OUR GUESTS COMMENTS
Big North Lodge and Outposts Minaki Winnipieg River Fishing Lodge Ontario
“Alex, Pat and Zach: Sincerely want to thank you for our once again great experiences throughout our recent Big North Lodge fly out to Rogers Lake. This August 2023 trip is our fourth visit to your fly out camps. Throughout the years your cabins, boats and motors get better and better. The cabins are always clean, and include all the comforts of home even though located in the pristine wilderness of Ontario, Canada! Of special note is the addition of solar lights and electric start motors on this year’s visit to Rogers Lake. Our flights into and out of the lake are always on time and entail such a beautiful ride that we never want them to end. But most of all we enjoy and cherish your never-ending hospitality that only make our visits all the more enjoyable. Oh yeah, let’s not forget those walleyes are undoubtably the best tasting in all of Canada!!
Thank you again for the best trip we will have taken in 2023.”
Mark & Brenda Enright
“It was a special trip. You folks make us feel like home. My son John said he felt like he was going to Grandma’s house for dinner each night. Hope we can get back soon.”
Joe Bukowski, S. Milwaukee, WI
“It was our privilege to stay at Long Lake. We have been fortunate to travel the world and the combination of your teams competence and our joy in being on Long Lake can not be beat.Your professionalism in dealing with us in booking, planning, answering our questions and implementing our trip was PERFECT.Please pass along our thanks to all, We will return.”
Eric Englund and the crew from Wisconsin
“Pat, please extend my thanks to Alex and Zach on behalf of our group for a tremendous week on Roger Lake.The service was outstanding, the accommodations were great and the fishing was spectacular.A special thanks to you for answering all of my questions and emails and providing the detailed information to make this trip possible. Best wishes for a great 2018 season.
Joe Bulaga, Crystal Lake, IL
Alex & Pat: Thank you again for a wonderful fishing experience with you. Thanks for being the team to trust.Being the team we can count on. Being the team that cares about us like family. YOU make a difference and we appreciate you both. We will be back!
Brian Hammill, Big Lake, MN
“You have a Great Lake at Roger Lake and excellent service. I’ve been to probably 15 fly ins over the years andyours is one of, if not the best.I hope that we can come back soon.”
John David Miller, Melbourne, AR
“My adult sons and I spent a week at the Roger Lake outpost cabin of Big North Lodge and have nothing but positive things to say: The fishing was exceptional. We primarily fished for walleye and small mouth bass. We enjoyed not only catching them but also the daily meals we had from them.
The setting for the outpost cabin is absolutely amazing in a private wooded area on picturesque Roger Lake. The accommodations were excellent—comfortable, clean and well-maintained. Everything we needed and then some was included. The beds were comfortable, and the three of us each had our own room. The boats and motors that came with the cabin were great; we did not have a single problem with them all week.
Wildlife is abundant and we experienced incredible sightings including bears and many eagles—magical moments for me and my sons.
Service from Pat, Zach and Alex was above and beyond anything we expected, from the moment we starting planning this trip to the nearly daily fly-ins by them to drop off bait, groceries and other provisions—or just to see how we were doing. They were friendly and accommodating without being intrusive at all.
If you are thinking about booking with Big North Lodge, don’t think again. Just book it! It was an unforgettable experience for myself and my sons. Thanks to the setting, the owners and the great fishing, we had the time of our lives!
Terry Teach, Wheaton, Illinois
“We had a great time! I don’t know if Alex told you that Garland and I caught well in excess of a hundred fish on our last day. My wrist, elbow and shoulder were sore from hauling in so many fish. We had several trophy smallies and some large walleye and pike. I can’t remember ever catching so many fish in one day. We want to thank you, Alex, and Zack for being so hospitable and providing such a wonderful excursion!”
Jim Adkins, Tuscalousa, Alabama
Pat, You have the best service we have seen in Canadian fishing lodges in over 30 trips. I can see now that the quality of the people running the show there is the reason. You, Alex, and Zach make the difference. Nothing but the very best to you.
See you next year!
John & Lynda Yancey
We want to thank you for another wonderful week at Roger Lake. Once again, we had tremendous fishing for Smallmouth & Walleye. Roger has become our special retreat over the last few years. We have never been disappointed with the fishing and the remote cabin location. What makes us really appreciate and have confidence to return to your place is the way Alex flies in with fresh water, bait and to make sure we are worry-free for our stay. Coming to Roger lake for the week is just like trespassing in God’s country. Thanks again,
Mike & Elsie Imhof, Bella Vista, AR
I’ve fished in many places including Costa Rica, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Alaska and multiple locations in Canada. The biggest difference maker for me (of course fishing must meet expectations) is service and Alex and Pat, who developed and still run Big North Lodge & Outposts have proven that they didn’t build the business to where it is today by accident. Their service is second to none in Canada and are just plain driven to satisfy their customers. Alex greeted us upon departure from River Air, made daily flights to the outpost to check on our bait supply, fishing success etc, and greeted us again when we arrived back by float plane to River Air. And, if you give him an opportunity, he might even entertain you with some mild “BS“! They turn a great experience into an EXCELLENT experience. Alex’s wife, Pat is so organized that she’ll make you feel like you don’t have to worry about one thing.
Brian Hammill, Big Lake, MN
Enjoy some of life’s simple pleasures at Big North Lodge in first-class accommodations! After researching almost a hundred different Canadian outfitter websites online, and comparing them closely, Big North Lodge became the clear choice for our bear hunting and fishing adventure in 2010, and we were not disappointed. From the moment we drove into the lodge we were welcomed like family, and treated like royalty. We were amazed at how large and beautiful the cabins were that we stayed in—all the comforts of home. The seventeen foot Lund fishing boat we used during our stay was clean, fast, and problem-free the entire week. The three meals a day were made of delicious quality food, and the portions were right-sized for two hungry men. Seven days of non-stop fun, endless fishing, new friends, and two beautiful bears summed up our entire week’s adventure. The only thing which could have been better would have been to add another week to our stay. We enjoyed our bear hunting adventure with the Rheault family of the Big North Lodge so much, that we booked our next trip for 2011, before leaving. We can’t wait to return, and are counting the days till we can do it all over again.“
Tim Rainey, Brownstown Township, MI
Just thought I’d drop you guys a line and tell you how much I am looking forward to getting back to your place. After hunting and fishing all over, I found Big North Lodge felt like home. Having great fishing and hunting like you have is not unique in NW Ontario . What is unique, and what is bringing me back next summer for fishing and fall deer hunting is your hospitality ! You made us all feel important and part of your family, not just another tourist.
Shoot straight and set the hook.
Craig Clark, Clam Lake, Wisconsin“
Words alone do not do justice to the experience and memories we have of our week in the cabin at Roger Lake. We would like to express our gratitude, for not only a tremendous vacation, but also for your outstanding service while we enjoyed the best fishing of our lives. I have been in sales and service of one kind or another for nearly 33 years and know what it takes to provide quality service to customers. Alex, you did more than meet my expectations, you greatly exceeded them. Thank You!!
Dave Page, McFarland, WI
This has by far been the best trip that I have been on in 20 years. The fishing was excellent, the Roger Lake cabin was better than anything we have stayed in the past, the lake was exceptional with the waterfalls and rock cliffs and the wildlife was abundant.
William Bloodworth, Decatur, GA
Just a quick note to say thanks again for a great week at Big North Lodge. Everyone enjoyed it, and is looking forward to the next trip. Everyone made it back safe. Now the stories will begin. Thanks again…please stay in touch.
Tim Bettner, Phoenix, AZ
Our group of 4 guys have beengoing to Big North for 11 years straight,and I’ve been there for a total of 14-15 years. We like Alex, Pat & Zach. They are great hosts. The cabins are clean, well stocked with dishes, pots, coffee maker, bottled water and indoor plumbing. All the cabins have screened in porches with newer propane grills. Our group looks forward to returning to Big North Lodge every year. We know that we always have a shot at a huge Northern or Musky and the Smallmouth Bass action is great. Our experiences have always been positive. Occasionally the weather doesn’t cooperate, but you gear up appropriately and “go fishing“.
Andy Merek, Putnam, IL
My wife & I have been fortunate enough to be able to remininsce year after year of the highly enjoyable vacations spent at Roger Lake. We have become“very spoiled“over the years of not getting out on the lake till about 10:00 every morning and by 6:00 you have on the average caught 100-125 fish a day!!! The lake offers coves, straights, fingers, an island or two for you to always find a place to fish out of the wind if need be. The only thing that I can say we would do differently is stay longer than the 7-day trip we book every year for the end of August/September timeframe. Alex & Pat run a well-oiled operation.
Steve & Colleen Frost, Mesa, AZ
Cabins are comfortable and well maintained at Big North Lodge. Boats are clean, motors & batteries always reliable.The food is good and there is lots of it. We generally fish for pike & bass, catch & release, and each fall trip manage to “stumble into“ 2 or 3 muskies, and several have been in the 44“ to 52“ bracket.“
Ed & Cheryl Sliva, Brocksville, OH
“Mini is looking around for a boat and we don’t have one.“ We did have such a wonderful time at Roger Lake, and if we can figure out the computer will send pictures. We never let ourselves nap while there because the fishing was so good.Thanks for a grand time.
John & Lynda Yancey, Cotter, AR
Just want to let you know that you can put JoAnn and myself on your schedule every year without asking. We will always want the Memorial Day week and a second week in September. Since we found your place in 2005, we just love fishing at Big North. We would also like to schedule our guide every other day. Fishing the lake is no problem, but we just like the shore lunch. When you put the second dock in by our cabin, that was a nice touch because JoAnn and myself are now in our 70’s and can just walk out the cabin door to our boat. We will keep going to the Sport Shows in Illinois and Wisconsin just to visit with Alex. JoAnn also likes having such clean cabins and also a paved road right to your Lodge. Thanks for taking care of us.
Rich and JoAnn Evanseck, Crown Point, IN
Our three generation family and close friends party has been returning to Big North Lodge for 11 years where Pat, Alex and Zach have always made us feel like part of their family. On the American Plan we have our breakfast and evening meals at the lodge and Pat prepares a lunch to take out on the water.The meals are always better than restaurant quality.
Since I am not as young as I used to be, I appreciate the cabin’s proximity to the docks and the stability of the docks. They have fine rental boats, but we bring our own boats and they always have dock space and gas.
Due to the winding shape of the river and the many bays you can go out on the water in almost any weather and always find a place where you can fish alone. We catch several good-sized fish every year and it seems the girls catch bigger fish than I do. There is an exceptional variety of species in the area.I highly recommend Big North Lodge!
Jack Little, Watertown, SD
If you were to ask me why we return to Big North Lodge year after year (since 1998), I would tell you that this is the best value in Ontario.Big North has the highest quality people and accommodations for the dollarin this whole region, and I have stayed at more than a dozen in the last 25 years. Add to this, the Winnipeg River system and its diverse fishing opportunity and you have the makings of a great vacation experience.“
Rick Clark, Elburn, IL
