UPDATE: Further information will be posted here as I receive it.

Fly fishing has become a new and very popular activity in Temagami at Northland Paradise Lodge. From the time the season opens in mid May (third Saturday), trout fisherman looking for monster lakers can be seen during the spring run-off at the mouths of various creeks and rivers in the area. This activity is know locally as "Ice Out Trout". Often, whitefish and northern pike will also be caught in these same locations at this time of year. Ice-out trout lasts for a couple of weeks and ends when the surface temperatures are warmed by the spring sun and the trout seek cooler and deeper depths, usually in late May or early June.

After the lakes and streams warm up in June, speckle trout (brookies) can be found in countless small area lakes throughout the region. Rainbow trout can also be found in some area lakes and streams. Throughout the summer and early fall, smallmouth bass weighing up to six pounds that are found hiding under docks or fallen trees will eagerly take to either a wet or dry fly. Voracious northern pike, known for both their speed and endurance, explode out of the lily pads with their mouths wide open to swallow a properly presented hook dressed in its finest feathers and fur.

We encourage catch and release of the larger fish of all species to retain limit catches for future generations. Don't forget the camera!

Whether standing knee deep in water on a gravel shoal and casting under a thick cedar overhang for brookies or sitting in a canoe in a sheltered bay just off the end of the lily pads where smallies and northerns prefer to hide, fly fishers will enjoy the scenery, the wildlife viewing opportunities and the shore lunches that will be sure to follow a very memorable day of fly fishing at Northland Paradise Lodge. Our wireless high speed internet allows guests to send the day's photos to friends and family back home.

From time to time, some of our guests are looking to either buy or sell fishing tackle and related items. When this happens, I try to help them with this by posting a note and picture on this website on the Items For Sale page which can be accessed from the top of this page. If you, or anyone you know, are interested in buying these items, please look here first.

Check-in times for weekly packages are after 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays and check-out times are before 11:00 a.m. on the following Saturdays. For overnight packages, the same times apply for each day. Please inquire about any variations that can be made to these time schedules.

Responsible use of alcoholic beverages is allowed on lodge property. However, we are not a licensed outlet for the sale of these beverages.

Pets are always welcome.

Have you ever caught a tagged fish?

    

Occasionally, fishermen will catch a fish (usually a walleye in Temagami area lakes) that has a stainless steel jaw tag in its bottom lip. The first question that is usually asked is "Am I allowed to keep it?" That depends on the size of the fish; if it is in the slot size, then the answer is unquestionably "NO". However, if it is not a slotted fish, then you can legally keep it. Before you toss it into the live well or onto your stringer, please think of the reasons that this fish has been tagged in the first place. Whether it is a male or female walleye, it was caught in a trap net in a creek or river that is known to be used as a spawning area in the spring of the year. These nets are the property of the MNR and have been placed there by volunteers from the local Temagami and Area Fish Involvement Program (TAFIP) which collects the spawn and raises young walleye to be placed back in a number of different area lakes and to assist Nature in keeping a healthy population of fish for anglers to harvest in future years. This particular fish was stripped of some of its roe or sperm and then both the weights and measurements were recorded before being tagged and then released back into the lake. MNR supplied TAFIP with the tags. The jaw tag has a 6- or 7-digit number on it that identifies this fish and the year that it was tagged. If you do decide to keep it, please return the tag to TAFIP in Temagami so they can update their data on it. It is also requested that you report the length and weight of the fish as well as the date and name of the lake on which it was caught. If you'd like to keep the tag as a souvenir, that's also allowed but please forward on the info described above as well as the tag number.

The other option would be to weigh and measure the fish, record the tag number for TAFIP (705-569-3240) and then release it back into the lake. This will tell TAFIP how much that fish has grown since it was tagged. If it is caught again at a later date (possibly years from now) and the info is recorded again, it would greatly add to the knowledge base on the health and sustainability of the species in that particular lake. At the present time, only walleye in Lake Temagami and the Cassels-Rabbit lake system have been tagged.

The odds of catching a tagged fish are about the same as winning a lottery. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of fish that use a spawning area every year. A small percentage of these are caught in the trap nets. Of these fish, even a smaller percentage are ever tagged. As a volunteer with TAFIP, I helped tag about 30 or 40 fish in both lakes in 2009. To give us a good cross-section of all the fish in the lakes, both males and females were tagged and the weights ranged from less than a pound (a male) to one female that tipped the scales at just under 7 pounds. Needless to say, we had much bigger fish in the 10 to 12 pound range that we chose not to tag. The reason that these large fish were not tagged is because we are more interested in how fast they grow and younger ones will grow a lot faster than these older fish.

So ... enjoy your fishing opportunities and perhaps you just might catch a tagged fish. Recording the info and then returning it to the lake (after all the pictures are taken) will assist in proper management plans for a sustainable fishery not just for you to enjoy but for your children and grandchildren to enjoy for years to come. As for the walleye pictured above, it was a 17 inch, 2-pound male that was tagged and released back into Lake Temagami in 2009.

Would you like to know how the fishing has been during the past week? Check out the Weekly Fishing Report page which can be accessed in the menu at the top of this page.

Key Benefits

• Knowledgeable staff to assist you with lake/species preferences.

• Feathers and fur scraps available for people wishing to tie their own flies.

• Indoor lighted cleaning station. Free fish cleaning and freezing available on request.

• Caught a "wall hanger"? We urge guests to take lots of pictures of their catch, then measure both the length and girth before releasing it. Today, plastic replicas are less expensive than skin mounts and it leave old genetic material in the lake to spawn again. For those who just have to have a skin mount on the wall, we will supply free freezer space for the duration of your vacation.

• Up to date fishing reports, best lures and water temperatures along with tips from our guests.

• Our internationally famous ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT meals on some package plans.