Day Trip: Walleyes and More at Buffalo Bay Resort
With Winnipeg located in such a central region of Manitoba, there are fun and diverse fishing adventures in every direction. As you drift slightly farther from the city, anglers can decide whether they want their fishing excursion to be a day trip or to include an overnight stay. We loaded the truck and hit the highway, eventually pulling into Buffalo Point Resort, Manitoba’s only access point on Lake of the Woods.
Arriving at the Resort
Approximately two and a half hours from Winnipeg sits the incredibly unique Buffalo Point Resort. Truly one of a kind, not just for its location on Lake of the Woods, but also for its character. With a massive marina, fuel on the water, several cabin options, a stunning golf course, and an amazing restaurant, it’s the ideal destination for any multi-species angler seeking a memorable fishing adventure.
We drove out mid-afternoon and settled into our Lakeview Cabin. Located directly beside the marina and just a nine-iron distance from the beach, we unloaded our bags and fired up the BBQ. Ribeyes were on the menu—but only because we hadn’t caught a limit of walleyes yet; that was for tomorrow. With our bellies full, we settled in and waited for sunrise.
Finding the Fish
The next morning, as the sun peeked over Lake of the Woods, we loaded the boat and started looking for fish. A very common sandbar can be found easily using major mapping software. From there, we utilized our sonar to mark fish, and it wasn’t long before we were catching walleyes left, right, and center. The most efficient way to catch them was dropshotting a worm and letting it do the work. That is, until we marked a suspended fish on the sonar. I cast a paddle-tail swimbait at it, and it crushed it mid-retrieve, becoming our biggest walleye of the day. I hadn’t felt a big walleye crush a plastic in a while—but it felt just as good as I remembered.
We caught plenty of walleyes by casting, working baits vertically, and even trolling, before deciding to try our luck with northern pike. We knew of a few weed beds near the sandbar, so we fan-casted them for a while. We caught a few good ones but couldn’t find any giants. However, we did discover some sneaky big walleyes hidden in six feet of water among the weeds, which was a ton of fun.
A Master Surprise
As the day progressed, for probably the fifteenth time that day, we saw and heard a sturgeon surface. Not long after, we marked another one on the sonar. We had marked a few already but hadn’t thought much about it. This time, we all looked at each other and knew we had the same idea. We loaded up a hook with worms and a weight, positioning ourselves directly above the sturgeon.
What we then witnessed was one of the most unbelievable fishing moments I’ve ever experienced. The sturgeon was nose-down in the mud, fanning its fin and making an “S” shape with its body as it presumably fed. Eventually, it took our hook, and to our amazement, it was fish on! We battled it carefully but efficiently, and after a few minutes, we got it in the net. We all celebrated, our excitement reaching its peak. Our trip had been made with a beautiful, epic, massive 54-inch Manitoba Master Angler lake sturgeon on Lake of the Woods.
Dinner with a View
After catching a few more fish, we got off the water and headed to the Fire and Water Bistro at the Buffalo Point Resort Centre. We quenched our thirst, loaded up on appetizers, and couldn’t stop smiling from our outrageous catch. We polished off the wings, riblets, and bison burger before heading back to Winnipeg.
This trip, which lasted just over 24 hours, was a terrific reminder of the exhilarating adventures within our reach. They’re right there. We had a day and a half to do something fun and catch some fish—and we got so much more than we bargained for. Without a doubt, we’ll be back.
Jay Siemens' Largest Catch in Manitoba!
Watch Jay Siemens' Youtube video to see what Buffalo Point Resort is all about!
