Lakair Lodge - Great Walleye, Pike, Bass and Musky fishing on Lake Nipissing.
History: Since 1919 the Cameron family, operators of Lakair Lodge, has catered to fishermen on Lake Nipissing's West Arm, home of some of the best in fishing in Northern Ontario.
The lake: The West Arm and West Bay of Lake Nipissing offer miles of twisting shoreline, picturesque islands and hidden back bays. Areas of shallows with extensive weed-beds and many rock shoals contrast with areas of clear, deep channels.
The lake offers many miles of scenic shoreline. Rocky cliffs anchor towering white pine trees.
In other locations the glaciers have carved the granite rocks, creating clearings of smooth rocks on the water's edge. These make great spots for a shore lunch or noonday swim.
Immediately north of the West Arm and West Bay area is a new 2000-acre nature reserve called Mashkinonje Provincial Park. The park will eventually have interpretive hiking trails where the curious can enjoy the Northern Ontario wilderness firsthand.
The Fish: Northern Pike, abundant in the weed-beds, average 2 to 3 lbs and trophy pike can reach 25 - 30 lbs. But the pike here are small fry compared to our musky which averages between 10 - 25 lbs. Our camp record is a Catch & Released 50 lb musky and over 55" in length.
Walleyes include the common "yellows" along with sauger and the rare blue walleye, native to Lake Nipissing. Most of the walleyes caught are pan size weighing about 1.5 lbs. (great for dinner), but can also grow to over 8 lbs.
There are good populations of both small-mouth and largemouth bass. The bronze-backs are abundant among the shallow rocky shoals while the largemouths stick close to the weed-beds (cabbage, pencil weeds and lily pads). Bass up to 4 - 5 lbs are not uncommon with the average being around 2 lbs. Other fish species include perch, sunfish, rock bass, drum, garpike and sturgeon.
The lodge: Our cottages are 1,2,3 or 4 bedrooms, each with a generously outfitted kitchen. The cottages have either a sundeck or screened porch, good beds and three-piece baths. The cottages are kept very clean and all bedding is provided. Home style Canadian cooking is served in our dining room, overlooking "the narrows".
American Plan guests enjoy three delicious meals daily (lunches packed) plus maid service. Housekeeping guests generally prepare their own meals but are more than welcome to join us, by reservation, in the dining room. Candies, treats and ice cream are sold in our Snack Bar. Here, we also sell some groceries (i.e. milk, bread, etc.), souvenirs, fishing tackel, fishing licenses and hydrographic maps.
Campgrounds: For those who prefer camping, we feature a well-kept trailer park on the property, complete with water and hydro hookups. Shower houses have plenty of hot water and flush toilets. The campgrounds are located some 300 - 500 feet back from the lake, under the shade of tall pines.
Marina: Our marina has docking that can accommodate up to thirty boats. Our rental boats are traditional 18' cedar-strips, powered by dependable 15hp outboard motors. Our boats are dry and well maintained. Private boats are welcomed. Live bait, gasoline, oil and ice are available at our marina.
The grounds: We have a play area featuring swings, slide, basketball net and horseshoe pits. There is a small sandy beach well used by the children. (Also the kids have very good luck catching panfish off our docks.)
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