New Freighter Boat For 2025

We have purchased a new 20 ft Sea Ark Freighter boat which will be hauled in on the winter road. This Sea Ark Freighter will make Saturday airport moves go a little smother while helping out the old trustworthy Lund Alaskan.

Book Your Week Early as Space is More and More Limited

We will be limiting our main change over Saturdays to 18 people or 2 Grand Caravan Flights. Taking advantage of the full week, Saturday to Saturday, remains the best value for your dollar. If Fishing less than the 6 days you must either arrive on a Saturday or depart on a Saturday.

NSLL 2024 Season

We arrived at NSLL May 17 finding the water levels normal for the spring opener and our first guests arriving May 25. One last blast of winter with a few inches of snow arrived on May 24 delaying our guests’ flights into NSLL. By noon Sunday everyone was on the lake and enjoying the start of a great fishing week.

Time Flys When You're Having Fun...

All we can say is, "Where did the summer of 2024 go?" Being the busiest summer on record, 2024 was a blur! With more customers than ever before, we boated more trophy fish than ever before! Walleyes over 30 inches were a common sight and big pikes over 40 inches were a common jaw dropping spectacle. Lake Trout would be the true prize if you made the portage to our Trout Lake and caught our most elusive fish. Congratulations to all the successful fishermen and fisherwomen who scored a "catch and release trophy pin" for their efforts.

2024 Camp Improvements

With a southwest wind and a lake of broken up ice, our docks took another hit. Our main dock was moved about 6 feet closer to shore. Our water levels dropped low enough later in the summer to fix them. All set for 2025 hoping for northeast winds in May during the ice break up. Other boardwalk repairs were done along with painting, roofing, and general maintenance.

Typical Itinerary

Arrival Day

After an evening at one of the local Hotels in Red Lake or Balmertown , plan to arrive at Superior Airways Base by 7:30 am located at the Red Lake Airport in Cochenour, ON.

Check in with Dispatch

Dispatch will issue a Parking Permit.

Luggage and gear are weighed and loaded into the aircraft.

Your Departure from the Red Lake Airport is 8:00am on a Cessna Caravan or Navajo Chieftain.

During the 40 minute \ 110-mile flight, you will have time to take in the scenery.

As you approach North Spirit Lake Airport for landing, take time to have a good look at the lake. Check out water levels and watch for any wild game along the shores.

Approximately 8:45 am arrival at North Spirit Lake Airport.

Once landed, the pilot will open the door you will be greeted by NSLL Staff.

All luggage and gear will be brought down to the boat landing, you will then be boated across to NSLL.

Baggage will be delivered to your cabins.

After you’ve settled into your cabin, staff will stop in to welcome you, answer any questions and share a brief itinerary.

At this point the American Plan guests will be notified with a time for lunch that will be served in the main dining room.

After lunch you may fish or relax for the afternoon.

Housekeeping Guests are free to unpack, make themselves lunch and hit the water for fishing with plenty of time left in the day for a shore dinner.

Typical Fishing Day Housekeeping Plan

Arriving at NSLL on the Housekeeping Plan allows you to create your own schedule. Your cabin will be stocked and any additional items requested will be on hand. Rig your gear, make some lunch and be ready to fish.

NSLL staff will have your boats ready with all safety equipment, gas, and net. A stop at the shore lunch house to pick up your shore lunch kit and you’re on your way. Head out early or late, it’s your day your way. Feel welcome to stop at the lodge, check on the weather, ask for some advice on the latest bite, along with a map of the lake.

Typical Fishing Day American Plan

7:30 am Breakfast

After breakfast head down to the dock.

Your guide will have your boat ready with all equipment needed along with a shore lunch box, ready for lunch on the shore. One of the highlights of the day!

You will return to the dock by 5:30 to exchange some fish stories.

Make your way up to our dining room at 7:00 pm for a delicious meal.

After supper feel free to retire to your cabin, linger in the lodge or do some fishing.

Fishing, fresh air and good food are a great combination for sleep.

The Lodge closes the doors for the night at 10:00 pm

Departure Days

Baggage is required to be out on the main walkway at 7:15 am. Our staff will move baggage down and load the boats for the trip to the airport. American Plan customers will have breakfast at 7:30 am. Housekeeping Plan customers are required to do a cabin clean up. We are in contact with Superior Air to update any weather conditions and flight times. Upon receiving a call from Superior Air, informing us they are air born, by 8:00 am, we are off to the airport.

We will meet the incoming flights at 8:45 am. Your flight back to Red Lake aproximately 9:30 am with an arrival back in Red Lake at 10:15 am.

Please Limit Your Gear

With new weight restrictions in place for small air carriers, we are restricted to a 100-pound weight limit per person. If your group exceeds the weight limit, another plane will be required at your cost. A thought for keeping weight to a minimum… have any water, pop, and or beer ordered ahead, and at the lodge upon your arrival.

No large coolers required. FYI... a 36 quart cooler will hold 4 limits of fish.

Large hard shelled totes are highly discouraged. A reminder that all baggage should be EASILY handled.

2023 Season at NSLL

Ice hung on until May 15, looking like it was going to stay around another week or two. Wind direction and warm weather made short work of that! We flew into NSLL May 20, with water levels a bit low for spring. Nothing like we encountered arriving in 2022. Water levels stayed at medium levels most of the summer. Mid-September water was quite low, but still able to make it up the river to Margot Lake. Let’s hope for snow to bring water levels up for next spring.

Hot Baits of 2023

Every group was having luck with their favorite lure. Jigs, crawler harnesses, crank baits, twister tails, and gulp. Frozen minnows were always on the walleye’s dinner plate. Spoons of different types and colors drove the pike crazy.

Fishing Was Unbelievable

The size and numbers of fish carried over from the 2022 season. Some guided boats hit numbers of 240 walleyes in one day! The bigger fish were aggressive, at times making it harder to catch the limit of “take homers”. We had the most 30 plus inch walleye this season, with the largest at 34 inches. Northern pike were in a feeding frenzy. The bays are big pike “hang outs” early in the season, many over the 40-inch mark were caught. Both big pike and quality walleye were caught off rocky points. Trout Lake produced two 34-inch Lake Trout with many 6 to 10 pounders, for fast action. And the nice size walleye’s of Trout Lake are always a great distraction.

Superior Airways New Plane

Superior Airways has added a Beechcraft King Air to their fleet. This plane hauls eight people and gear. Arrangements can be made for pick up at a local airport, flying your party direct to NSL. Pricing available upon request.

Garmin and Navionics a BIG plus for 2023

Guide boats have been outfitted with Garmin 106SV fish finders… what a difference! Linked with the Navionics App, this duo proved to be a great combination.

Catch and Release Update 2023

Congratulations to the Pro Anglers who caught trophy Walleye 26 inch and over, and Northern Pike 40 inches and over. Wear your Pro Angler caps proud! Catch and Release hat pins were awarded for the release of trophy fish. 99 percent of these trophies were returned to be caught again another day. Thanks for making the Catch and Release system work. We will be awarding hat pins for catching trophies in 2024 with multiple pins for each species.

2023 Camp Improvements

We constructed 4 new floating docks to replace the aging docks. New walkways from the main boardwalk to cabin 5 and cabin 6, and a new roof on cabin 5. As always, general maintenance of walkway, railings, and painting. A new Manitowoc Ice machine was added in early June. The new Yamaha outboards worked out well. The 450 CanAm 4x4 ATV brought in last winter, proved itself on the board walk, moving baggage and camp supplies.

The Most Asked Question...

Though our years of operating NSLL we get the same question season after season….
When is the best time to come fishing?
Every month, week, and day is a bit different. We use our expertise of operating the Lodge for so many years to point you in the right direction. Late May and early June the fish are shallow. Moving water such as rivers and shallow bays are your best bet. And always play the wind. Windblown bays is where the feed ends up and the feeding frenzy is on. Mid way through June and into July we start to see weed growth and our focus turns to either fishing in the fresh cabbage or on the outside edge of the weed line. Once again, we play the wind, when we get to August and Sept. The weed beds congest, and mature fish will move to the rocky points in deeper water. At that time, we fish low and slow, and produce some of the lunkers we dream about. So, getting back to that question when is the best time to come fishing? Every day is a good day to fish at NSLL. Just at times, some are exceptional days of fishing.