Hatchet Lake Lodge
The Big Four
With 5000 square miles of pristine open water, teeming with trophy northern pike, trophy lake trout, trophy Canadian walleye and arctic grayling, Hatchet Lake Lodge will give you the fishing adventure of a lifetime, whether you are an experienced angler or a beginner.
Note: Use Barbless Hooks! When fishing Hatchet Lake and surrounding fly-out lakes, your fishing lures must be "barbless". You may use pliers and pinch the barbs flat against the shank of the hook. It is not necessary to file the barb completely off or to replace your hooks with specially made hooks which do not have barbs in place.
Northern Pike
Trophy Northern Pike are the single most sought-after fish in our system of lakes, and we have some heartstopping Canadian pike action awaiting your arrival. While northern pike in the 6-15 pound range are the norm, there were dozens of trophy pike in the 20-30 pound class as well. (Lodge Record Northern Pike is 35 lbs!)
Northern Pike Tackle Tips
Rod: 6- to 7-foot medium-heavy spinning or casting
Reel: Spinning reel spooled with Berkley 10-12 pound mono or casting reel with 17-20-pound line
Leader: 6- to 9-inch steel with ball-bearing swivels
Bait: Five-O-Diamonds, Johnson's Silver Minnow, #3-4 Mepps Spinners, floating Rapalas, crankbaits, Suick jerk baits and bass spinner baits
Lake Trout
Lake Trout are the signature fish of the North Country, and Hatchet Lake Lodge is a tremendous lake trout fishery, with huge fish being caught every season. When the bite is on, you can land dozens in just a few hours. Our current lake trout record is 44 pounds, with lake trout in the 4-10 pound range being routine.
Lake trout cruise the shallows right after ice-out in June. They drop deep during the summer months and return to shallow reefs and rocky points in September to spawn. During July and August, vertical jigging the lakers from deep, cold-water holes is great fun.
Lake Trout Tackle Tips
Rod: 6- to 7-foot medium-heavy spinning or casting
Reel: Spinning reel spooled with Berkley 10-12 pound mono or casting reel with 17-20-pound line
Leader: 6- to 9-inch steel with ball-bearing swivels
Bait: Five-O-Diamonds, #4 Mepps spinners, Red-Eye Wigglers, Doctor Spoons.
Spring (June) and Fall (September) trout cruise the shallows and are caught by flat-line trolling lures which run in the upper 10 feet of the lake. Spoons seem to produce best when trolling.
In mid-summer, most trout are caught by vertically jigging 2-4 oz. slab spoons and heavy jigs in 40-70 feet of water.
Arctic Grayling
If wading the banks of a cold, crystal clear stream in search of an exciting, spirited species sounds tempting, this is what you're looking for!
While fish in the 3-4 pound range would be considered a real trophy, arctic grayling average 1-2 pounds and are one of the most muscular, acrobatic fish to be encountered on ultra-light tackle. (Lodge record: 4 pounder from Hatchet Lake rapids) If you're using a fly rod, you'll have the ultimate set-up!
Arctic Grayling Tackle Tips
Rod and reel: Ultra-Lite, matched with 4-6 pound test mono #0 or #1 (very small) Mepps or Blue Fox spinners or a small casting bubble ahead of a dry fly.
Fly fishing: 5-7 wt. fly rod; single action reel; #2 tippet material with wet or dry flys. (Popular fly patterns for our local Arctic grayling are available at the lodge tackle shop.)
Canadian Walleye
Hatchet Lake is at the far northern limit of the walleye's range. However, we have five or six very good lakes which regularly produce Canadian walleye from 3-6 pounds, with an 8-10 pounder being reported every once in a while. (Lodge Record walleye is 10 pounds!)
With northern pike and lake trout receiving most of the attention from anglers, the walleyes don't see much action up here. Consequently, those who take a break from the big, toothy critters to seek out the walleye usually come back all smiles. Our best walleye action can be found on several fly-out lakes in July and August.
Canadian Walleye Tackle Tips
Rod: Medium action 6- 7-foot
Reel: Spinning reel spooled with 6-8 pound Berkley mono.
Use medium action 6'-7' rods with spinning reels spooled with 6-8 pound Berkley mono. Walleyes will hit smaller crank baits, 1/4-1/2 oz. jigs tipped with Power Bait twister tails and even medium size spoons. Live bait rigs not allowed in Saskatchewan).
Fishing Tackle
Located upstairs in the lodge, our tackle shop has a good selection of lures which have proven to be effective on our waters. The tackle shop is open during meal hours and all prices are in U.S. dollars. Lure charges will be added to your "tab" and paid for on the evening prior to your departure day.
We have several choices available for rental at $30/day: (1) Standard weight spinning gear (Pike, trout, walleye), (2) Ultra-light spinning outfits (Arctic Grayling) and (3) Trolling rods/reels (Deep trolling for lake trout).
All fishing tackle rented at the lodge must be booked 30 days in advance of your arrival.
Lures
The "Five of Diamonds" is a pike killer. Bring a bunch.
The legendary red & white Daredevil is always effective.
Chartreuse is a great color up here.
Lures
Silver spoons like Doctors and Johnson Minnows mimic live bait fish and are deadly on every species. Lake trout really love them.
Mepps spinners let you cover a lot of water and trigger ferocious strikes. The O-size is perfect for arctic grayling.
Rapalas and other crankbaits catch everything! Stock up on a good selection.
Lures
Nothing is as thrilling as an explosive surface strike. "Prop" baits are a favorite for big pike.
Sluggos and other soft plastics aren't just for southern bass anglers. They work like magic on our lunker pike too.
And don't forget jigging spoons and simple jigs. They're the "go-to" baits for our lake trout.
Fly Fishing Gear
We carry spare spools of fly line and a very complete selection of fly patterns for Arctic Grayling and Northern Pike. Let us know if you have fly fishing needs and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Meet with fly fishermen from around the globe and experience some of the hottest fly fishing for Northern Pike and Arctic Grayling to be found anywhere!
Equipment
Properly maintained equipment plays an important role in the success of your Canadian fishing trip. We have a specialist on hand to tune motors on a daily basis to ensure that from the slowest trolling speed to full throttle, your motor is always in peak operating condition.
Our aluminum boats are made by AluMarine, which has become the standard here in the North Country. These boats are 16' and 18' long, complete with floors, casting decks and swivel seats with "air cushion" shock suspension. They provide a solid fishing platform so you retain your energy for the whole day and keep you dry in choppy seas.
If you usually use a portable depth finder and don't see one in the boat, just ask your guide or one of the staff to set it up for you. Depth finders and charged batteries are available upon request at no charge.
Fly Out Trips
Each of our 18 fly-out lakes has unique characteristics (depth, water temperature, clarity, bottom composition, type of fish, etc.) and a beauty of its own. As weather patterns pass through the North Country, fish in each lake may react differently, with fishing results varying greatly between lakes.
We get daily reports from returning anglers and can put you in the action when things begin to get exciting on a particular lake! In most cases, there are only 2-3 boats on the entire lake for the day.
We have boats and motors already on location waiting for your arrival. We bring fresh gas for the outboard motors each day. Flight times generally range from 10-25 minutes. Your guide will accompany you at no extra charge and you'll return in time to join other guests for dinner at 7:00 pm.
Booking Your Fly-Out Trip
To make sure we can fit your trip into our schedule, book your fly-out trip before you arrive at Hatchet Lake.
If you're already here, stop at the tackle counter in the main lodge to schedule your fly-out trip. We will work you into the schedule either for the next morning or during one of your other fishing days. Flights must be booked before 9:00 pm. Schedules are dependent upon weather and load factors. For options and suggestions, please call Harvey Kroll at (800) 661-9183 to tentatively book your day trips.
Cost: $400.00 per person/day (based on 6 people in the Turbo Otter). Charcoal, Forsythe, and Hara/Burnett $450.00 each.
Tour the Flyout Lakes in Google Earth
Download the lake map file here and open it with Google Earth. Now you’ll have a sneak peek at where your exciting adventure begins. Plan your trip with a bird's-eye view of all the fishing hot spots, fish species, and detailed lake maps. If you don't have Google Earth, you can download it here.
