Some of the best fishing trips aren’t only about the fish you catch. They’re about who you get to experience them with.
At Arctic Lodges, we host plenty of father-and-son trips and family fishing trips each summer. One trend we’re seeing more and more is guests who first came to Arctic Lodges with their parents 20 or more years ago now returning with families of their own.
There’s something special about watching a father or grandfather who has experienced a trip like this before bring a child north for the first time. Much of their excitement comes from watching someone else experience it – catching their first fish, landing their first trophy or simply seeing Reindeer Lake for the first time.
That’s what makes a family fishing trip to the north about much more than fishing.
A Remote Fishing Trip the Whole Family Can Enjoy
A fly-in fishing trip doesn’t have to mean sacrificing comfort.
That’s particularly important for family groups, where not everyone necessarily wants the same thing from their vacation.
We’re seeing more women joining family fishing trips, along with younger anglers and grandparents. Some guests want to fish hard from morning until evening. Others love the fishing but also appreciate great food, comfortable accommodations and somewhere to relax together at the end of the day.
Arctic Lodges offers both.
Our larger, comfortable fishing boats give families plenty of room on the water. Back at the lodge, comfortable accommodations, a private wood-fired hot tub at every cabin and meals prepared by our three Red Seal chefs make the experience about much more than simply fishing.
You’re still experiencing a remote northern Saskatchewan fishing adventure. We just don’t believe being remote means you have to be uncomfortable.
Direct from Saskatoon to Arctic Lodges
Getting the entire family to a remote fishing lodge can sound like the most complicated part of the trip. We’ve worked to make it as straightforward as possible.
Guests arrive in Saskatoon the night before their trip and can stay at one of our partner hotels. The next morning, our complimentary shuttle takes you directly to your private charter flight.
From there, you fly nonstop from Saskatoon directly to Arctic Lodges’ private airstrip on Reindeer Lake.
There are no additional flight connections, no changing planes along the way and no long drive north. Once you board in Saskatoon, your next stop is Arctic Lodges.
For families travelling with children, parents, grandparents and fishing gear, keeping the travel simple makes a difference.
It also means your first day isn’t lost to travel. Guests arrive early enough to be on Reindeer Lake fishing by approximately 9:30 a.m. on Day 1.
Fishing for Every Experience Level
You don’t need to be an experienced angler to enjoy fishing Reindeer Lake.
Our professional local guides regularly work with everyone from experienced anglers who have fished across Canada to guests holding a fishing rod for the first time.
Many guests choose to use our fishing equipment, and our guides can have everything ready when you step aboard on your first morning.
Throughout the trip, they’re constantly teaching, observing and helping guests improve. That could mean helping a young angler learn to cast, choosing the right lure, demonstrating a new technique or helping an experienced fisherman adjust to the way we target fish on Reindeer Lake.
This is especially valuable on a family trip.
Dad doesn’t have to spend the day tying everyone’s knots, running the boat, navigating the lake and trying to figure out where the fish are.
Grandpa doesn’t have to be the guide.
Everyone gets to fish.
Something for Everyone on Reindeer Lake
One of the advantages of bringing a family to Reindeer Lake is the variety of fishing.
Northern Pike, Lake Trout, Walleye and Arctic Grayling provide completely different experiences throughout the summer.
For younger or less experienced anglers, there are opportunities for plenty of action. For someone who has fished their entire life, there’s always the possibility that the next fish could be a new personal best.
Our guides can build the day around the family in their boat, their experience level and the type of fishing they enjoy.
Sometimes families arrive with a very specific goal.
This summer, we hosted a father and his young son who came to Arctic Lodges with the goal of setting a line-class and age-class world fishing record for his son.
They accomplished exactly that.
Seeing a young angler accomplish something like that alongside his father is the type of experience that makes these trips memorable for everyone involved.
Shore Lunch: A Family Favourite
Shore lunch is a favourite part of the Arctic Lodges experience, and it fits particularly well into a family fishing trip.
After a full morning on the water, it gives younger anglers and grandparents a chance to get out of the boat, stretch their legs and take a break from the fishing action.
Your guide picks a suitable location and gets to work. Fish are cleaned, a fire is built and the sides are prepared while everyone gets a chance to relax together on shore in a remote setting on Reindeer Lake.
It’s more than simply stopping to eat lunch.
It’s a chance for the whole family to sit together, talk about the morning, watch our professional guides prepare an incredible shore lunch and reset before heading back onto the water for the afternoon.
For many families, it becomes one of the most talked-about parts of the trip.
On poor-weather days, or for groups that would benefit from having additional amenities nearby, we can also accommodate shore lunch back at the main lodge.
Comfort Matters on a Family Fishing Trip
After a day on Reindeer Lake, there’s no reason everyone has to head straight to bed just to do it again tomorrow.
Come back to your cabin and relax in your private wood-fired hot tub. Grab a cocktail at the lounge. Play some pool, cards or darts, or find a spot by the fire and relax.
Appetizers are served at 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:00.
Food is an important part of the experience at Arctic Lodges. Our kitchen is led by three Red Seal chefs, and the attention to detail and quality of the culinary experience is something we’re proud of.
It’s also one of the reasons Arctic works particularly well for family groups.
Not everyone needs to be a hardcore fisherman to enjoy being here.
The next morning, come in for a fresh cup of coffee by the indoor fire before a hearty breakfast at 7:00 a.m. By 8:00, your guide has the boat ready and another day on Reindeer Lake begins.
Fish during the day, eat well and spend the evenings actually relaxing together.
Watching the Next Generation Experience It
Some of the family groups we enjoy hosting most are the ones where a father or grandfather has been on a northern fishing trip before and is now bringing the next generation along.
There’s a different kind of anticipation.
They may have already caught their trophy Northern Pike or landed a big Lake Trout. This time, they’re watching the end of someone else’s line.
They’re waiting to see a son, daughter or grandchild catch their first fish, land their first trophy or beat a personal best.
We’re now seeing guests who experienced Arctic Lodges as kids more than 20 years ago returning to Reindeer Lake with children and families of their own.
For us, that’s pretty special.
More Than a Fishing Trip
World-class fishing will always be at the centre of Arctic Lodges, but we want a family trip here to offer more than that.
It’s the morning coffee before heading onto the lake. It’s watching your kid catch a fish they’ve been talking about for months. It’s everyone getting together for shore lunch. It’s relaxing in the hot tub after fishing, sitting down for a great dinner and talking about the day.
Most importantly, it’s uninterrupted time together somewhere completely different from home.
Whether it’s a father-and-son fishing trip, a grandfather bringing his grandchildren north or an entire family experiencing a Canadian fly-in fishing trip together, Reindeer Lake gives families the chance to get away, slow down and share an experience they’ll remember long after they leave.