Buck Lake Wilderness Lodges and Outposts
Hornepayne, Ontario
Fly-in outfitter operating two housekeeping lodges and four outpost cabins on remote lakes in Northern Ontario's Algoma region.
Overview
Buck Lake Wilderness Lodges and Outposts is based out of Hornepayne, Ontario, and operates two housekeeping lodges — Buck Cabins and Bingwood Cabins — on Obakamiga (Buck) Lake, along with four outpost cabins on separate, more remote lakes: Buffalo Island Lake, White Owl Lake, Bayfield Lake, and Gourlay Lake. All facilities are located in the boreal forests of Northern Ontario and are accessible only by floatplane. The outpost locations were acquired in 2013, expanding the range of options available to guests.
The operation is run by John and his wife Shannon, who purchased the properties in 2009 and have since been steadily upgrading the buildings and equipment. The outfitter maintains a long-standing catch-and-release policy that has been in effect for close to 20 years. Buck Cabins and Bingwood Cabins sit within 2 km of each other on the southern end of Buck Lake, which is a 7,400-acre body of water divided into three connected fingers.
Established: 2009
Highlights
The Fishing
Buck Lake (Obakamiga Lake) is a 7,400-acre body of water with numerous islands, bays, reefs, and rocky shoreline that supports populations of walleye, northern pike, and jumbo perch. The lake's slightly tea-stained water and cooler temperatures are noted to sustain fishing activity throughout the season. Anglers fish from aluminum boats and can explore a variety of structure, including weed flats, shallow reefs, saddles, rock piles, and connected river systems such as the Buck River, which leads upstream to Granite Hill Lake.
At the outpost cabins on Buffalo Island Lake, White Owl Lake, Bayfield Lake, and Gourlay Lake, guests fish from 14-foot aluminum boats with 9.9 hp Mercury motors equipped with swivel seats, landing nets, bait buckets, and safety kits. A long-standing catch-and-release policy is enforced across the operation to help maintain fish populations. The weekly communal shore lunch — held at designated sites on the lake — is a noted tradition at the main lodges.
Accommodations
The two main lodges, Buck Cabins and Bingwood Cabins, are housekeeping-style and can accommodate 2 to 10 guests each. Each cabin has a private dock, a three-piece bathroom with hot showers, a fully equipped kitchen, a barbecue, linens provided, and midweek cabin cleaning. A fleet of 16-foot Mirrocraft outfitter boats — featuring flat-bottom floors, live wells, pedestal bucket seats, fish finders, and 30 hp Yamaha electric-start motors with power trim — is available at the main lodges, with standard 14-foot aluminum boats with 15 hp Yamaha motors also on hand. The four outpost cabins are wood-heated, sleep up to six guests, and are equipped with propane lights, a propane cook stove with oven and fridge, an outside grill, and a fish cooker. Outpost cabins are described as comfortable and fully equipped but do not have all the amenities of the main lodges.
Fish Species
What They Offer
Amenities available at one or more of this outfitter's properties.
Locations
One marker per lodge or camp. Click a marker for details.
Getting There
All facilities are accessible only by floatplane. Guests fly out of Hornepayne, Ontario, with floatplane service provided by local air services such as Forde Lake Air Services. The flight to Buck Lake is short, placing the lodges a relatively brief but fully fly-in distance from the staging town of Hornepayne. Guests typically drive to Hornepayne via Highway 631 north from Highway 17, with the nearest larger centres being White River to the south and Wawa to the southwest.
Access:
Air bases:
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