Ontario fly-in fishing outfitters compared
There are four ways to do a fly-in fishing trip in Ontario, and they cost very different money. Here's what each one really includes, from the cheapest outpost to the fully guided lodge, so you can pick the right trip for your group, even if it isn't ours. — Jeb
$$
Outpost camp
About $1,800 for 5 days. Your own lake, no staff, you do the work.
$$$
Sydney Lake
$2,100 for 5 days. Your own cabin and boats, plus housekeeping and dock service.
$$$$
Self-guided American Plan
About $3,000 for 5 days. Meals cooked for you, you fish on your own.
$$$$$
Fully guided American Plan
About $4,700 for 5 days. Meals cooked and a guide in your boat.
What it costs
What a 5-day fly-in fishing trip costs per person, in US dollars before the 13% HST. Each price is the average of the published 2026–27 rates of two well-known fly-in camps of that type, rounded to the nearest $100.
Our 5-day package is $2,100 US, or $1,890 for groups of 8 or more. That covers the float plane from Kenora, your own A/C cabin, a 16 ft Lund with a 25 hp Yamaha, all your gas, your Ontario fishing licence, daily housekeeping and dock service. Packages & rates →
Packages and what you get
Every fly-in trip includes the float plane and a place to sleep. After that, they're very different. Here's how the four compare, line by line.
| Outpost $$ | Sydney Lake $$$ | Self-guided AP $$$$ | Guided AP $$$$$ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 days, per person | $1,800 | $2,100 ($1,890 for 8+) | $3,000 | $4,700 |
| Float plane from town | ✓ | ✓ 30 min from Kenora | ✓ | ✓ |
| Your own cabin | ✓ | ✓ Never shared | Usually | Usually |
| Who else is on the lake | Sometimes just your group | Other lodge guests | Other lodge guests | Other lodge guests |
| Staff at camp | None. Radio or sat-phone check-ins | ✓ On site all season | ✓ | ✓ |
| Meals | You cook | You cook in a full kitchen, on your schedule | Cooked for you, set mealtimes | Cooked for you, plus shore lunch |
| Full kitchen | ✓ Propane stove and fridge, pots and dishes | ✓ Every cabin, fully equipped | No. Usually a small fridge and coffee maker | No. Usually a small fridge and coffee maker |
| Housekeeping | You do it | ✓ Daily, and we can do your dishes | Daily or mid-week | ✓ Daily |
| Bedding and towels | Often extra, or bring your own | ✓ Included | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Boat and motor | 14–16 ft, 9.9–25 hp | 16 ft Lund, 25 hp Yamaha, electric start, troll control | 16 ft, 9.9–30 hp | The guide's boat |
| Gas | Usually included, some cap it or add surcharges | ✓ All you need, gassed daily | Usually included | ✓ Included |
| Dock service | — | ✓ Boats gassed, cleaned and ready at 7:00 a.m. | Varies | The guide handles it |
| If your motor quits | Fix it or wait for the plane | Satellite text us and we come get you | Staff help | The guide handles it |
| Fishing help | A map | Daily tips from staff who fish here, detailed maps | Varies | ✓ A guide in your boat |
| Guide | Rare, or extra | Available, $275/day | Extra, about $325/day | ✓ Included |
| Typical tips, 5 days, per person | Just the pilot | About 10% (about $210), shared by the staff | Usually 10–20% ($300–600) | Usually 10–20% ($470–940), much of it for the guide |
| Ontario fishing licence | Usually extra | ✓ Included | Usually extra | Usually extra |
| Air conditioning | Rare | ✓ Every cabin | Some | Some |
Outfitter columns show what's typical on 2026–27 published rates pages. Every camp is different, so read each one's fine print. Prices are per person in US dollars, before 13% HST. Tips are typical published guidelines, and float plane pilots are often tipped on any fly-in trip.
Honest advice
Sydney Lake isn't the right trip for everyone. If one of these sounds like your crew, here's where I'd point you.
An outpost is the cheapest way to fly in. You get a cabin and boats, and you handle the cooking, cleaning, boats and any breakdowns yourselves. Great for experienced, handy groups.
American Plan lodges cook breakfast and dinner on their schedule. Expect to pay about $1,200 more a person than an outpost, and to share the lake and dining room with other guests.
A fully guided trip puts a pro in your boat to run it, find the fish and cook shore lunch. It's the easiest week on the water, and it costs about two and a half times as much as an outpost.
Your own A/C cabin and boats, your own schedule and menu, plus daily housekeeping, dock service and staff on hand. Two lakes, and no other camps on them. What's at camp →
First-timers do best where someone can answer questions, swap a motor and point them to fish. That's a lodge or Sydney Lake, not an outpost. Boats & dock service →
Here you don't have to choose. Fish on your own, and book our head guide for a day or two at $275 US a day. Packages & rates →
The in-between trip
If you've done an outpost, you know the drill: hauling bedding, fixing motors, and doing dishes by headlamp. If you've done an American Plan lodge, you know the other side: racing back for the dinner bell right when the evening bite turns on.
My dad and I built this camp for the trip in between. You fish your way and eat when you want, and we take care of the chores. — Jeb
Read the fine print
When you compare fly-in trips, check what each price leaves out. These are the extras I see most often on Ontario rates pages:
Fly-in trip FAQ
At an outpost, you fly to a cabin on its own lake with boats and no staff, and you do all the cooking and chores. At an American Plan lodge, staff cook your meals and clean your cabin, and you share the lake with other lodge guests. It's all-inclusive, with or without a guide.
For 5 days in 2026–27, an outpost averages about $1,800 US per person, a self-guided American Plan lodge about $3,000, and a fully guided lodge about $4,700, plus 13% HST. Sydney Lake is $2,100, or $1,890 for groups of 8 or more.
You stay in your own cabin at a main camp with staff, and you cook your own meals. Sydney Lake is a housekeeping camp with extra service: daily housekeeping, dock service, A/C in every cabin and staff on hand.
Usually, by a few hundred dollars a person. Once you add bedding, the fishing licence, and any gas or small-group surcharges, the gap can get a lot smaller. Compare the full price, not the headline.
No. You bring your groceries and cook in your cabin's full kitchen, with a gas BBQ and a fish cooker, and eat whenever you like. If cooked meals are a must, an American Plan lodge is the better fit.
Yes. Our head guide is available for $275 US a day, so you can book him for a day or two and fish on your own the rest of the week.
The float plane from Kenora, your own cabin, a 16 ft Lund with a 25 hp Yamaha, all your gas, your Ontario fishing licence, daily housekeeping and dock service. Food, tackle, the 13% HST and gratuities aren't included. See packages & rates.
Each one is the average of the published 2026–27 rates of two well-known fly-in camps of that type for a 5-day trip, rounded to the nearest $100. They're per person in US dollars before tax, and they change, so always confirm with the outfitter.
Still deciding?
Tell me what your group wants, and I'll tell you honestly whether Sydney Lake is the right trip. Call 1-800-437-9937, or text me at 1-780-660-7171.
