneman made for some furious big fish action.

Desiree Curfman found a big grayling in the Mary River, an incredible start to a day that ended with the sighting of some Barren Ground Grizzlies…a sow and three cubs, truly an experience of a lifetime. Chris Reimer and Susan Edwards both caught some 19” arctic sailfish. The week ended with both Peggy Light and Susan Edwards eclipsing the 100” mark to earn jackets and become new members of the 100+ Club. The real trophy was the weather, the Northern Lights, time by the bonfire, and the laughs and memories that permeated the lodge each evening.

September 1

Fishing in action! #scottlakelodge #actionshots #getoutthereandexplore #canadianfishingnetwork

August 31

Trout, Pike & Grayling checked off, equals a trophy triple for Keli!! #laketroutfishing #canadianfishing #exploremore #fishinglife #womenwhofish

August 30

Erica & Ty crushed these northern beauties today! Their smiles say it all! #orvisendorsedlodge #catchandrelease #grayling #exploremore #gonefishing

August 29

Grayling in hand, river in the rearview makes for a great day of fishing! Desiree & Sean know how to have a good time! #orvisendorsedlodge #catchandrelease #graylingfishing #canadianfishing

August 28

Brenda caught her first pike ever today! A memorable moment in the boat for her & Bryon! #catchandrelease #orvisendorsedlodge #canadianfishing #exploremore #northernpike

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Week 15 in Review: The Leaves Turned Yellow and the Fishing Was On Fire!

by Jason | Aug 26, 2025 | 2025 Fishing Season, Website Fishing Blog

Week 15 in Review: The Leaves Turned Yellow and the Fishing Was on Fire

Trophy-sized Pike, Trout and Grayling

The past five days were truly a whirlwind! Each day so many stories permeated the happy hour and dinner conversations, excited anglers recounting just incredible fishing. Big fish, lots of fish, T-Bones, muskox, northern lights. This week really had it all. As the first few flocks of geese made their way past the lodge in the first evening’s twilight, guests were treated to duelling loons and geese as the sun set and northern lights began to dance. A campfire, a cocktail, and some true wonder of this northern wilderness – it was a quiet evening. What a way to settle into a week of fishing at Scott Lake…and what a week of fishing it was! Guests plied the waters of Scott Lake, and many of the flyouts, the fishing was good, great even for many of our anglers. It was a way to make a first impression with so many first-time visitors in camp. Our week fifteen guests tallied an astonishing 269 trophy-sized pike, trout and grayling. An incredible number and a true testament that the best fishing of the year can be on any week the weather blesses us with near perfection.

Despite the hints of fall, northern summer kept most of the layers tucked safely away in the drybags. Pike were shallow, trout were deep (mostly), and grayling were as eager as ever to pounce on dry flies. Our anglers landed 147 big pike this week, led by Dan Vogel, who found a fat fall 46.5”er on the flyrod. Justin Spence and Manda Gaskins both added 46’s to their photo album, while Laurie Yliniemi and Manda got 45.5s also. Proctor McInnis, Logan & Meagan Gaskins, along with Amanda Yackel were lucky on the 45s. Overall, 14 super-sized pike, eclipsing that 45” mark, were caught.

Grayling were on the menu for many of our anglers this week, late summer on a wild northern river, these iridescent beauties leaping in the sunlight. We get it…it’s a cool experience! 80 trophy-sized ‘ling were leaping into nets and the memory banks of our crew. Brad and Adam Couvelle, along with Van & Manda Gaskins all found 19.5” grayling, while Paul & Rebecca Sawyer were right behind with 19s. The grayling bite was the key to so many Trophy Triple Hats and 100+ Club Jackets being earned. It was really unprecedented, 16 of our anglers hit the Trophy Triple mark and 12 tallied over 100”. A quick search of the records shows this hasn’t happened before…truly amazing!

Top trout honours went to Bob Sotak with a 44.5” beast! His fishing partner that day Don Weiss managed to haul up a 44”er. Both anglers got into a few other big ones for a day of a lifetime! Brad Courvelle added a 43, Kellie Whittleman a 42 and Ross Emmerman a 41”er. Those are some hog trout! Truly incredible fishing, mixed with some northern lights, great weather and a pristine wilderness in northern Canada. It’s an incredible feeling and community each week at Scott Lake…no wonder so many of our anglers chose to book again for the next year.

August 23

What a catch! This Trout was the epic finale for Zig! #fishinglife #catchandrelease #laketroutfishing #exploremore #scottlakelodge

August 22

Manda crushed the week of fishing, nailing herself a Trophy Triple & 100+ total inches! Her & Paulie had a blast out there, the smiles in this pic show it! #canadianfishing #exploremore #fishinglife #troutfishing #pikefishing #graylingfishing