Our fishing spots are located from a 10-50 minute boat ride from the lodge. Some of these locations require short to moderate hikes, so guests should have the appropriate physical mobility necessary to reach these locations. Blackfish Lodge is licensed and insured for all freshwater fishing.
There's great variety of water. Our 100% catch and release streams, lakes, and rivers are, indeed, some of the most beautiful, productive, and unpressured waters you’ve never heard of. Our truck can take you to some fine lakes and streams on nearby Gilford Island. Fish small streams or bigger water, dry flies, or wet. Depending on the time of year, you’ll find yourself hooking summer or winter run steelhead, cutthroat trout, dolly varden char, a few rainbow trout, and chinook, silver, and pink salmon.
We have water and fishing opportunities to satisfy every skill level. Experienced anglers will appreciate the variety and challenges of the different streams and waters that we fish. We are very pleased to provide fly tying and casting instruction to first-timers or beginning anglers. We’ve taught many a guest who had never touched a fly rod before. We’ll teach casting basics and have you (if you wish) tie a fly or two. Then we’ll go out on the water. More often than not, you’ll land your first fly-caught fish.
* Small Streams
Our guides will take you into lovely small streams where the sighting of another angler would be an extraordinary event. Tying into a leaping, twisting, running steelhead or silver salmon in a stream that you might be able to cross in two jumps is quite an angling thrill. Want a real challenge? Bring your 10 weight gear, fast sink tip line, a strong arm, and hook a 20-60 pound chinook salmon in a stream on a stripped fly. Landing that fish, however, is quite another matter.
* Gorgeous Wakeman River Float & Fish Trip
If larger water is on your menu, you’ll want to take our full-day Wakeman River float trip (as of 2006 there is no surcharge for this trip). Designated as Class 2 Classified Waters by the B.C. government, we are one of only two lodges authorized to fish the spectacularly beautiful and legendary Wakeman. Again, rarely will you see other anglers. Clear in the spring and turning to a striking jade green color in the mid and late summer, the Wakeman has very often been noted as the highlight of our guests´ trip.
Your Wakeman day starts off with a 50 minute boat ride up lovely Kingcome Inlet. Your float trip starts with a short truck ride up the river to your put-in spot. You and your guide will serenely raft your way down the river, fishing innumerable pools and runs. After hooking your fill of steelhead, salmon, trout, or dollies, (depending on the season) you’ll come back to the lodge for another great dinner.
* Saltwater Fly-Fishing
Saltwater fly-fishing for sea run cutthroats and salmon is becoming a popular part of the fly angler’s repertoire. Fishing the estuaries and rock piles for cutts can stir up some non-stop action. The estuaries can also produce some excellent fishing for silvers waiting to enter the streams. Further, silvers can be fished in other saltwater areas around kelp beds and tidal rips.
* Equipment
For our guests´ use, we feature fly rods and reels from G. Loomis. Blackfish Lodge has 19´, open, "Boston Whaler" type boats. Each boat is fully equipped with GPS, downrigger gear, depth sounders, and quiet, smokeless 4-cycle trolling motors. Personal floatation devices are provided for all guests. All licenses, use of any tackle, and fuel are included in our rates.
* Fly-In Fishing
Should you want even more variety and excitement, with advance notice, floatplane and/or helicopter charters can be arranged (extra charges apply) that will take you right from the lodge to fish nearby pristine and rarely fished lakes and streams.
A visiting fishing writer, describing one of our smaller streams wrote: ".....I nearly gasped! There before me was the most picturesque pool one could ever imagine...This spot will be recorded in my memory banks as the single most beautiful pool I have ever had the pleasure to fish."
* Best Time to Fish
- April
April showers usher in the beginning of our fishing season in both the freshwater and saltwater. The trees are just beginning to leaf out and fresh growth is bright green on all the evergreens.
FRESHWATER - This is the time for winter run steelhead, cutthroat, dollies, and the occasional rainbow trout. The gorgeous Wakeman River and our small streams offer some great fly-fishing for all these fish. Bring your 5 weight and 8 weight, some medium-fast sink tip line, and you’re in for some great fun. There is also plenty of great fishing for all these species for those fishing conventional (spin or casting) gear.
SALTWATER - Halibut fishing is typically excellent in April. Surprisingly to many, we also fish for king salmon starting in mid-April. One of our favorite locations is stunningly beautiful Kingcome Inlet.
- May
Some of the best weather of the season comes up in May (we wish we could predict exactly when !)…clear, mild and no AM fog/low clouds. The aspens and poplars have begun to leaf out and the smell of new cedar growth is on every breeze.
FRESHWATER - Winter run steelhead fishing continues until mid-month and then tapers off. Trout fishing continues. We begin to be able to fish for sea-run cutthroats in the estuaries.
SALTWATER - Early season chinook salmon fishing continues through the month as does the fine halibut fishing.
- June
FRESHWATER - Early June brings the end of the winter run steelhead fishing. However, if you’d like to prolong this season, take advantage of our optional fly-out fishing (helicopter or fixed wing) and chase those fish way back up the rivers! Trout fishing remains excellent in the lakes, rivers/streams, and estuaries. Mid-month ushers in the beginning of a modest and relatively short summer-run steelhead fishery. As with all of our freshwater locations, both fly and conventional fishing techniques are effective.
SALTWATER - The Kingcome Inlet fishing tapers of just as the initial big runs of migratory salmon begin. There are dozens of protected locations to fish throughout the summer. June is still a chinook, only, fishery, but you’ll start to see the average size of the fish increase to the 15-25 lb. range. Halibut are an option all summer long.
- July
FRESHWATER - Summer-run steelhead last until mid month. Again, our guests can extend this fishery later in the month with an optional fly-out trip. The cutthroats are growing fatter and feistier! In mid-July, the chinook salmon begin to enter the Wakeman River and its tributaries. Want a unique fly- fishing experience?? Bring your 10 weight, fast sink tip line, a strong arm, and hook 20-60 lb.+ chinook salmon on your stripped fly. Coho (silver) salmon also begin making their first appearances in the freshwater. Again, all of these fish can also be hooked on spinning or casting gear.
SALTWATER - In addition to being excellent for chinook salmon, mid-July typically shows the first catches of coho (silver) salmon in the saltwater. Pink salmon will also begin to
appear. You can still go after those 40-200 pound halibut as well as those tasty lingcod!
- August
For consistently good weather, August can’t be beat. Bring your hats and sunscreen!
FRESHWATER - Coho (silver) salmon are now in almost every river and stream that we fish. They’re big, chrome-bright, and very energetic. Your 8 weight fly rod, fast sinking line and weighted flies should be adequate for most of these fish. Resident and sea-run cutthroat trout fishing, as well as coho angling, is always a lot of fun on both fly gear and spinning gear.
SALTWATER - When we see trophy chinooks caught, they’re usually hooked in August. Seems like every year a guest or two lands a fish over 50 pounds. August is prime time for chinook, silver, and pink salmon. Halibut and ling fishing continue.
- September
The deciduous trees are starting to show their colors and the streams are thick with spawning fish. Our weather takes a little turn toward cooler and wetter, the tourist boats disappear, and it’s a wonderful time to fish.
FRESHWATER - This is prime time for coho fishing on the fly. In the Wakeman River you’ll catch fish until your arms can’t take it any more on both fly and spinning gear. This is also a great time to try some saltwater fly-fishing for these leaping, twisting beauties. Estuary fly or spin fishing for sea-runs continues, and now they’re big and hungry.
SALTWATER - The chinook salmon fishing tapers off over the first two weeks of this month. Coho fishing continues throughout the month, tapering off toward the end. Halibut fishing remains good.
- October
FRESHWATER - There will still be some coho and trout in the rivers and streams well into the middle of the month. Since the Bennetts are year-round residents, the lodge remains available to accommodate guests year-round. Blackfish Lodge is a great, private getaway for that special occasion or nature-watching trip.
SALTWATER - In general, October marks the end of any saltwater salmon fishing.
Notes:
* Single guest rate would add up 30% to the rates
* 2007 Standard Rates
- April 1-21: US $500 per night
- April 22-June 30: US $560 per night
- July 1-August 31: US $635 per night
- September 1-September 30: US $560 per night
- October 1-October 31: US $500 per night.
* 2007 Fly & Fish Package (includes r/t airfare from Seattle)
Shoulder Season
- 2 nights May 15-June 30 and Sept 1-30: US $1,695 pp.
- 3 nights May 15-June 30 and Sept 1-30: US $2,250 pp.
- 4 nights May 15-June 30 and Sept 1-30: US $2,810 pp.
- 5 nights May 15-June 30 and Sept. 1-30: US $3,370 pp.
* 2007 Fly & Fish Package (includes r/t airfare from Seattle)
High Season
- 2 nights July 1-Aug 31: US $1,840 pp.
- 3 nights July 1-Aug 31: US $2,475 pp.
- 4 nights July 1-Aug 31: US $3,110 pp.
- 5 nights July 1-Aug 31: US $3,745 pp.
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