Tales of Garden Island Lodge
Here are some wonderful stories, pictures and experiences that guests wanted to share with us! If you have a fun or cool story you would like to share email it to us at fish@garden-island.com. Feel free to include pictures! We look forward to reading your adventures!
Bricker Family Making New Memories
Many years ago we decided to go to a remote fly in fishing lodge. It was a fun experience but so much of our time was in travel coming from south central Pennsylvania. My husband started looking for a place not as far but still fairly remote. That is when he discovered Lady Evelyn Lake. Our first years were spent on the North end of the lake. We enjoyed each year with Janice, James and their summer family until tragically Janice's time here ended. Things were not the same. We still loved this area of Canada and decided to give Garden Island a chance. It too became our summer fishing destination. It takes awhile to learn the lake but we've managed to catch some exceptional fish. After Mike purchased Garden island we found some awesome improvements in the facility. Last year we brought our 15 year grandson who loves casting for bass. He also loves food which is never scarce since all our meals are provided. I guess I could go on and on about Garden island but it's important to know it's a great safe place to go to relax, fish, eat, and enjoy the beautiful sunsets with friends or family.
Goodrich Since 1999
Three generations of Goodriches have been going to Garden Island since 1999 and have only missed two years caused by COVID closing the border. Our good friend John Aspinall from England flies over every year to join us. We love the lake the fishing the camp and the great service. The fishing is great and Mike has done an excellent job of upgrading all parts of garden Island.
Sir Snags-a-Lot
Have you ever been fishing with someone and thought to yourself “if you snag one more time, I will send you into the lake to go get it!”. Well, that’s how I got to spend an entire week at Garden Island with my uncle. I swear the water could be 70 foot deep and some how he would snag while dragging his big ball sinkers on his "unbreakable" 30# braided line. He would just keep telling me that he wanted to be ready when that monster walleye hits his bait, meanwhile we discovered every rock and water logged tree on this side of the lake. Despite it all, we still somehow managed to catch several trophy fish and had a wonderful trip. Next time I’m going to see if I can put him in someone else's boat or I might lose what little sanity I have left!
A Lady Evelyn Lake Family Legacy
Since 1953, Garden Island Lodge has been the beating heart of Drew's family saga on Lady Evelyn Lake. It all started with Grandpa Art, the trailblazer who whisked the Nisbet clan away to this summer paradise. For decades, it’s been the stage for epic family vacations bursting with laughter, legendary stories, and fish tales that grow bigger with every telling. Watching Art's old 16mm films—capturing the same cozy cabins, swim spots, and famous fishing spots we adore today—adds an extra sprinkle of magic and nostalgia to our adventures. Read More here on their blog post
One Long Boat Ride In
The day started off beautiful but that ended up being a lie. Us and our friends in another boat went fishing in a favorite spot about seven mile down the lake. It started storming pretty bad so much so that the water started white caping! Naturally we decided to start back in into the face of those white caps but our friends stayed out. HAHAHAHA .....Big mistake on our part. A 20 min ride took about 90 min (at least) getting drenched right down to the bones during a squall so heavy we were having a hard time just seeing our way back to the lodge and hanging on for der life. It’s the first time I have ever felt happy to be wearing an uncomfortable life jacket. We finally arrive back at the dock soaking wet, shivering and lightly bruised from slamming though the waves. Then friends, who stuck it out, pulled in about 10 minutes later then us unharmed. Turned out the reason it took us so long to get in was we were traveling into the storm. It had stopped raining on them shortly after we left so they had a nice calm ride in. So much for my nautical expertise?
You Only Had One Job
One time I decided to take a trip to Frank Falls to get some pictures (note I have been there before) along the way I knew from previous trips that there are two critical places where you need to go left or right. I remember now its go left! During that tip I forgot it was go left. The problem with going right is there are lots of hidden rocks. Since I couldn’t remember which way to go I sent my daughter to the front of the boat to watch for rocks. Unfortunately, as a rock made contact with the prop. I hear a horrible “Scrape CRACK BANG!” which was immediately followed by her yelling “ROCK!” Well, we still made it to the falls with one less blade on the prop. If you make a run to Franks Falls when you have a chose of left or right to get around towering rocks pick left both times!
One Picky Fisher Girl
My granddaughter and I have been going to Garden Island for several years and its the only lodge I will stay at now on Lady Evelyn Lake. Garden Island is a far better location for consistent big walleyes! There are always plenty of new areas to explore and dissect with my Humminbird each season along with my friends Leon and Tom.
My favorite all time story happened the first time I brought my granddaughter Sasha along with us. We came to the lodge with the Saturday crowd. I'm always anxious to gobble down some lunch and then hit the water right after we arrive. Sasha decided the weather wasn't up to her standards and decided to stay in. She has always gone fishing with me since she was just a toddler. But one thing she likes to remind me of is that she is more interested in eating fish than catching them. Normally, as soon as she catches her next meal she is ready to go in!
That evening was sunny and calm so she decided it was decent enough for her to come and show us guys how it's done. About ten minutes after stopping and dropping our lines we had drifted out to about 70 feet so I told her to crank up. The next thing I know her rod is doubled over! Yep, her first fish at Garden Island only ten minutes is a 30 inch walleye. She wouldn't hold it (It was declared too slimy) so she took the picture while I held it and then released it. You can imagine the look on the other guests faces when she wrote up her catch on that board that's on the shed that first Saturday night.
It's really hard to find a Ontario lodge with good boats, reliable motors, plenty of bait plus an all-included American Plan. Garden Island is what the Canadian remote wilderness experience is all about and I'll be coming back to the lodge for as long as they will let me! It's awesome to be staying at a place that values your business as much as Mike does.
I Could Fish Every Day For a Year
Prior to my first trip to Garden Island in 2021, I had already fished many lakes in Ontario. Good fishing and remote lakes were two important requirements in selecting the right place for me and my fishing buddies. Garden Island met all my criteria and exceeded my expectations. Our group has had amazing fishing experiences including Bass, Pike and Pickerel.
There is something magical about a bass smacking a topwater bait on some quiet bay during an evening fishing at Lady Evelyn. The boats, cabins and meals are great. The lake itself is amazing! I could fish every day for a year and I am sure that there would still be spots yet to try for the big one. Perhaps the most compelling reason to keep going back to Garden Island is Mike and his Staff. His family are all really good people and make sure we have a wonderful time.
I now go to Garden Island twice each year along with two groups of my friends. As soon as the snow starts to disappear, I start thinking of Lady Evelyn Lake and what new fishing tactics I might try to catch the elusive trophy fish.
Mike Lees
Special Love For This Place
I have been to Garden Island Lodge 21 times so far with two more trips scheduled for this year. My love affair with Lady Evelyn Lake began in 1989. I had fished at several other lakes in Ontario and Quebec but once Lady Evelyn Lake was discovered, the others did not compare. I have said that it was not just the fishing, or the accommodations, or the scenery, or the wildlife, or the serenity but a combination of all of them that keeps me coming back to one of the most beautiful places that I have ever been. I started coming with my dad and uncle but over the years have brought my wife, son, daughter, sister (she’s not a fisherman but she had to see what it was that kept me coming back), cousin, and various friends on different trips with some groups of up to as many as 11 people. Mike, the current owner, has made Garden Island Lodge even more comfortable and a more inviting place to spend a week. The cabins are clean and well appointed, the food is great, and the service is very friendly and second to none.
We have primarily scheduled our trips for early June but, now that I’m retired, I have also spent a few weeks in September too. We came in June last year and then planned for a week in September this year. In August we decided that June to September of the following year was too long to wait, so we are coming in both June and September this year again! I look forward to every trip like a little kid waiting for Christmas!
Spending a day on the lake is just wonderful. Depending on the weather, some days are more pleasant than others As one of my friends says “The hardest thing that you have to do all day is get in and out of the boat”! After a tasty breakfast in the lodge, prepared sandwich lunches or everything you need for a shore lunch (including cleaned fish) is waiting for you with the boat refueled and has a good supply of bait for a day of fishing. The lake is large so deciding which direction to go to fish is the second hardest thing to do. The fishing has actually gotten better over the years since the “slot” was instituted on the size of fish that you are allowed to keep. I fish for walleye but you never know when you are going to catch a feisty smallmouth bass or northern pike.
The boats are very comfortable with the live wells and fish finders and the motors are tops! We look forward to as many shore lunches as we can have in a week, depending on our catch of the keepers and have found several favorite shore lunch spots. There is nothing as good as fresh caught walleye fried up along with some potatoes and beans. Lunches include some home baked cookies too! After lunch it is worth taking the time to sit on a rock and just take it all in! We enjoy watching (and hearing) the loons, ducks, eagles, gulls, and other birds. The occasional bear or moose sighting is always very exciting! After a usually good day of fishing, we head back to the island to freshen up and enjoy a dinner in the lodge. The dinners are very enjoyable and include great meals, an exchange of the day’s fish stories, and are topped off with a tasty dessert. Then we head back out for a relaxing evening of fishing. A lot of the sunsets are just spectacular!
As many times as I have been back, I never seem to be able to get enough of it and a seven-day trip continuously seems to be too short. I have so many great memories with family and friends at Garden Island Lodge and Lady Evelyn Lake but I am continually looking forward to making more! I highly recommend a trip to Garden Island for a most memorable week of fishing and relaxation.