Algoma Country is an angler’s dream

While the number of American visitors has sharply declined in the last two years, some tourist outfitters in Algoma say domestic travellers are picking up the slack.

And it seems fishing is still a major draw throughout the region, bringing in anglers from across Ontario. The region offers many types of fishing experiences for anglers of all skills levels.

"Whether it's drive-in fishing lodges, fly-in, train-in, or remote outposts, there's a lot of diverse product that's available,” said Rob LaRue, marketing manager for Algoma Country.

One of those fly-in destinations is Errington’s Wilderness Island. The lodge, which is situated around 330 kilometres north of Sault Ste. Marie, is run by Al and Doris Errington.

"I'm second-generation -- I was a teenager when my parents bought the resort,” said Al Errington.

“I did do some other things in between, but then in the mid '90s, my wife and I decided to take it over and raise our kids here, as well."

Errington said his wilderness island, much like the rest of Algoma, offers a fishing experience unmatched anywhere in the world.

"We have really, really great fishing here, but that's only part of the reason,” he said.

“Algoma is a truly a great wilderness experience across the board."

Errington said it’s not uncommon to see all sorts of wildlife while out on the water. The remoteness of the resort allows visitors to escape the pressures of everyday life and truly disconnect.

"A huge part of having a wilderness vacation is being able to disconnect yourself from all of the craziness in the rest of the world,” said Errington.

North of Thessalon on Highway 129 sits Northern Skies Resort. Much like Errington’s Wilderness Island, the resort has been in the same family for some time.

"It was built in the 1940s by my great-grandfather, and then subsequent generations have all had their time owning and operating it,” said Robin Sutherland, current owner of the resort.

Northern Skies sits on the shores of Chub Lake, and features eight housekeeping cabins. Sutherland is the fourth generation of her family to operate the resort. She said the history of the land it sits on goes well beyond that.

"We offer preferred pricing for Indigenous guests and customers,” said Sutherland. “We're also working in partnership with local Indigenous business people and healers and wellness professionals to create wellness programming here."

While Northern Skies Resort has shifted from a hunting and fishing base to a family resort vacation experience, Sutherland said the site still offers great fishing, particularly for smallmouth bass.

"There's also a growing population of lake trout, which is really great,” she said.

“We are also open in the winter and you can ice fish for the lake trout, as well. So, those are the two sort of main species that you're going to get. There's also pike and pickerel."

Aside from fishing, both Errington’s Wilderness Island and Northern Skies Resort offer plenty of other activities to make for a memorable vacation within the natural scenic splendour of Algoma Country.