- If You’re Not Catching 100 Fish a Day, We’ll send a Guide with You
- Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike and Musky
- Fly-In Paradise in Ontario, Canada
By David Gray
Every January, Jeanne MacLean leaves the far north and makes a trek back to her home state of Missouri. Jeanne says it is like “coming back home.” She comes to visit friends and to set up a display in the Kansas City Boat and Sportshow for her Fletcher Lake Lodge.
Jeanne has many ties to Missouri. She was born and raised in Trenton, Missouri. Her father, Fuzz LePage, was a career Missouri Highway Patrolman. Few knew his real first name, everyone just called him Fuzz. He had a love for law enforcement and when off duty, he had a love for flying.
When Jeanne was 14 and Fuzz had 20 plus years as a Highway Patrol Officer, Fuzz retired from active law enforcement and moved the family to Warroad, Minnesota. Fuzz purchased a flight service business and began serving lodges, as well as anglers and hunters, flying customers and gear into remote Canadian locations.
One day on a return flight, Fuzz pulled back the throttle on his float plane, dropped into Fletcher Lake and taxied to the lodge dock. Fuzz wanted to meet the owners and thought he might pick up a new customer, offering them his flight services. In this part of Ontario, there are thousands of lakes, many of them gems, with Fletcher Lake being one of those diamond gems. The lodge owner informed Fuzz that his wife had recently passed away and he was going sell the lodge.
Fuzz made a quick return flight and told Jeanne, “Get a bank loan quick and buy Fletcher Lake Lodge.”
Jeanne did just that, buying the lodge in 1981. The first part of the lodge was constructed in 1960.
Prior to the 1983 fishing season, a forest fire swept thru the region burning the camp and destroyed the lodge. Only one of the 14 structures, a guest cabin survived. Considering the size of the rebuild task, it was amazing that their crew pitched in to rebuild the lodge and enough cabins to take care of all the incoming guests.
After High School, Jeanne worked for a year as secretary and then for a year at a Montana Elk hunting outfitter. Then her dad called about buying Fletcher Lake Lodge.
Fletcher Lake Lodge is the longest continuous exhibitor in the Kansas City Boat and Sportshow. She says working the show is much about getting to see friends and customers. Almost all of the lodge guests rebook every year.
Watching folks stop at the Fletcher Lake Lodge booth in the sport show, it is obvious the customers are friends. While interviewing Jeanne for this article, comments from customers were, “Absolutely the best walleye fishing” and “Magical fishing” and “Great fishing with wonderful lodge people” and much more.
Jeanne says her favorite day at the lodge is when the float plane arrives with new guests. With a 90% plus rebook, the guests are all friends and each get a hug and give a hug when they get off the plane. Nice way to start a fishing trip vacation!
Fletcher Lake is the only lodge on the lake. There are no roads to it. A short, but extremely scenic, 30 minute float plane ride from Kenora, Ontario, brings you to the lodge.
The lodge offers American Plan which is the most popular. Breakfast and gourmet dinner is served in the lodge. Lunch can be in the lodge, sandwiches packed for the day or the traditional shore lunch (PS – don’t ever miss a traditional shore lunch!).
Fletcher Lake offers outstanding walleye, smallmouth and northern pike fishing. It is Conservation fishing. You may keep only two fish a day for a dinner or shore lunch. The lodge also has easy portages to a trophy lake and two musky lakes you can fish for the day. The musky is said to be a fish of 10,000 casts, but Jeanne says at their musky lakes, “You won’t catch a 54-incher, but you will catch more musky in a day than you will believe.” A rare and unique fishing experience only for guests of the lodge. Most of the fishing is self-guiding, but Jeanne says if a boat with two anglers is not catching 100 fish a day, you are doing something wrong. We send out a guide to show places and how to catch them.
In 2018, three lady anglers (guests) were struggling a little on finding fish. Jeanne sent them out with guides Shane and Kevin. At the end of that day, total number of fish caught by the three ladies was 362. Jeanne will not forget 362, as 362 was also Fuzz LePage’s Missouri Highway Patrol badge number. Now that’s pretty amazing.
Fletcher Lake Lodge has, along with other outfitters, teamed up with the Ontario Government to create a unique Trophy Waters program in the area.
Fletcher Lake Lodge is the only accommodation on Fletcher Lake and offers exceptional Canadian Fly-in fishing and hunting packages. The remote location is only accessible by traditional Canadian bush planes and ensures exceptional fishing and hunting experiences.
Jeanne and Fletcher Lake Lodge can be reached in two ways: email and telephone. Their email address is: fish@fletcherlake.com and their phone contact is: Winter, 218-386-1538; Summer, 807-224-3400.