Glassy Bay Outfitters

Overview

Glassy Bay Outfitters was established in 2012 and operates out of Blind River and Elliot Lake in Ontario's Algoma Region. The company runs four active outpost camps on Bark Lake and one camp on Petrie Lake, a nearby sister lake, all located approximately 40 miles north of Elliot Lake. The outfitter is also connected with Moose Territory Lodge, giving the operation a broader range of fishing and hunting options.

Bark Lake is 17 miles long with 330 miles of shoreline, providing a large and varied body of water across which camps are distributed at different sections of the lake — including Lower Bark, Middle Bark, and Upper Bark. The operation owns and flies a De Havilland Beaver floatplane to transport guests to and from the camps.

Established: 2012

Best for: Self-guided groups of two to four anglers seeking a remote, housekeeping-style fly-in walleye and pike fishing experience in the Algoma Region.

Best time: Walleye fishing is reported to be good from early to mid-June through the end of the season; specific opening and closing dates are not confirmed in available sources.

Highlights

Five outpost camps on Bark Lake and Petrie Lake

Fly-in access via De Havilland Beaver floatplane

Walleye, northern pike, and lake trout

Bark Lake is 17 miles long with 330 miles of shoreline

Renovated camps with running water and showers

Boats and 9.9 hp motors included

Connected with Moose Territory Lodge

The Fishing

Bark Lake holds walleye, northern pike, and lake trout. Walleye is the primary target species, with the outfitter noting that fishing tends to pick up from early to mid-June and remains productive through the remainder of the season. Petrie Lake offers similar species. Camps are self-guided, with guests fishing on their own from 14-foot boats. Effective methods reported by visiting anglers include slow trolling with jig heads tipped with worm, and worm harness rigs fished along breaks between 14 and 18 feet of water, particularly around boulders, gravel transitions, and rock points off islands. The lake sees low fishing pressure given its remote location and limited camp capacity.

Accommodations

Each outpost camp has been renovated and includes running water with a shower, along with full cooking amenities including an outdoor BBQ and fish fryer. Camps are self-catering housekeeping style — guests bring and prepare their own food. Each camp is supplied with a 14-foot Naden boat powered by a 9.9 horsepower outboard motor. Camps accommodate roughly two to four guests. A lodge near the Elliot Lake sea base is also available for guests who need overnight accommodation before or after their fly-in trip.

Fish Species

walleye pike lake trout

What They Offer

Amenities available at one or more of this outfitter's properties.

Meal plans

Boats included

Gas included

Glassy Bay Outfitters Flight to Bark Lake - YouTube

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Kiwanis Auction 2017 - Fly In Fishing Trip - Glassy Bay Outfitters - YouTube

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GLASSY BAY WALLEYE PARADISE- Your adventure awaits!

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WALLEYE PARADISE FOUND ON A GLASSY BAY- New ...

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4.3

Based on 4 reviews from across the web

Summarized Review Highlights

Glassy Bay Outfitters, based out of Elliot Lake, Ontario, generally earns strong positive reviews from guests who have taken fly-in fishing trips to the Bark Lake chain and surrounding remote lakes. The majority of reviewers describe their experiences in enthusiastic terms, highlighting the spectacular scenery during the floatplane flights, the remoteness and solitude of the camps, and the quality of walleye and northern pike fishing. Staff communication and professionalism — particularly around scheduling and flights — are mentioned positively, and the overall sense of escaping into genuine wilderness is a recurring theme.

Guests consistently praise the walleye fishing, with one group reporting catch-and-release numbers of 250 keeper-sized walleye among five anglers over a trip. The remoteness of the lakes, the absence of other anglers, and the natural surroundings are frequently highlighted as major draws. However, there is at least one notable complaint worth considering: a repeat customer reported being placed at a different lake than requested after three years of loyal visits, encountering a significant drop in fishing quality, poor cabin conditions, and a bug problem. Most critically, that reviewer states they were not informed by the outfitter that the area had been heavily netted by local Indigenous fishers the prior spring, which the reviewer felt was information they were owed before the trip. This suggests that communication around lake conditions and cabin assignments may not always be consistent, and guests should confirm specific cabin and lake requests clearly in advance.

Glassy Bay Outfitters appears best suited for small groups of experienced or semi-experienced anglers — particularly those targeting walleye — who are comfortable with rustic, self-guided wilderness camp conditions and are primarily seeking solitude and remote access rather than guided service or amenities. It may also appeal to first-time fly-in guests looking for a genuine off-the-grid experience near Elliot Lake. Those with specific lake or cabin preferences, or who are sensitive to variability in fishing conditions, should communicate those expectations directly with the outfitter before booking.

Summary generated May 25, 2026

Read all 4 reviews

Karl Kalonka Apr 12, 2023

Blog

Wilderness Walleye: Glassy Bay Outfitters

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have an entire lake that is known for excellent walleye fishing all to yourself, for days on end? I know what that feels like now since our road trip to Elliot Lake this past summer visiting with the gracious hosts of fly-in camps called Glassy Bay Outfitters. Our fly-in fishing experience began at the docks of the Sea Base in Elliot Lake. After the plane was loaded, we embarked on our journey to our ultimate fly-in fishing experience. On our flight to Bark Lake, we saw picturesque sights below as we flew over remote lakes, dense forests and wildlife. Once landed on Bark Lake, we taxied up to our camp and dock. From there we unloaded and the hosts gave us a quick tour of our camp for our stay. Bark Lake is very remote and we had the opportunity to catch an abundance of Walleye. We stayed at Middle Bark/Grey Owl, located on Bark Lake, 40 miles north of Elliot Lake. We decided to slow troll with a worm harness and split shot weight combination on the edges of breaks between fourteen and eighteen feet of water bouncing our worms off the bottom a fair distance behind the boat and had no issues finding both walleye and northern pike. The pristine wilderness surroundings with not another soul in sight for three days felt incredible, like a cleansing from social media, the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and the sights and sounds of nature ensured a great night's sleep between fishing excursions to different parts of the lake. Consider a wilderness, remote trip with Glassy Bay Outfitters, it definitely was an amazing experience I will never forget.

This lake

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Dec 29, 2019

Forum

We came to Lower Bark Lake for 3 years and spent over $12,500 in Canadian dollars. Even though we had no hot water the first years, we loved Lower Bark Lake because of the great fishing and lack of mosquitoes. The first years we would catch and release 250 keeper walleye between 5 men. In 2018 we specifically requested and paid for Lower Bark Lake but were dropped off at Upper Bark. We were told that we could not stay at our regular cabin because of no hot water. Fishing at Upper Bark was lousy, the bugs were terrible and the cabin was not the quality we were used to. We got fed up and moved everything by boat back to Lower Bark Lake. The 4 of us are good fisherman but at Lower Bark we only caught 18 walleye in 5 days. It was only on our way home that the Glassey Bay pilot revealed that the local Native People used nets to strip our area of walleye the previous spring. Unfortunately the owner did not think we needed to know that.

This lake

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Forum

Every day is fantastic – couldn't wish for anything more. Highly recommended!

Outfitter overall

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Patti and John

Outfitter

Thanks to Todd for communicating and scheduling our flight and to Brian for a great flight over Elliot Lake. It was a spectacular day all around!!

Outfitter overall

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Getting There

Guests drive to the Elliot Lake Seabase, located on Elliot Lake north of the town of Elliot Lake, which serves as the central staging point for parking and floatplane departure. From there, guests are flown by floatplane — including the outfitter's De Havilland Beaver — to their assigned outpost camp on Bark Lake or Petrie Lake, approximately 40 miles north. The flight takes roughly 25 minutes. The camps are accessible only by floatplane.

Access:

fly-in

Air bases:

Elliot Lake Seabase, 21 Timber Road, Elliot Lake, Ontario

Air service:

Elliot Lake Seabase

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