Mattice Lake Outfitters
Armstrong, Ontario
Family-run fly-in outfitter operating multiple outpost camps and two wilderness lodges on remote lakes in northwestern Ontario.
Overview
Mattice Lake Outfitters is a family-run operation based in Armstrong Station, Ontario, roughly 250 kilometres north of Thunder Bay. The Elliot family — Don and Annette Elliot — has operated fly-in fishing and hunting trips for over 40 years, offering access to a collection of outpost camps and two wilderness lodges set along the Ogoki-Albany river system in the vast wilderness north of Armstrong. The operation also arranges canoe trips into Wabakimi Wilderness Park, Ontario's largest wilderness park.
The outfitter runs its own air service using de Havilland Beaver and Turbo Otter seaplanes, flying guests from the seaplane base on Mattice Lake to camps located approximately 45 to 70 miles to the north. In addition to fly-in camps, Mattice Lake Outfitters maintains five modern guest cabins at its base on Mattice Lake and McKenzie Lake for guests arriving the night before a trip. The operation also offers moose hunting in the fall season.
Highlights
The Fishing
The outpost camps and lodges sit on the Ogoki-Albany river system, a network of lakes varying in size from around 1,800 acres to more than 35,000 acres. Target species include walleye, northern pike, lake trout, brook trout, sturgeon, and whitefish, though not all species are present on every lake. Walleye are found across many of the lakes, with fish commonly averaging 2.5 to 4 pounds. Northern pike run large on several lakes, with fish reported to 25 pounds and beyond. Lake trout fishing is available on deeper lakes such as Luella Lake, where depths exceed 100 feet. Brook trout fishing, on a catch-and-release basis, is available on certain rivers flowing out of the outpost lakes.
Guests fish from late-model 14- and 16-foot Lund boats powered by 15 hp four-stroke outboard motors. Each camp is stocked with gas and equipment. Wildlife including moose, woodland caribou, black bears, timber wolves, osprey, and bald eagles is commonly observed from the water and shoreline.
Accommodations
The fly-in outpost camps are self-guided housekeeping operations. Cabins range from two- to three-bedroom units and are equipped with solar-powered electricity with LED lighting, handcrafted pine furnishings, full-size electric refrigerators, separate electric freezers, propane ranges, propane hot water heaters, wood stoves for heat, hot and cold running water, showers, decks, fire pits, and screened fish-cleaning houses. All cooking utensils, pots, pans, and dishes are provided. Camps are stocked with firewood and ice. Two-way radios are installed at every camp for safety and communication with the base. The two wilderness lodges — Whitewater Lake and the Ogoki Reservoir lodge — each have multiple guest cabins and host more than one group during the fishing season.
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
Guests drive to Armstrong Station, Ontario — approximately 4.5 hours north of Thunder Bay or eight hours from International Falls — where the Mattice Lake Outfitters seaplane base is located. From the base, all camps are reached exclusively by floatplane, with flight distances ranging from roughly 45 to 73 miles north of Armstrong. The outfitter operates its own fleet of de Havilland Beaver and Turbo Otter seaplanes for all camp transfers and scheduled check flights during a stay.
Access:
Air bases:
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Lodges & Camps
Armstrong Guest Cabins (Seaplane Base)
Mattice Lake / McKenzie Lake • 10 guests
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