Wallace Lake has changed over the years

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/09/2019 (2448 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

My first time fishing Wallace Lake was in 1988. Wow, a lot has changed since that time — and most of it for the better. The year before, in 1987, a huge forest fire had ripped through the area. A small section of the park had been saved, but the rest looked like a war zone. That vegetation has all grown back.

Over the past four years, I have gotten to know James and Joe Hnatishin at the Manitoba Lodge and Outfitters Convention, as well as some of the outdoor shows we attend. James and the family purchased the Wallace Lake Lodge property in 2011. After taking over, they went to work from ground zero, which meant all-new buildings.

They started with the main lodge, then added three new cabins. They still plan to expand, with more cabins at Wallace as well as other improvements. At the same time, they rebuilt all the outpost camps, adding solar power to the new structures.

This past winter, James and Joe invited me up to the lodge to see first-hand.

Wallace Lake Lodge is located on the southwestern shore of Wallace Lake, not far from the Manitoba-Ontario boundary. Their outposts are close to the Ontario side, which means having an Ontario fishing licence is a good idea. It took just over three hours to get to the lodge from Winnipeg. After you pass the Manigotagan River, the rest of the road is gravel, which is well maintained. The main lodge is roughly 25 kilometres east of Bissett and 175 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. Wallace Lake itself does not sit within the park boundary, but is in fact part of South Atikaki Provincial Park. Wallace Lake is also located a relatively short distance north of Nopiming Provincial Park.

Wallace Lake is part of the Precambrian boreal forest region, an area of rock formations with high mineral potential. This led to a Manitoba gold rush in the early 1900s that brought many prospectors to the region. Bissett still has an active gold-mining operation.

When things slowed down with mineral exploration in the 1950s, the province decided to establish a campground at Wallace Lake, with a boat launch and other facilities, then made it a provincial park in 1961.

I headed up with friends in the middle of August to try some fishing and visiting. Upon arrival, I could not help but be impressed with the facilities. Everything was meticulous, built with unwavering attention to detail. James and his two sons Joe and Paul did almost all the work, except the framing of the main lodge.

The first day, we relaxed, spending time fishing on Wallace. While we caught some fish, Joe says since Wallace Lake is shallow, the best times for the great walleye fishing is in May and June.

On Day 2, I boarded Joe’s Cessna for a tour of one his outpost camps, all of which are located a short float-plane ride away. As we landed on Craven Lake, it brought back memories of a similar trip taken back in 1996. I was doing a video and article for Border Outpost Camps out of Kenora and had visited the same outposts that Wallace now owns.

In fact, James and Joe showed me a copy of that story that he had inside in the main lodge upon arrival. It sure brought back a lot of memories.

Out of the four outposts, Joe says Carroll is the most popular because of the size of the fish. There have been numerous Master Angler walleye and pike caught in this deep lake over the years.

We had a great time on Craven, catching around 50 walleyes in a half day of fishing, pretty much what to expect at all the outpost lakes. The other two options are on the Gammon River and Obukowin Lake.

For those booking one, some American clientele fly out of Ear Falls, while the rest fly from Bissett with Bluewater Aviation.

During our last day at Wallace Lake Lodge, James, Joe and Paul cooked us a traditional shore lunch on the big grill in front of the main lodge.

It was a fitting end to a relaxing trip to a beautiful destination.

With three cabins, many family reunions are booked here over the course of the summer. Joe says more and more people are discovering this great facility a reasonable drive from the city. They also rent out fishing boats and canoes and take families out on the lodge pontoon boat.

For those who like wildlife, areas around the park provide habitat for a variety of animals — including woodland caribou, moose, black bear, wolf and lynx.

It is a special part of Manitoba.

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