What's at camp · Sydney Lake, Ontario
Seven private cabins on a granite point in the middle of the lake, a crew that looks after your boat and cabin every day, and no other camp on Sydney or Kilburn. Thirty minutes by float plane from Kenora.
1 camp
on Sydney and Kilburn
No roads, no launches, no outposts, no cottages.
7 cabins
one group in each
Air conditioning, full kitchen and a screened porch.
5 min
to the closest spots
Half the lake system is within 20 minutes of camp, and all of it within 31.
1933
our family's first year here
Four generations, and we built most of camp ourselves.
Where camp sits
Camp is on Sydney Lake's west shore, on Canadian Shield granite in the boreal forest. Because we fly in instead of driving to a launch, we could build where the fishing is: near the middle of the Sydney and Kilburn system, with Pineneedle Bay at the doorstep and the deep main basin out front.
That puts spots 5 minutes from the dock, half the system within 20 minutes and all of it within 31. You can run north to the creek-fed bays, south through the islands to Sydney Falls, or up the Sturgeon River to Kilburn, and take a different route every day.
There are no roads, boat launches, outposts, cottages or towns on either lake. We're the only camp on Sydney and Kilburn, so the boats you see all day are mostly ours.
Around camp
Every group gets its own pine-panelled cabin with a full kitchen, hot shower, screened porch and air conditioning. See the cabins →
A hand-scribed log lodge with four bedrooms, a loft and a granite fireplace. A few weeks open in 2027; grand opening in 2028. See the lodge →
16 ft Lunds with 25 hp electric-start Yamahas, gassed and cleaned every morning by the dock crew. Boats & dock service →
Two big screened gazebos on the shore, one with a fire table. The place to compare fish and watch the sun go down without the bugs.
A wood-fired sauna with its own dock. Sweat, jump in the lake, repeat.
Two wood fire pits by the water, and on clear August and September nights a good chance of northern lights.
A modern fish house to clean your keepers. Fish processing is available if you'd rather we do it.
A Traeger smoker for camp, Weber BBQs, and shore lunch kits with pots, pans, burners and propane to cook your catch on an island.
Live minnows for $8, so you don't have to haul bait across the border. We'll bring more out on the lake if you text.
Starlink internet and electricity around the clock, so you can check the weather, send a photo home and charge your graph.
Boats waiting on Sidious, Middle Kilburn, Kurt and other walk-in lakes, at no extra cost. Portage lakes →
Our head guide, David Quinlan, and the crew guide for $275 US a day, fly fishing included.
The service
You fish your own schedule and cook your own meals, but you're never on your own. A small crew lives at camp all season, and I'm there too.
A day at camp
There's no schedule. This is just what most groups end up doing.
How we compare
Most fly-in trips in Northwest Ontario are one of three kinds. Here's where we fit.
| Outpost | Sydney Lake | American Plan lodge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own cabin | Yes, often alone on a lake | Yes, one group per cabin | Often rooms in the main lodge |
| Meals | You cook | You cook, in a full kitchen | Cooked for you, set meal times |
| Housekeeping | You clean | Every day, dishes included | Every day |
| Boat gassed and cleaned | You do it | Every morning | Usually |
| If something breaks | Radio and wait for the plane | Staff on site come and fix it | Staff on site |
| Fishing help | You're on your own | Daily tips at the dock; guides if you want one | Often guided |
| Your schedule | Yours | Yours | Built around meals |
| Price | Lowest | From $1,700 US for 3 days | Highest |
Honest advice: if you want every meal cooked for you, an American Plan lodge is a better fit. If you want a lake completely to yourselves for the lowest price, look at an outpost. If you want to cook your own fish, fish your own hours and still have someone gas the boat and do the dishes, that's us. See packages and rates →
Guest reviews
★★★★★
“Between the fishing, the boats, the accommodations, and the staff, the camp keeps improving.”
★★★★★
“The service was second to none, and every member of the staff went out of their way to make sure our trip was enjoyable.”
★★★★★
“Sydney Lake keeps getting better”
5.0 on Tripadvisor from 12 reviews · 5 stars on Google · Read all guest reviews →
Camp FAQ
Yes. We're a housekeeping camp: every cabin has a full kitchen, and you bring your own food from Kenora. We do the dishes and clean the cabin every day. The grocery planner helps you figure out how much to bring.
Yes. Camp has Starlink internet and electricity 24 hours a day, so you can charge phones, cameras and depth-finder batteries in your cabin.
Live minnows are $8 at camp. Pop, beer and water can be ordered ahead and flown in at a lower freight cost. Everything else comes in with you on the plane, up to 100 lb per person.
Call or text us and we'll come and get you. If the motor needs work we fix it or swap your boat, so you don't lose a day of fishing.
Only our own guests. We're the only camp on Sydney and Kilburn, with no roads, launches or outposts, and the lakes cover about 17,500 acres. Most of the day you won't see another boat.
Yes. Kids under 16 are 40% off, the cabins have beds at floor level, and the crew helps with gear and boats. Tell me who's coming and I'll suggest the right cabin.
Ready to see it for yourself?
Tell me when you'd like to come and how many are in your group, and I'll tell you which cabins are open. June fills first.
Cabins →Boats & dock service →The log lodge →Packages & rates →
