There are a lot of incredible fishing destinations scattered across Northwest Ontario, but every once in a while you come across a lake that is truly unique.
That’s exactly what we found at Pine Cliff Lodge on Big Sandy Lake in Ontario’s Sunset Country.
Big Sandy offers something that’s becoming increasingly difficult to find — a remote wilderness fishing experience with outstanding trophy potential, yet you can drive right to the lodge. You get that feeling of being way back in the Canadian bush without having to climb aboard a floatplane to get there.
And once you get on the water, it doesn’t take long to realize this place has some really special fish.
A Big Sandy Lake Trout
We started the day looking for lake trout, and it didn’t take long before we connected with exactly the kind of fish we came here hoping to catch.
“Fish on!”
Right away, you could tell this wasn’t a little fish. As it started coming up and finally showed some color beneath the boat, we knew we had a good one.
When that fish finally came into view, it was a beauty — a gorgeous 33-inch lake trout.
That was our first lake trout of the day at Pine Cliff Lodge, and what a way to get things started. After a quick measurement and a few moments to appreciate the fish, we got her back into the cold, clear water.
That’s the kind of experience Big Sandy can produce.
More Than Just Lake Trout
One of the things that makes Pine Cliff Lodge such an interesting destination is the diversity of trophy fishing opportunities available right out the front door.
Big Sandy isn’t simply a lake trout destination. Anglers have opportunities for big smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleyes and whitefish as well.
That variety is a big deal.
Depending on the time of year, weather conditions and what you enjoy fishing for, you can switch gears and target completely different species. You might spend part of your trip chasing lake trout in deep, cold water and then turn around and go looking for a big northern pike or one of those heavyweight Canadian smallmouth.
That keeps every day interesting.
A Special Fishery in Ontario’s Sunset Country
Big Sandy Lake is approximately 10,000 acres and is located in Sunset Country in Ontario, roughly an hour north of Dryden.
It’s a deep, cold and remarkably clear body of water — exactly the type of environment capable of producing quality fish.
But there’s another characteristic that makes Big Sandy particularly interesting.
Pine Cliff Lodge is the only public access on the lake, and there are only a couple of other private cabins.
Think about that for a second.
You have approximately 10,000 acres of Canadian water with extremely limited access.
That gives Big Sandy a completely different character from heavily developed fisheries where anglers are constantly running past one another. You really get that wilderness feeling out here.
It’s what the folks at Pine Cliff describe as “fly-in quality fishing with drive-to convenience.”
That’s a pretty accurate description.
You can load your gear, drive into Northwest Ontario and end up fishing a lake that has many of the characteristics anglers normally associate with much more remote fly-in destinations.
The Story Behind Pine Cliff Lodge
The lodge is owned and operated by Derek and Kara Zimmerman, and there’s a neat family history behind the operation.
Derek’s aunt and uncle owned Pine Cliff Lodge for 25 years before Derek and Kara took it over.
Kara first visited the lodge in 2010 while she and Derek were dating in college. She came north as a guest with Derek’s family, and during that trip Derek showed her this special place in the Canadian wilderness.
At some point he asked her whether she could ever see herself doing something like this.
Her answer?
“Yeah, sure, maybe.”
Fast-forward 15 years, and Derek and Kara are now six years into operating Pine Cliff Lodge themselves.
That history means something because this isn’t simply a lodge sitting on a great fishing lake. There’s a family connection to the place and a real understanding of what makes Big Sandy special.
Simple, Comfortable and Built for Anglers
Pine Cliff is a housekeeping-only lodge with six guest cabins ranging from two beds all the way up to eight beds.
The cabins are fully equipped with kitchens, propane grills and outdoor barbecues, along with propane fish-frying equipment. The kitchens have the equipment you need to prepare meals, and bedding is supplied. Guests basically need to bring their food, personal gear and bath towels.
For a group of serious fishermen, that setup makes a lot of sense.
You fish when you want to fish.
Come back to the cabin, cook dinner, fry some fish, relax and get everything ready to do it again the next morning.
That independence is part of what makes a Canadian fishing trip so enjoyable.
The Big Sandy Experience
What really makes this place intriguing is the entire package.
You have a roughly 10,000-acre, deep, clear Canadian lake with very limited access. You have trophy potential for lake trout, smallmouth bass and northern pike, along with walleyes and whitefish. You have comfortable cabins and fishing boats equipped with modern electronics and trolling motors.
And you can drive there.
That’s pretty unusual.
There are certainly places throughout Northwest Ontario where you can catch great fish. That’s one of the reasons anglers have been coming to this part of Canada for generations.
But Pine Cliff Lodge and Big Sandy offer a combination that’s difficult to duplicate.
It feels remote.
It fishes remote.
Yet you don’t need an airplane to experience it.
And when your first lake trout of the day comes over the side of the boat measuring 33 inches, you get a pretty good indication of what kind of fishery you’re dealing with.
That’s Sunset Country fishing.
That’s Big Sandy.
And that’s the Pine Cliff Lodge experience.
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