June 2013 – Update at Elkisland Lodge & Outposts

Camp Opening :

Simply put, it was an amazing spring! A late ice out changed how we did things forcing us to cancel groups from May 26 – June 4, 2013. With a solid lake of ice it was looking like we were not going to be able to open until June 8th. We arrived at Elk Island on May 20th and there was no water in sight, even our fly out lakes were 85% covered in ice. Come May 25th we were starting to see some open water in the bay, but the main lake was still a skating rink thick enough to drive a truck on. In our preparation of getting camp opened, the ice started melting quicker as the days went on. We managed to open the camp in record time even though we had major problems with our walk in fridge/freezer. Such a late spring also meant that our airstrip wouldn’t dry due to the frost underneath the airstrip itself. But again, luck was on our side and we managed to stay on target for May 30th with 12,000 pounds of freight/supplies from Thompson. Even though it was a challenge to open we were still able to provide almost all of our guests with the dates they originally scheduled.

From a frozen lake to a heat wave with no wind it was the most bizarre month of June that we have ever seen in all our years in the north. We had a very strange hot spell in June. For 5 – 7 days the weather was too hot. There was no wind and temperatures were 70 – 80 degrees every day. The whole month of June was unseasonably warm.

June Fishing:

Once our guests started fishing, the trophies started coming in at a steady pace. Then the lake caught fire. Trophies were coming in like we had never seen before. To date we have more trophies than we did all of last year! Year after year the norm is we have our trophy count dominated by trophy Brook Trout, this year however the Pike and Lake Trout have been outstanding! There has been more trophy Pike and Lake Trout in the month of June then we’ve seen in previous years. The Pike and Lake Trout we’ve been catching have been huge, Pike up to 47 inches and Lake Trout up to 45 inches. Normally we see Pike that size in late July and August and we see the Lake Trout that size in mid September.

The Brook Trout fishing has been amazing, as per usual. We have boated roughly 100 trophy Brook Trout with 2 measuring at 24 inches. It is not unusual to have guests come back to the lodge at the end of the day with their specialist status as a Brook Trout Master Angler!

The Walleye fishing has also been great this year. We have boated more trophy Walleye this season then we have in the past with the biggest measuring at 29.5 inches. Many guests came back to the Lodge with stories of over 100 walleyes for the day. Unlike other lakes/rivers the average size of Walleye on God’s Lake is 22 inches. Our biggest problem always seems to be catching Walleyes small enough for shore lunch!

July/August Dates:

We still have great dates available at Elk Island Lodge and Edmund Lake Outposts in July and August. Please go the rates page for availability. Discounted group rates can be arranged to fill chartered aircrafts. Call or email now to book your unbelievable trip to legendary God’s Lake, Elk Island Lodge and world class Edmund Lake Outposts.

Plans for 2014:

We at Elk Island Lodge strive to continue offering fantastic fishing, comfortable and modern accommodations, friendly and enthusiastic staff and reliable safe equipment for all our guests. To this end we will be raising the cost of our trips in 2014. We have to ensure that the guests continue to have a worry free fishing experience therefore a price increase is justified to maintain the Elk Island Lodge standard of excellence.

We are gearing up for another busy season in 2014 so please call or email now to get your desired dates for 2014.