Fishing on Lac Seul
Lac Seul has earned its reputation as the premier trophy walleye fishery in Northwest Ontario and is arguably one of the best in the world. The abundance of forage and diverse habitat combined with strong conservation measures are the factors that make Lac Seul an exceptional walleye fishery. Those same forces are also the reason why we enjoy fantastic trophy pike fishing and an exploding smallmouth bass population. Centrally located and isolated on Lac Seul’s south shore, Silver Water Wheel Lodge has exclusive access to the heart of this world-class fishery.
Walleye Fishing
Walleyes are the primary focus for most of our Guests. Trophy-class fish in the 28 – 32 in. range get most of the attention, but the incredible numbers of 22 – 27 in. provide the action and volume that keep all our Guests happy and returning year after year.
Many lodges make similar claims, but at Silver Water Wheel, we back up our opinions with data and facts. All guides are required to keep daily log sheets detailing their catches. We publish the results on an annual basis but also use the immediate information as the foundation for our weekly fishing reports.
Locations, patterns, and preferred presentations shift dramatically through the course of the changing seasons, but the guides work together to stay on top of the trends. Information is shared every day at the nightly roundtable meeting. As a group of professional guides with our pulse on the fishery, we know that our individual knowledge is amplified with shared information.
Whether Guests are looking for the trophy walleye of a lifetime or prefer action and fun, SWWL guides will plan the day with your wishes and expectations in mind.
Northern Pike Fishing
Historically, the first and last 3 weeks of the season were the preferred dates for our hard-core trophy pike anglers. Recently, there has been an increased focus on summer pike fishing and the results have improved dramatically. The cool water seasons tend to concentrate big pike in specific areas, but aggressive guides have been able to expand our lists of trophy pike spots into the main lake basins during summer.
Standard big pike tackle, including spoons, in-line spinners, Husky Jerks, big cranks, and smaller musky baits can all be productive. The guide boats are all equipped with borrow rods designed for bigger baits and are available for Guests to use at no cost.
Smallmouth Bass Fishing
The population of smallmouth bass in Lac Seul has grown every year. June remains the peak of the bass fishing season, even though we see more and more incidental bass throughout the year now.
One of the most striking aspects of our local bass fishery is the surprisingly low number of smaller bass present. On the best spots, you are much more likely to catch a 17 in. bass than a 12 in. bass. Competition is fierce for prime spawning areas, and the result is that to control the best bass territory, you have to be big. In recent years, we have seen more and more June guide sheets reporting 20, 30, or even 40 plus bass between 17 – 19+ inches in a single day.
Standard big pike tackle, including spoons, in-line spinners, Husky Jerks, big cranks, and smaller musky baits can all be productive. An assortment of smaller jigs and twisters, small crankbaits, spinner baits, rattle traps, top water plugs, tubes, and plastics will cover most of the different options throughout the season.
Conservation Policy
Our Guests catch 25 – 30-inch walleye every day on Lac Seul because thousands of conscious anglers have carefully caught and released big fish. We all inherit this responsibility, and the results benefit not only us and our Guests but also the next generation of young anglers.
Fishing regulations enforced by the MNR on Lac Seul stipulate that all walleye 18 – 21 inches and northern 27.5 – 36 inches must be immediately released. Even though regulations do technically allow each angler to harvest one fish over the slot size, Silver Water Wheel Camp Policy goes one step further to insist that all fish over the slot size be released as well.
Lac Seul
With nearly 3,000 miles of shoreline and a surface area of over 500 square miles, Lac Seul is the second-largest body of water in Ontario. Its immense size is one of the critical factors necessary for a Canadian Shield lake to consistently produce numbers of quality, trophy-sized fish.
Specifically, Lac Seul provides diverse habitats and an abundance of nutritious forage, which are essential for top predators to reach maximum size. Combine this potential with careful conservation policies and you have the opportunity to catch a lot of fish — including the trophy catch of a lifetime.
Guests are welcome to explore the lake if they choose, but there are no mandatory hour-long boat rides to the “good” spots at SWWL. Over 90% of our trophy fish are caught and released within 12 miles of the lodge.
Another advantage to our location on Lac Seul is access to the south channel. If a storm rolls in, your guides have a safe, alternate route home without fighting the big water.
The Tiller platform gives our guides the ability to control the boat from the stern, leaving plenty of space for storage and a full casting deck for Guests. The Yamaha F115 Tiller is extremely reliable and unbelievably quiet.
All guide boats are rigged with state-of-the-art, high-definition Lowrance GPS/Sonar and Humminbird combinations. The split screen feature makes it possible to pinpoint your location with the GPS while also watching the sonar for changes in structure and those great big red and yellow hooks.
This deep V powerhouse is right at home on Lac Seul, yet the high transom and additional splash guards allow guides to back troll down without an additional kicker or electric motor. Each boat features two rod lockers, ample storage for shorelunch kits and gear, pedestal seats, bait wells, and a fully carpeted interior for guests to stretch out and cast.
The Boats
As an owner, operator, and guide at Silver Water Wheel Lodge, Mike wears many different hats. But when it comes time to make decisions on our boats, motors, and electronics for SWWL’s fleet, he is definitely wearing his “guide” hat. Other Lac Seul fishing lodges may try to save a buck by cutting corners, but when it comes right down to it, the boats are where Guests spend most of their vacation time — and Mike and Missy want that to be a quality experience.
To put on the best show, professional guides require premium tools. SWWL guides choose Kingfisher, Yamaha, Humminbird, and Lowrance to build the most comfortable and efficient guide boat on the water. The 2025 Kingfisher Flex Tiller powered by a new Yamaha F115 HP 4-stroke is by far our favorite for Lac Suel fishing.
We hold nightly roundtable meetings at the end of each day. These meetings are an opportunity for each guide to recount the story of their day, including locations, presentations, depths, patterns, what worked, what didn’t, and most importantly, what was learned. We discuss trends, patterns, or changes and plan for the new day ahead.
The locations, patterns, and preferred presentations shift dramatically through the course of the changing seasons, but the guides work together to stay on top of the trends. The systematic sharing of all information throughout the entire guide team is the cornerstone of our consistent success and continued improvement as anglers, guides, and hosts.
For instance, every SWWL guide has access to saved GPS waypoints on any senior guide’s graph — including mine. For us, a point of pride is to be the one that identifies a new pattern or location and brings that information back to be shared with the crew. When everyone brings information to the table we get exponential results.
Our Guides
When people ask, “What separates Silver Water Wheel Lodge from the competition?” my immediate answer is “Our guide crew.” They are not only experienced anglers and dedicated conservationists, but they are also committed to providing excellent customer service.
Whether your group is a family with young anglers looking for action and laughs or one in search of your trophy of a lifetime, the guides plan around your wishes and expectations. They also make sure there are always some nice eaters in the ice chest for shorelunch every day.
At SWWL, our guides work as a team to give Guests the best Canadian fishing trip possible. There are no secret spots. Instead, we believe in careful record keeping, daily guide reports, and sharing information. We take note of group information, weather conditions, surface temperatures, and other general observations. We also keep track of the lengths and locations of any walleyes over 18 inches, pike over 30 inches, and smallmouth bass over 16 inches that were caught and released.
