We took the trek to Hatchet Lake Lodge on their last fishing session of 2019. Located on Hatchet Lake in Northern Saskatchewan, the lodge was originally built 57 years ago in 1963. Aside from the main lake, the lodge offers 3 portages and fly-outs to 22 additional lakes. You will get the chance to fish for the Grand Slam of Northern Pike, Lake Trout, Walleye and Arctic Grayling.
The Lodge has their own 6,000ft. airstrip which was a great way to start your trip. The accommodations are what you would expect in the far north. The main lodge is a spacious 3 story building that is the preferred gathering place. There is full dining, lounge and bar area, a tackle shop and a computer/library room. It’s a nice place to hang out after a great day of fishing!
Dining in the main lodge
The cabins, in our opinion, are rustic. The lodge advertises that they were handcrafted by Cree and Dene first nations. We would not argue that. The cabin we stayed in had a nice sitting area, 4 bedrooms and two bathrooms. The bathrooms were in dire need of new flooring but the rest of the place was nice. (See end of article for update on new renovations)
One of the additional cabins is used as a fitness center.
Lead by the co-owners, Harvey Kroll & Clay Busby, the staff is awesome. All of them were friendly and enjoyed conversations with us. They saw to our every need from bringing us a pot of coffee in the morning to taking our gear down to the boats daily. They really are a top notch group of people. The guides we had really knew the lake and have guided there for years. We enjoyed talking with them and enjoying their wonderful shore lunches.
The fishing is superb! We boated large quantities and trophied in Northern Pike. We fished for Walleye only for lunch but they were easy to catch. We jigged for trout in the late afternoon and always hooked into some big fights. We are sorry to say we did not chase any Grayling on this trip.
Lake Trout are abundant in many of the areas of the Lake
All in all we had a great time at Hatchet Lake. We can’t say enough about the staff as they (along with the great fishing) were the highlight of the trip. We were disappointed that they ran out of certain liquors, mixers, and sodas which after a long day of fishing, is something we all look forward to. Unfortunately, there was an issue near the end of the year with the freight truck. Very commonly in the summertime the road on which their groceries are shipped before being flown to the lodge can be washed out and they will miss certain grocery hauls. After talking with Clay, he stated that they will be better prepared by maintaining a bigger supply at the lodge in case of they have that issue in the future.
Clay also updated me recently with their plans for the lodge during the Covid-19 shutdown. Yes, this is yet another lodge that will be shuttered to guests this summer as the coronavirus continues to take it’s toll on Canadian fishing lodges.
Hatchet Lake will use the summer to upgrade the Lodge, guest and guide cabins. This includes new roofs and floor repairs as needed.
We look forward to returning to Hatchet Lake and again experience the friendly staff, knowledgeable guides and superb fishing.
