If you have ever fished at any other outpost operation you were quite likely dropped off at your camp and left for the duration of your stay.  That is not the way we do it at Slate Falls Outposts.  Verne is a seasoned bush pilot who owns his own beaver that is  dedicated to servicing the camps and keeping things in top notch condition, week after week all summer long.  Service flights every 2 or 3 days to pick up the trash, cut firewood and deliver ice or bait as required and perform routine maintenance or troubleshooting.  All of this work is done by the owner, someone who cares.  We want you to have a problem free and enjoyable vacation every time you come with us.

When to come?

We operate from mid May to mid September through a wide variety of weather and water conditions.  Ice out is typically the first week of May, so when the season opens on the 3rd Saturday in May walleyes are generally congregated near where they spawned and can be slow moving and moody.  The big northerns on the other hand are aggressive and cruising the shallow bays and inlets looking for dinner.  As May turns into June the walleye action heats up and the big pike move from the shallow bays to the edges of the weeds and rocky drops nearer to deeper water.  By mid June we are running on 18 hours of daylight, the walleye are aggressively feeding anywhere and everywhere most all the time and the majority of the largest pike have faded off to the depths to pursue whitefish and burbot.  Many are still caught this time of year but generally on jigs while fishing walleyes as they are also prime fare on the pikes menu.  July is generally our nicest month, long days, little rain, few bugs and temperatures that run from 60 degrees to 85 degrees.  Walleye are relating heavily to weed lines and rocky mid lake structure and the big pike are still scattered and unpredictable. 

From late July on in to August the big walleyes start to relate heavily to mid lake reefs in the 20 foot range and are quite easy to target.  By the time September arrives we are losing 5 minutes of daylight a day and while the fishing can be fantastic the weather is quite variable with temperatures running anywhere from freezing to low 70’s.  It is a time for only the hearty to consider fishing in our country that time of year!  

When to Book?

Our business and reputation thrives on our returning clients.  Best bet is to call early to get the optimal choice of your lake and date.  You can call anytime but generally June is booked out by early July and the rest of the summer tightens up over the next 4 to 6 months depending on the lake.  Your deposit of $250 per person is due at the time of booking and the balance of your trip is due when the trip is over.  If for some reason I forget you in the bush then you quietly chuckle to the mosquitoes that “at least it was mostly a free trip!”

What to expect?

Call or email us,  we can discuss what lakes are available and dates.  Once we have found a suitable match for you expectations we will get you booked in and send you a confirmation.  You will check in a week prior to your trip just to confirm group size and any bait order and whether you are staying in the bunkhouse or a local motel.  Verne will contact you that night to give you a start time at the office in town where we will meet 30 minutes or so prior to your flight time to get license and signed in and answer any questions you might have.  Down to the dock we go to weigh in and assemble your plane load.  The turbine Otter takes 2,400 pounds of gear and guys and generally gets everyone in a group of six in one load.  When you arrive at your lake there will be an outbound group that you can talk to for a few minutes while you unload your gear to find out “yesterday’s news” on where the fish were biting.  A quick gear haul up the boardwalk to your cabin and you are ready to go fishing.  A marker board in the cabin is for messages for Verne if you need anything midweek, otherwise, I come and go dropping off ice, checking systems and picking up garbage.  Towards the end of your stay I will give you a time on the board to expect to be picked up.  That is just another one of our strong features, I book a time and we arrive at that time (pretty much always within 30 minutes) unless the weather is bad or I forget where you are in which case we will get there when we get there.  A 40 minute ride back to Sioux Lookout and you are back at our office to pay your bill in your own currency (don’t have to worry about that pesky exchange rate!) and make your reservations for next year!