The Ultimate Guide To Fly-In Fishing In Manitoba

Key Takeaways

• Fly-in fishing is a fishing trip that happens in a remote location you have to fly to.

• You can catch incredible fish on these trips because the waters are mostly untouched.

• Accommodations vary from spartan to luxurious.

• You can find experienced guides or fish solo.

• Keep catch limits and fishing restrictions in mind.

• Talk to the lodge you’re booking with about safety, food options, and more.

  
  

What Is Fly-In Fishing?

Want to fish in pristine waters that are almost untouched by other anglers? You need to fly somewhere remote.

Fly-in fishing is just that—a fishing trip where you fly to a remote location in order to access waters that most anglers have never seen. Manitoba is famous for our fly-in fishing; we have over 100,000 lakes in our province, many of which are in remote locations. 

Fishing Lodges Vs. Fishing Outposts Vs. Lone Fishing

There are three ways to enjoy fly-in fishing: Lodges, outposts, and lone fishing.

• Fishing lodges provide the most amenities. A fishing lodge may feature high-speed internet, heating and air conditioning, and home-cooked meals. Lodges may also provide guides, fishing equipment, and much more.

• Fishing outposts are stripped-down fishing lodges; you may need to bring most of your own equipment, and while food may be provided, expect basic meals. Beds, boats, and shelter are available—you provide the rest.

• Lone fishing is exactly what it sounds like; you make your way out to a lake and fish. Lone fishing is quite rare; it’s hard to fly a boat out to a lake, so you’ll mostly be shore fishing if you choose this option. You may need to charter a plane if you don’t own one. There may or may not be accommodations, and there certainly won’t be guides—it’s you and the wilderness. 

Types Of Accommodations Provided

When planning a fly-in fishing trip, it’s important to think about the kind of experience you want to enjoy. Are you someone who likes fishing all day and relaxing all night? You’ll want to find a comfortable lodge. Are you looking to fish solo, or do you want experienced guides? Do you need internet access? Are you going to want to watch sports during the evening? Are you someone who prefers to use fish finders? Do you want to hunt some days and fish others?

You should look into the following:

• Lodge amenities (Wi-Fi, TV, etc.)

• Meals (do they accommodate dietary restrictions?)

• Boats (age, type)

• Equipment (depth finders, GPS, etc.)

• Space available

• Guided or unguided

• Type of fishing offered (ice fishing, fly fishing, etc.)

You’ll also want to look into the most important feature of all—the kinds of fish you’ll be able to catch! Here at Munroe Lake Lodge, our lakes are dominated by Northern Pike, Lake Trout, and Arctic Grayling. 

How Experienced Are The Guides?

Guide experience is key to a guided fly-in fishing trip. You don’t just want to know how experienced the guides are in general—you want to know how much time they’ve spent on the lakes you’re fishing. Ideally, they’ll have years of experience and know every drop-off, bay, and flat in the water.

Catch Limits And Fishing Regulations

Here in Manitoba, you’ll need to acquire a fishing licence before your fly-in fishing trip. You’ll also want to know about several different restrictions; you can learn about these restrictions in the Angler's Guide (2025). Here are a few of the most important restrictions to know about:

• Anglers must use barbless hooks.

• Hooks and lures cannot be spring-loaded.

• Anglers must follow the possession limit for each species; there may also be size restrictions.

Here are the size and possession limits for the fish available near our lodge:

Fish	Possession limit	Size Limit
Arctic Grayling	3	No more than 35 cm (13.7”)
Lake Trout	1	No more than 65 cm (25.5”)
Northern Pike	4	No more than 75 cm (29.5”)

Current Safety Measures

Fly-in fishing lodges are in remote locations; wildlife, wildfires, and a lack of access to emergency services are common safety concerns. Talk to fly-in fishing lodges about the safety measures they have in place, including:

• Wildlife control

• Access to emergency services

• Connectivity (internet, satellite phones)

  
  

Food Options

Fly-in fishing lodges and outposts may provide very different options for food. Most lodges and outposts offer shore lunches. Some lodges (like Munroe Lake Lodge) offer multi-course meals for dinner—often featuring local game. Others offer pared-back suppers and may not be able to accommodate dietary restrictions. 

Check with the lodge or outpost you’re considering about the food it offers, especially if you have allergies or other dietary restrictions. 

What To Bring

You’ll need to bring equipment up to the lodge with you. While some lodges and outposts will provide basic fishing gear, most will expect you to bring your own. Be sure to bring lures that work well for your target species. You’ll also want to bring the right clothing, personal toiletries, waterproof packs, and more.

We’ve created a whole guide on what to bring for fly-in fishing; check it out for more details!

Additional Activities

You’re in the wilderness—there’s an abundance of things to see, do, and explore. You might go swimming in a lake or a creek. You might split your trip between fishing and hunting. The lodge might have ATVs you can drive. Talk to different lodges about the activities you can do when you're not fishing—or spend your whole time fishing! 

Booking Your Trip

Most fly-in fishing companies have websites with contact information to book; they should also list prices for fishing trips directly on their websites. Check out our fly-in fishing page to see pricing for our 4 and 7-day fishing packages! 

We can’t recommend fly-in fishing enough; it’s a lot of fun, and you can catch some incredible fish.