Discover Triple C Lodge: Northern Manitoba Fishing Paradise
Tucked away in Manitoba’s Northern region, lies a few iconic areas for both fishing and hunting adventures.
One of those places is Island Lake. In the Northeast corner of the province, Island Lake proudly showcases Northern Manitoba’s beauty. For some, it is a hub to the North serving as a staging point and for some, it is home. Among those who call it home is Dwayne Chornoby and his wife Leanne, owners of Triple C Lodge.
Incredible Fishing on Island Lake
Triple C Lodge is a fishing lodge conveniently located on Stevenson Island in Island Lake, with endless shorelines, bays, and rivers on its doorstep. Packed with walleye, northern pike, and lake trout, Island Lake provides an amazing main lake experience. Dwayne, being born and raised in Island Lake, has been on these waters, angling and living off the land for more decades than most of the people reading this have been alive. We were fortunate enough to spend a few days on the water with Dwayne, and you can feel his love, passion, and enthusiasm for the outdoors every minute. I love it.
Northern Manitoba Views with Perimeter Aviation
Your adventure begins in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where you board a direct flight offered by Perimeter Aviation. We had the first flight of the morning, so we were departing Winnipeg by 8:00 am on the short but comfortable 70-minute flight. Flying north in Manitoba is both an exhilarating and freeing feeling. People often describe adrenaline-inducing activities such as sky diving as when they feel most “alive”, but not me, when I go north, that’s when I feel alive. As you make your way north, you quickly see less towns and fewer roads; then you lose all signs of civilization before your views are overtaken by vast landscapes of Canadian Shield and truly endless lakes.
Stunning Views and Incredible Fishing
You’ll know when you arrive at Island Lake because the geography is almost otherworldly. The size of the lake with the number of islands is simply mesmerizing in the most beautiful of ways. To be honest, it’s any multispecies angler's dream come true. Loaded with northern pike, lake trout, walleye, and more, Island Lake is an astonishing fishery.
Owner Dwayne
Once you land at Island Lake Airport via Perimeter Aviation, you’ll be shuttled directly to the lodge, where you’ll be greeted by the legendary owner and operator, Dwayne Chornoby. Dwayne is a fantastic host, fishing guide, and as you’ll quickly find out, one of the most genuine friends you’ll ever meet.
Far From Home but, Far From Roughing It
One of Triple C’s stand-out features is its modern and spacious accommodation. This is as far from “roughing it” in the North as you’ll get. It’s a large duplex with both sides being fully furnished with all the comforts of home: tons of comfy beds, comfy linens, full kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room, you name it. This makes Triple C the ideal place for kids, families, or anyone who wants a fun fishing adventure but still wants all the comforts of home.
Getting Ready to Hit the Water
After some quick unpacking and rod rigging, we met Dwayne down at the dock and hit the water. Dwayne guides out of a large, well-equipped boat that almost seems out of place that far North, but it sure is a treat to be in on such a big lake.
Walleye's and Waterfalls
We started out at a spot Dwayne said that we’d love and once we arrived, I very quickly learned he was right. It was a stunning waterfall that we fished the bottom side of and there’s no getting around it: no matter where you casted, you caught a walleye. There’s something about the bottom of waterfalls in Northern Manitoba that are truly a magnet to walleye, especially in spring. It’s like clockwork, but hey, I’m not complaining.
Countless Walleye's and Bonus Pike
We sat at this beautiful waterfall for hours hammering walleye on small plastic lures, never once wondering if the bite was slowing down. There was also a bunch of pike mixed in, and eventually, after catching more walleyes to count, a pike grabbed a walleye boatside as we tried to land it. I’ve only ever seen that happen a couple of times, but it’s always such a shock.
Welcome to Pike Paradise
After walleye fishing, we decided we’d try to catch a big pike so we grabbed the baitcasters, put on some bigger baits, and started fan casting. It wasn’t long before my buddy Josh hooked into a nicer fish. He fought it for a minute and then Dwayne scooped it into the net. The size of the jaw, shoulders, and teeth really showed that it was a different class of fish than some of the other 30’’ fish that we had been catching. This was the perfect way to cap off the day.
Supper with a View
We headed back to camp for supper which was more of a highlight of the trip than I was expecting due to the pleasant surprise of a really sweet outdoor kitchen setup that the lodge has. Just outside of the duplex, there’s a large, covered outdoor kitchen with tons of seating, grills, fridge, and a beautiful view of the lake to cook your meals if you so please. We cooked all of our meals outside and it was a ton of fun. We whipped up some salad, steaks, and a few cocktails and called it a night.
Brook Trout Dreams, A Reality
The next day was our best weather day which meant it was the day for what I had been looking forward to for months leading up to the trip and even years before that as well: natural brook trout. There are very few places you can catch natural brook trout in Manitoba and this is one of the reasons that they are so sought after. Most people will never have the opportunity even to see one, never mind catch one, but today, we did.
The Journey to the Brookies
The adventure began at the lodge where we boated up river where we eventually got out and had to portage them over a set of rapids. Dwayne has a winch system setup there so it was quick and easy. Once we were over, we boated down a stunning stretch of river before we got to another set of rapids. From here, we beached the boats and walked further up the riverbank where eventually we started fishing.
The Kids are Up First
We had some friends with us who brought their kids along, and we all agreed that the first priority was to get both of the kids a fish first. So the boys casted medium size spoons down river and let the current do the work. Astonishingly, first cast, one of them hooked up and just like that, we were tangling with natural brookies. After a chaotic fight in the current, Dwayne got it in the net and we had our first brookie on the board. We all took in the colours, the spots, the design, and ultimately, the perfection of these iconic fish. After another couple of casts, both kids caught a brookie, and we all smiled ear to ear.
Over the next few hours, we all took turns hooking into brookies, most of us for the first time, and all of us happier than ever. Eventually, it was time to make the trek home, but before we did that, I told Dwayne that there was one goal I’d like to check off the list before we go: a brookie on the fly.
Brook Trout on the Fly
Before the trip, I asked my buddy back home, Dillion Beck, who used to guide for brookies in Northern Manitoba, if he had any flies that he recommended that I buy before going up. He did me one better and gave me a few hand-tied flies his grandfather, legendary fly angler Gerry Beck, tied many years ago. Well, it was time to put one of those flies to the test.
Dwayne took me and Josh out on the boat, pulled around to the top of the rapids, and instructed me roughly where to cast. I casted my fly out there and after a few drifts, I hooked up. I’m not the most advanced fly angler around so battled a big brookie with the current on his side wasn’t an easy task, but I made it work and after a crazy fight, Josh scooped it in the net. My trip was made. My summer was made. A natural brookie on the fly.
Lake Trout Fishing on Island Lake
After our Brook trout day, we spent a day lake trout fishing on Island Lake. We caught lots and after trolling for most of the day, our friend Charity hooked into what felt like a bigger fish. The rod was buckling over a bit lower, there was more peeling runs, and the head shakes just looked a bit bigger. She fought it for a few minutes before eventually we got it in the net to see the biggest lake trout of the trip. We got a few awesome photos and sent the beast back to the depths.
Wrapping up an Incredible Trip to Triple C Lodge
After an amazing day of lake trout fishing, unfortunately, we had to call our final day on Island Lake over and head back to the lodge. The brook trout experience was a highlight for me for sure, but the biggest standout was how accommodating Triple C Lodge is. The comfortable accommodations, great food, big boats, and ease of travel makes it such an amazing opportunity for families, kids, or anyone who might not want to “rough it” on a fishing adventure. Overall, Triple C is a fantastic adventure for anyone looking for a Northern fishing experience.
To book your trip to Triple C Lodge, check out thier website, www.TripleCLodge.com
To learn more about flights to Triple C Lodge and beyond with Perimeter Aviation, visit thier website, www.Perimeter.ca
