Pickerel Arm Camp
Sioux Lookout, Ontario
Drive-in base camp and fly-in outpost operation on Minnitaki Lake in northwestern Ontario, targeting walleye, pike, and more.
Overview
Pickerel Arm Camp is a fishing and hunting outfitter based at Sioux Lookout in northwestern Ontario. The operation consists of a drive-in base camp situated on Pickerel Arm, a 20-mile branch of Minnitaki Lake, along with a fleet of remote fly-in outpost camps spread across multiple lakes and one river system. The outfitter is operated by Lee and Julie Edwardson and is a member of the Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters Association (NOTO) and Ontario's Sunset Country tourism region.
In total, the operation offers 9 drive-in housekeeping cabins at the base camp and up to 10 remote fly-in outpost locations, each on a different lake or river. Outpost lakes include Wapesi Lake, Otatakan Lake, Blackstone Lake, Fawcett Lake, Kabikwabik Lake, Lac Seul, Little Miniss Lake, Keikewabik Lake, and the Wapesi River, among others. The camp is open from the third Saturday of May each year through the fall after moose hunting season.
Highlights
The Fishing
The base camp on Pickerel Arm of Minnitaki Lake offers access to walleye, northern pike, lake trout, and trophy-size smallmouth bass. The arm provides varied structure including Moonlight Falls near the south end and deep water at Lyons Bay, and connects to Minnitaki Lake's 240 miles of shoreline, three adjoining lakes, and multiple rivers. Fly-in outposts extend the range considerably — walleye and northern pike are the primary targets at virtually all outpost lakes, with muskie available at Tuktegweik Bay on Lac Seul, lake trout accessible on select deeper lakes, and perch common on many outpost waters. Conservation rules are in place at the outposts, with walleye over 18 inches and northern pike over 27.5 inches required to be released to maintain fish populations.
Accommodations
The drive-in base camp has 9 housekeeping cabins. The largest is a log cabin accommodating 8 to 10 people; all other units sleep 4 to 6. Each cabin includes a fully equipped modern kitchen, double or single beds with linens, a bathroom with shower, electric heat, and a screened porch. Towels are available upon request. Staple grocery items are sold at the main lodge. The fly-in outpost cabins are fully equipped for self-catering housekeeping and vary in size by location; outpost cabins feature solar-powered lighting, showers with hot water, and a satellite phone for communication with base camp. Boats and motors with gas included are provided at all outpost locations.
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
The base camp is accessible by road, located approximately 26 miles north of Dinorwic on Highway 72, and is roughly 150 miles from the International Falls, Minnesota border crossing via Fort Frances and Dryden. The camp is about 20 minutes from the town of Sioux Lookout. Fly-in outpost guests stage through Sioux Lookout, which has a commercial airport (code YXL) with daily flights; float plane charters are used to reach the remote outpost lakes, with flight distances ranging from roughly 30 minutes to just over an hour depending on the destination.
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