Flying into a remote fishing outpost in Ontario may sound like an expensive trip, but there are many affordable options. The average price for a group of four staying at a fishing outpost for seven days is about $1200+tax per person (as of 2014). The differences in price are due to the distance from the air base to the outpost and the amenities offered. Often the additional costs are because of newer cabins or boats and extras like electricity, flush toilets and maybe even WiFi. Some outposts even provide added luxuries like live bait, staple foods and may even include on site fishing guides. So, for those extra luxuries you can expect to pay more. However, that doesn’t make a bit of difference when it comes to the quality of the fishing. So, you may not have running water or brand new Honda 4-strokes, but the fishing, wildlife and overall serenity will probably still be just as spectacular.
Below I list forty-four Fly-in Fishing Outposts offered by fourteen different Outfitters in Ontario that cost $800 or less per person for a seven day trip for a group of four. It may even be possible to get a lower price if you have a larger group, stay for only 5 days, go during the “low” season and if the outfitter offers a family/child discount. For each outpost I provide details on the lake and the outpost amenities, such as fish species, lake size and how the lake ranks out of all 630 outpost lakes. One measure that I include is called compactness, which is an indicator of how “round” a lake is. A very circular pot hole type lake would have a low compactness value [and as such be ranked low on the list of 630 lakes] while a river or a very branched lake would be much higher. Also, there may be some unavoidable errors or exclusions, such as outpost location or whether there are other outposts or private cabins on the lake. This is because my information comes from the outfitter and my scan of aerial photographs from Google and Bing maps. Unfortunately, outfitter information can be severely lacking in detail and the aerial photographs aren’t always at a high enough resolution to discern much.
For those on an ultra-low budget, but still have the desire to fly into a remote lake, there is another option. Tent camping! There are some outfitters that offer flights into numerous lakes where a cache of boats is waiting. Just bring your camping and fishing gear and you’re all set! Typically these trips cost <$500 per person for a group of four for a week camping trip. Definitely a great alternative with an added bonus of fishing some pristine lakes! Check out what’s being offered by Excellent Adventures, Northwest Flying, Parks Fly-In Outposts and Wilderness Air.