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Getting to Oak Lake Lodge and Outpost

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Oak Lake's Location

Oak Lake is a fly-in fishing destination in the northwestern part of Ontario, Canada.



Our lodge's latitude/longitude is: 50.417167, -93.901944 shows our accurate location in Canada. Our postal address is different than our true location because we are not near any cities or towns. We are a fly-in destination without road access. 

How do I get to Oak Lake Lodge and Outpost?

Here is how most people get to Oak Lake: 


Fly to Falls International Airport in International Falls, Minnesota, USA. This town is on the USA/Canada border.


Drive a rental car (or hire a van service - with our assistance) over the USA/Canada border and head to Vermilion Bay, Ontario.

Vermilion Bay, Ontario

Overnight in Vermilion Bay. The quaint Canadian town where you will take the float plane to Oak Lake. 


Board the float plane at Wilderness Air early the next morning to our lodge. You will be fishing about an hour later.

Do you have your own plane?

Vermilion Bay has a 3800 ft hard surface runway (frequency is 130.7). We will provide you with information during the booking of your trip.

Arranging a van service

We can help arrange a van service to drive your group from International Falls, USA, to Vermilion Bay, Ontario, Canada. 


The van service is available 24 hours a day and will cost about $300. 

Driving instructions if you are using a rental car

Rental cars are around $250. Your rental car can be parked at Wilderness Air while you are fishing at Oak Lake. Wilderness Air is the outfit we use to fly our guests to Oak Lake. 


These are two different routes to drive from International Falls, Minnesota, U.S.A, to Vermilion Bay, Ontario, Canada.


1. Take Highway 11 West to reach Highway 71 North, continuing to Highway 17 East to get to Vermilion Bay, and then take Highway 647 North (approximately a ½ mile to reach Wilderness air from the Highway). There is a sign on the road "Wilderness Air".


Or:


2. Take Highway 11 East to reach Highway 502 North, continue to Dryden, continuing on Highway 17 West to Vermilion Bay, and then take Highway 647 North (approximately ½ mile to reach Wilderness air from the Highway). There is a "Wilderness Air" sign on the road.

Staying overnight in Vermilion Bay

Accommodations in Vermilion Bay are approximately $90 Canadian dollars (approximately $65 USD as of March 2016) per night for double occupancy. We can help you arrange your accommodations in Vermilion Bay. Please ask.

Location of the Lodge and the Outpost

A boat ride from the Outpost to the Lodge takes approximately 45 minutes with a 25 HP motor. 


Lodge guests disembark the float plane at the Lodge docks and the Outpost guests disembark at the Outpost docks.

Your shore lunches, and lodge meals are carefully prepared and expertly served

02 May, 2020
When you vacation, finding access to food is always an issue, especially when you're traveling with a big family. Having many people along on your trip also means dealing with some picky eaters. When you ultimately can't find the food you want while traveling, it only makes your vacation more of a frustration than a relaxing experience. This is all the more reason why you should try our fly-in fishing vacation package here at Oak Lake Lodge. Meals are never a problem at our lodge because we prepare in advance to make your experience the best it can possibly be. You'll also appreciate our attention to something other vacation spots don't always do: Making sure you never go hungry while still making the food healthy. If the word "healthy" sounds like it shouldn't go on vacation, having a hearty meal already means eating well. You have to keep your energy level up to fully enjoy the pristine nature around you here at Oak Lake Lodge. While providing relaxation for you is our goal, you'll have the privacy of Oak Lake where all-day fishing excursions are available at your leisure. The same goes for archery hunting out in the wilderness that's untouched by excessive amounts of tourists or industries. Despite you vacationing in one of the most undisturbed natural locations on earth, being out in the great outdoors always works up an appetite. It's why we place special emphasis on creating meals we know you're going to love. This includes some of the amazing and large fish you'll catch in Oak Lake that you can enjoy as part of a shore lunch. Take a look at what kind of meals you'll experience for every meal of the day, including the ability to snack when you want to.
Oak Lake Lodge view of docks and cabins.

Comparing fly-in Fishing Vacations

02 May, 2020
When you hear the term "fly-in fishing", no doubt you immediately picture thoughts of a hideaway vacation. While accurate, you've perhaps created a new definition of what a hideaway vacation is. You've possibly become overly cynical about the term because so many hideaway vacations your family visited in the past didn't live up to expectations. This was even more disappointing considering you paid a significant amount to commune with pristine nature and a promise of few tourists. In reality, there aren't any truly pristine tourist areas left in the world other than deserted islands and uninhabited jungles. Only a few places still exist on earth where you'll get some exceptions. We're fortunate to tell you that we provide exceptions here at Oak Lake Lodge thanks to long-standing stringent plans on limiting tourists. Here in Ontario, Canada, we still have some pristine natural environments left not invaded by excess tourism or industry. The land around our lodge received government approval to stay as pristine as you can get while still allowing limited visitors at a time. We only allow 32 people in every few weeks, so you're never experiencing excess tourists. You'll also find many other differences compared to other so-called hideaway vacations. Maybe you know about other secret locations where you can essentially get lost, at least in the off-season. Even if you can sometimes successfully escape crowds in those places, they don't offer the amenities we do. Let's take a look at some of those differences and why we frequently get singled out as one of the best vacation spots within Canada and the United States. We'll help you redefine what a hideaway vacation really is.
Pork back ribs served at Oak lake Lodge, a fly-in fishing lodge in Canada.

Enjoying Traditional Food During Your Fly In Fishing Trip

01 May, 2020
There isn't any question that food is a top concern when traveling on vacation. You've probably had more headaches over what to eat than anything else when visiting hideaway resorts, hotels, or even bed & breakfasts. What makes this all the more problematic is the kind of food you'll find in the places where you stay. If you're staying overseas, it sometimes means consuming exotic items you've never had before, which only brings elements of risk. While the above is exciting for some people, it can bring some dangers to your health. The last thing you want is food that could potentially make you sick in a foreign location where medical facilities aren't the greatest. Here at Oak Lake Lodge, we decided that food needed a strong focus on our vacation packages. We knew that when people travel to a vacation destination, they wanted food that's substantive, yet also not overly offbeat to a point where it could cause illness. Also, based on the response of our customers, we understood that most people enjoy having traditional food. Yes, traditional food gives you a sense of home, despite being served here in a remote location where pristine nature surrounds you. Let us show you the kind of traditional food you'll find for your fly-in fishing vacation. We'll show you why it's safer and even healthier than many other foods found in other tourist destinations.
A view of Oak Lake Lodge from the lake. A fly-in fishing lodge in Ontario, Canada.

Shopping During Your Fly-In Fishing Trip: Finding Essentials to Enhance Your Experience

01 May, 2020
When you decide to experience our fly-in fishing vacation package here at Oak Lake Lodge, you'll immediately notice the sense of peace and quiet you'll have in comparison to other vacations. We'll remind you that when you arrive here, you're a long way from any industry. This means miles and miles of natural surroundings and not the loud bustle of traffic. With our limitations of 32 people per visit, you also eliminate concern about excessive tourists. You won't find many vacation spots on earth that don't have an excess of tourists clogging streets, or even on lakes. This sense of peace might sound like we're too far away from providing outstanding amenities. Keep in mind we fly in and provide more amenities and supplies than most lodges do that exist away from civilization.
Main dining room at fly-in fishing lodge.

Working Up an Appetite During Your Fly-In Fishing Trip: Hearty Meals to Maintain Energy

01 May, 2020
Experiencing autumn during your fly in fishing vacation here at Oak Lake Lodge is like no other nature experience available in the civilized world. Even if you already live near natural areas and love doing activities in the outdoors during the fall or winter, you probably have to experience an excessive amount of people in those places. Plus if it's a vacation spot, you probably work up a considerable appetite after excessive physical exercise. The problem with the two situations above is that being in nature with too many people already ruins any claims of the surroundings being unspoiled. At a vacation resort, it also means crowded restaurants, leaving you having to wait for food when you want food immediately. You won't find either of the above unfortunate scenarios here at Oak Lake Lodge. The nature here is truly pristine because there isn't any industry around for miles. We also have limitations on how many people we let in at a time, so getting food when you want it isn't a problem. Moreover, you'll have more food here than you can probably digest. Our meals are extremely hearty and generous in their servings. The question is how much of an appetite can you generate while visiting us? When you have cooler weather, invigorating fishing, and hunting all together, you can probably get as hungry as the black bears and moose are when they forage for food this fall.
Muskie fish caught at Oak Lake Lodge

Enjoy Fishing in Canada without "Roughing It"

30 Apr, 2020
You've probably heard of that term "vacation from the vacation" more than once and maybe only thought of it as facetious.
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