Northern Lights Lodge has offered exceptional fishing for over sixty years and has specialized in River fly-fishing for the past fourteen years. With a unique strain of wild native Rainbow & Bull trout inhabiting this spectacular region, Northern Lights Lodge is fortunate to be able to offer World Class Fly-fishing that will rival wild natural River fisheries anywhere.
Northern Lights Lodge is located on the shore close to the outflow of beautiful Quesnel Lake – in excess of 2200 feet deep, this lake is the deepest fresh water fjord in the world, stretching 72 miles to the end of the “East Arm” and 55 miles to the end of the “North Arm” this pristine lake hosts some of the finest fish habitat anywhere. Super Natural British Columbia at its best.
Join us at Northern Lights Lodge for exciting dry fly fishing on up to three different rivers that are so diverse and beautiful you will think you are in a different part of the world each time!
The Mitchell River, Horsefly River, Cariboo River and the surrounding waters are home to a unique strain of large, aggressive wild native Rainbow Trout and hard fighting Bull Trout. This unique strain of Girard Rainbow Trout do not spawn until they are seven years old, do not go through the stress of spawning during this period, do nothing but grow and must become very aggressive in order to survive in their completely natural environment. The watershed in this area is one of the purest, natural trout habitats found anywhere.
The Rainbow & Bull Trout in this watershed are among the largest of their species in the world.
Did You Know:
The Quesnel Lake watershed is host to one of the largest Sockeye Salmon runs in the world. The Sockeye begin their journey at the mouth of the Fraser River in Vancouver & swim north approximately 450 miles to Quesnel, British Columbia, then east up the Quesnel River for another 50 miles at which point they arrive in Quesnel Lake.
Migrating through Quesnel Lake the Salmon draw the large Rainbow and Bull Trout from the lake up the various tributaries where their spawn takes place. The Horsefly River and Mitchell River, being two dominant Sockeye runs in this system, attract the largest number of trophy Rainbow and Bull Trout. While the Sockeye numbers have been down, there are still plenty of returns that pull the big trout out of the lake & up the larger tributaries.
The nutrients released by spawning Sockeye & King Salmon that enter this watershed every year not only attract schools of large trout following the salmon up the various tributaries, but also draw a variety of BC wildlife, such as Grizzly & Black Bears to tiny Weasels & every native carnivore in between. While Eagles are prevalent all year, guests visiting in September & October are awestruck by the dozens upon dozens of these magnificent birds observed daily feeding on the expired Salmon that have completed their incredible life cycle.
Our professional guides will introduce you, to spectacular dry fly fishing, or, in early fall, site fish for trophy Rainbow & Bull Trout that are feeding on eggs released by spawning salmon using egg patterns & streamers on the Mitchell River, Horsefly River, and Cariboo Rivers. Your guided river fly fishing adventure will excite you & challenge your skills as you pursue these trophy Rainbow Trout in a pristine British Columbia wilderness setting that rates second to none. In addition to these fantastic Rainbow Trout, be prepared to get into your backing as our guides expose you to the challenge of landing a large Bull Trout feeding amongst the Salmon that are completing their amazing life cycle in the natural rivers of this highly protected ecosystem.
Safe & easy to get here
Fly from most North American cities in the morning & find yourself enjoying hors d’oeuvres and cocktails at Northern Lights Lodge in the same afternoon….in the wilderness.
A one hour flight from Vancouver, BC on a commercial carrier brings you to Williams Lake, B.C. where we will meet you for a relaxing one hour drive back to the lodge “or” drive 380 miles North from Vancouver through the scenic Fraser Canyon right to our lodge, an easy and enjoyable seven hour drive through beautiful country on good, safe roads.
This wilderness eco-system you are about to experience is comprised of world-class Blue Ribbon fly fishing rivers renowned for some of the largest, most aggressive, wild native Rainbow and Bull Trout on the planet! It is unlikely you will see another fisher on these waters with the exception of your fellow guests from Northern Lights Lodge.
Trout - Bull
Trout - Rainbow
July - September