Summarized Review Highlights
Big Sand Lake Lodge draws a deeply divided range of reviews, with passionate praise from fishing enthusiasts and sharp criticism from guests who encountered serious operational and management problems. The lodge's reputation for exceptional fishing is nearly universal — lake trout, northern pike, walleye, and arctic grayling are consistently described as plentiful and large, with multiple guests reporting trophy catches well above standard size thresholds. However, the overall experience beyond the fishing varies considerably depending on when a guest visited and which manager was in place at the time. The lodge has cycled through multiple general managers in recent years, and several reviewers directly tie declines in quality to that instability. A handful of guests report unresolved refund disputes and last-minute trip cancellations, which represent the most serious concerns in the review record.
When things go well, guests highlight knowledgeable and hardworking guides, satisfying food including shore lunches, and a remote wilderness setting that is difficult to match. The outpost camps are consistently described as rustic rather than luxurious, and guests who accept that tend to enjoy themselves. The main lodge earns warmer reviews for accommodations and food than the remote spike camps. Recurring physical complaints include aging facilities — worn carpets, poorly maintained boats, broken fixtures, and deferred upkeep — across both the main lodge and outposts. Travel logistics are also a noted frustration: the absence of direct airline service to the lodge's own runway has at times forced guests through multiple connecting flights and lengthy layovers in Lynn Lake, occasionally resulting in lost luggage. Bear activity near the camps has been mentioned, and at least one reviewer strongly recommends booking a camp manager rather than going unguided at the outposts. The moose hunting spike camp experience drew particularly negative reviews for cold, wet, and poorly equipped conditions.
Big Sand Lake Lodge is best suited for experienced anglers — particularly those targeting trophy lake trout, northern pike, or walleye — who are comfortable with rustic, remote conditions and are not expecting resort-level amenities or seamless logistics. Repeat visitors who know what to expect from fly-in fishing camps tend to rate it highly, while guests drawn in by brochure language suggesting five-star quality are frequently disappointed. Given the documented history of management turnover and communication breakdowns, prospective guests would be wise to confirm current ownership and management stability before booking, verify all arrangements in writing, and use a credit card to protect their deposit.
Summary generated May 25, 2026
Read all 13 reviews
Norm Bruce
Aug 11, 2024
Forum
Online reviews look pretty scary if you can believe them.
Outfitter overall
Trail788464
Nov 1, 2019
TripAdvisor
Management Issues.
I gave a 5 star review in 2018. Unfortunately the manager in 2018 left and the new manager wasn't effective. The website says the best lure for lake trout is a herring rig, which is true and the lure we used for an amazing trip in 2018. But a herring rig requires frozen herring. In 2019, the manager never managed to buy frozen herring while assuring that she would. I will not be returning until I have some assurance that the place is being adequately managed. We were warned of a problem and did bring some of our own frozen baitfish. Still allowed us to catch a 48" and 44" Lake Trout. So, the fishing is great if the management issues are resolved.
This lake
Craig S
Nov 1, 2019
TripAdvisor
Warning, You may lose your money to this outfit!
In October 2018 I booked a reservation for a group of about 12 family members for a 1 week trip to occur in Aug 2019 and paid the deposit. It started very smoothly but as time progressed and it was time to pay the balance, the communication stopped. I learned that they had gone through 3 general managers since my initial booking. Before I paid the balance, to ensure they weren't going to go bankrupt I requested the owners call or email me to explain what was happening. I heard zero communication from the owners, ever. A month before our scheduled departure, I was in communication with the new GM again but the information was confusing and spotty. With 1 month to go, they were trying to change the date (we couldn't as we had flights booked) and then abruptly 2 weeks before we were scheduled to leave, they canceled the trip on us. The new GM did find us a last minute spot at Burntwood Lake Lodge which was fantastic so thumbs up on that point. I paid for the trip to Burntwood and then I began the process to get reimbursed for what I had paid for Big Sand Lake Lodge. The GM indicated that the owners had agreed to refund me and that the check had been written but she had to follow up to find out the status. Well, long story short, 3 months later, the refund never appeared. I provided the documentation I had to the credit card company and they issued a full refund to me so I ended up not being out any $$. These owners are complete duds and will rip you off if they can. There are plenty of great spots (this was my 4th northern Canada fishing trip) so there is no need to risk using this company.
Outfitter overall
Patrick B
Sep 1, 2019
TripAdvisor
AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!
AVOID AT ALL COSTS!! I rarely review places but feel I must share my experience with Big Sand Lodge to help other people avoid the rip-off that my party experienced. A group of 6 of us, including my uncle who has been visiting the lodge periodically for the last 25 years, booked a 7 day fishing trip over the 4th of July week. Our whole process started poorly as the camp manager that we had been dealing with via phone and email with for months was suddenly non-responsive and had apparently just left and no one was in place to respond to incoming clients. The main complaint is that we paid for 7 days of fishing at one of their outposts, Chipewyan. This was pre-arranged as the outposts are normally booked for 5 days, but we had made special arrangements, and more importantly we PAID EXTRA for the 7 days instead of 5. Prior to actually getting to the outpost, we had met with the lodge manager Anna and she tried to make amends and PROMISED us a refund of $700US/per guest (basically the two days extra we had paid for)…That was over two months ago and after repeated follow ups by phone and email that have not been responded to, I see no other route but to voice my complaints. This lodge is a sham and there are many better options out there. The staff do not care, nor do the owners. If you are going to pay thousands of dollars for the fishing trip of a lifetime, GO ELSEWHERE!!
This lake
Tempoman
Jul 1, 2018
TripAdvisor
It's All About The Fishing!
This is my second trip to Big Sand Lake for fishing. The last time was in 2013. The fishing is fantastic my friend and I caught about 350 fish in a five day period and in 2013 when the weather was better we caught over 500 in the same five day period. I caught a Master Pike at 44.5" the thrill of my life. Our guide Lloyd has been a guide for 15 years looked after us very well and knew the area. If there were no fish in the area he knew where to take us for success. We are going to ask for him next year. The rest of the staff was very friendly and helpful. The facilities are tired and need some major love. The carpets in the cabin need replacing, the deck off the main lodge is for major repair. The boats are poorly looked after with the carpets ripped and floor boards broken. They do have new motors. The lodge is under new management and I think these things will get looked after. I hope so because there is no place like it for fishing! I hope to go back again!
This lake
Trail788464
Jul 1, 2018
TripAdvisor
Big Lakers
For years I went to Nueltin Fly-in Lodge until they closed. Didn't think I would find another place that had the size and quantity of Lakers. I was wrong. In a 10 day trip my brother and I caught 27 Trophy Lakers 35" and longer, 11 of them 40" or longer with the longest 45". Mark, the new manager is doing a great job. I'll be back next year.
This lake
OutdoorsForever
Oct 1, 2017
TripAdvisor
Moose Hunt 2017
I just returned from a successful moose hunt to Big Sand Lake lodge. We got our moose but the quality of the facility and logistics were not as advertised. The brochures talk about 5 star. In the past, this may have been the case but it is becoming run down. Doors were not closing. Handles were not tight. Shower doors didn't close. Floors were not vacuumed. Food was decent but not great. We started at a remote cabin and there was garbage, bottles, cans strewn about. The outhouse door was didn't stay closed. I had to fix our front door. There had been no real maintenance since the camp had been built. Everyone from every camp said the same thing. While the staff tried hard, it was clear that there isn't good management and coordination. We were not given clear times for important things like meals, packing up to leave, airplane times. We were aware that the previous manager had 'left' August 17th. We can see that this is for good reason. The place has extreme potential but needs real maintenance and someone who sets a tone of excellence. The staff alone cannot do that since they have probably never seen what a really good wilderness resort looks like. I am a fan of the people and love the setting but cannot recommend this lodge until they up their game. Also, the staff was more interested in packing up and leaving on the last days of our hunt than taking care of us. The store was closed and packed. The chairs were stacked. The boats were being put away. The food was running out. The bar supplies were gone. We paid a huge amount for this hunt and the experience was clearly not as advertised.
Outfitter overall
moosehunter2017
Oct 1, 2017
TripAdvisor
Oversold ....under-delivered
Spike camp for moose was nothing short of disappointing. Food, accommodations, and boats were less than acceptable. We insisted on being brought back to the lodge for the last three days, after dealing with wet and no-heat for the first 4 nights. Numerous issues. The lodge accommodations were much more in line with the price of this trip. We did end up getting our moose, and the guide staff worked hard to dress and retrieve the moose. Overall, the current staff needs better direction on guest expectations for a hunt like this.
Outfitter overall
jdshattuck1955
Jun 1, 2017
TripAdvisor
Outstanding Fishing and Great Experience
The fishing exceeded our expectations. Our guide, Dustin, put us on lots of fish. We caught two northern pike trophies, one walleye trophy and lots of fish slightly under trophy size. Our cabin was nothing fancy but it was cleaned each day, the bed was comfortable and the shower was hot with plenty of pressure...all you need when you are spending 11 hours on the lake each day. Mike, the chef and his staff did a great job of serving us delicious breakfast and dinner. There was more than enough to eat as well. The shore lunches were great. We especially enjoyed Dustin's beans and made notes as to what ingredients he added. Lodge Manager Rick and his staff will take care of you during your stay. Cindy, the bartender was attentive, a good conversationalist and always made you feel welcomed all day. The real telling story is that several guests who have fished Manitoba numerous times, but were first timers like us, indicated that this had been their best experience ever.
This lake
BrunoRules
Jun 1, 2017
TripAdvisor
Wonderful fishing - not so good logistics...
Well I've gone to Big Sand Lake Lodge (actually their outposts) four times. The price is great, the outposts are rustic but very enjoyable, the staff is exceptional, and the fishing is superb - every time. I highly recommend this fishing outfitter. The only drawback (which we were not told about when we booked) is their runway is not being served by the airline from Winnipeg. This means you fly into Lynn Lake, wait there (not a very nice place to wait for up to 5 hours) then a smaller plane to the Big Sand runway where you will/can wait another 3 to 4 hours before you are flown to your outpost. The logistics is chaos and because of this some of our bags and rod holders never made it home. You have to write off the entire day going home. Pick up at 6am, three flights, and hours of sitting around. I think they can do this better. One last note - all of the outposts and main lodge had bear problems. Luckily we had a great camp manager (who dealt with the bear) and a cook. Had we of been on our own it would have been a worry. In short, don't go there (outposts) expecting luxury. They do have some of the best fishing I've come across in my 19 trips to Manitoba and Ontario which is the main reason we go. Get a camp manager (armed) and fish all day, you won't be disappointed. When their runway is back in service and receiving flights from Winnipeg then I will have no negatives at all to say about Big Sand.
Outfitter overall
Gary C
Dec 10, 2016
Google
I've been to Big Sand Lake Lodge twice, once for fishing, once for moose hunting. Both trips were fabulous. Fantastic fishing for lake trout, northern pike, walleyes and arctic grayling. The lake is 70 miles long and virtually unfished. All catch and release except for what you eat for shore lunch so the big ones are all still there. The lodge and cabins are exceptional. Great food, great native guides. The moose hunting in their moose. The size of the racks were unbelievable--52" average with one 60". I'm going back next year for sure.
This lake
BIGGAMEFISHER
Jan 28, 2014
Forum
Depending on budget: Sky's the limit: Big Sand Lake Lodge (Main Cabin). Costs $$ but wife probably won't kill you: Big Sand Lake Lodge (any one of their 4 outposts (been 8x)). If you want the gauntlet Big Sand Main lodge can put you on Trophy Pike, Walleye, Trout and Grayling. The Grayling trip is a nice trip as you travel up through Big Sand Lake, through Wolf and into the South Seal River rapids. PM me if you want anymore info on Big Sand.
This lake
Company-Sponsored Trip Testimonial
My clients are still raving about the good time they had on our company-sponsored trip. What a great opportunity to spend time with clients face-to-face.
Outfitter overall
