Canada's Best Trophy Walleye Fishing

HUGE Walleye caught at Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge World's Best Trophy Walleye and Northern Pike Fishing, Manitoba, Canada joins Budd's Master Angler Club
HUGE Walleye caught at Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge World's Best Trophy Walleye and Northern Pike Fishing, Manitoba, Canada joins Budd's Master Angler Club

If Trophy Walleye Fishing’s your Game, Then Budd’s is the Name!

Not only do they taste great, but they are fun to catch.  Most of our guests head to Gunisao Lake because of the opportunity to land a Master Angler walleye, and boy do they ever land them in great numbers. With 708 Master Angler walleyes caught in 2022 you can see why Budd’s is the destination for avid Trophy Walleye anglers.

Spring Fishing (May 19 - June 15)

Spring fishing is usually done in more shallow water from 5 to 12 feet.  We use jigs, plugs, and walleye rigs most of this time. We catch a lot of big fish and in great numbers this time of year.  It calls for cooler weather, but the best part of all is that you don’t have to travel far. “Walleye Hole” is a 5 minute boat ride from the lodge. That is where you will to start hauling in those lunkers.

Summer Fishing (June 16 - August 7)

This time of year we fish from 15 to 35 feet of water with mostly vertical jig fishing.  Bait your jig with a frozen minnow and away you go. We cover much more of the lake this time of year and fish off islands, under water reefs and even catch them in the river entering Gunisao Lake. Great weather, the ability of your guide to follow the migration patterns, and proven years of success turn a day of fishing into a day of catching.

Fantastic Northern Pike Fishing

HUGE 46 inch Northern Pike caught at Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge World's Best Trophy Walleye and Northern Pike Fishing, Manitoba, Canada

Hold on Tight, ‘cause Northern
like to fight!

Since most of our fishermen come to land Trophy Walleyes, there are plenty of pike to be caught.  In spring, most of our pike fishing is done is shallow bays. You can see the pike sunning themselves and can cast right toward them. Catching 30 to 40 pike in an afternoon is not uncommon.  They average about 30 inches but can get upwards of 47 inches.  36 inches to 42 inches is common for a day of fishing. Once the pike start to move out of the shallow bays to deeper waters, we look toward the cabbage weeds to land our monsters. Mid July till the end of our season when the cabbage has almost reached the water’s surface is usually our best time of year.  They are very active in July with every kind of lure working to catch their attention.  Spoons, buzz baits, Bulldawgs, top water baits and Mepps spinner seem to work the best.  Most of our guest will spend their morning fishing for walleyes and catching lunch then spend their afternoons hunting down those furiously fighting Northern Pike.
HUGE Northern Pike caught at Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge World's Best Trophy Walleye and Northern Pike Fishing, Manitoba, Canada

Pro Staff Guides

2023 Guides

Experience is valuable
and our guides have it.

Many of our guides have fished Gunisao Lake for over 30 years. Our guides know every nook and cranny of the lake as well as migration patterns, so you can spend the majority of your time catching fish. Excellent boat control by your guide allows you to simply reel them in while your guide keeps you over your honey hole. You spend almost 9 hours a day with your guide and they are an integral part of the success and overall experience of your fishing trip, so you definitely want the best. Year after year our guides assist guests in catching record-size Trophy Walleye and Northern Pike in record numbers!

18 Foot Alaskan Lund Boats

Quick, safe, and comfortable boats.

40hp, 4-stroke Yamaha motors and 18 foot Alaskan Lund Boats speed you across Gunisao Lake with comfort and safety. Our boats have flat bottoms so you can easily walk around, and feel sturdy and secure when standing up to reel in your next lunker. Vinyl, non-slip flooring and Coast Guard safety foam make you feel comfortable on the water, even in the rain. The boats are big enough for you and your guide to freely move around when catching and netting your monster fish. Padded Air Ride pedestal seats cushion the ride as you hit all the good fishing holes. A depth finder helps to locate the smallest of drop offs and ledges where big Walleye tend to hang out.

40hp, 4-stroke Yamaha motors and 18 foot Alaskan Lund Boats at Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge

Pontoon Boat

fishing from a pontoon boat at Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge World's Best Trophy Walleye and Northern Pike Fishing, Manitoba, Canada

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if your group of 6 fishermen could all fish out of the same boat? Well at Budd’s, you can! Our pontoon is comfortable and has spacious seating, lots of room to move around while fishing, drink and rod holders, a canopy, and many other amenities. This experience can be booked for $200 per day, based on availability. Please let us know in advance of your stay if you are interested.

Fishing Gear

Superb fishing gear catches fish.

Budd’s has top-of-the-line St. Croix fishing rods and reels to rent. If you bring your own reel, you can use our St. Croix rods for free. A complete tackle store is located inside the Lodge and has exactly the right gear to help you catch your Trophy fish. With the fishing gear and tackle the Lodge has to offer, you can pack light before heading North to Winnipeg. Bring clothes and friends, and leave your cell phone and everything else behind!

Free use of St. Croix Rods.

If you bring your own reel, you can use our St. Croix rods for free.

 

Check out Dusty’s Tackle Tips

Trophy Walleye and Northern Pike Fishing at Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge, Manitoba, Canada

Catch And Release

Double Northern Pike at Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge

Catch, photo, release.

At Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge we continually do our best to keep our waters, fishery, and camp pristine; and to the highest quality standards for our guests.

The province of Manitoba has been catch and release for many years, and we have been catch and release for many years before it was provincially mandatory. This is one of the largest contributing factors to why Budd’s has the World’s Best Trophy Walleye Fishing. As many have come to find out, the larger females are the breeding fish. They produce the most eggs and this helps to ensure the walleye population will be bountiful for years to come. 2014, 2015, and 2018 produced over 1000 Master Angler Walleyes each year, making them 3 of our best seasons for Trophy Walleyes.

* As an industry leader in conservation, Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge does not allow our guests to take fish home. However, you will be able to enjoy plenty of fish at our famous shore lunches.

Replicas

Just because we let the big ones go, doesn’t mean you can’t have a “wall hanger”. Replicas of the fish can be made and they are of great quality.  Take a picture and the taxidermist can paint your fish, just like your picture.  They can even match the girth of your fish to create a true replicated version of your actual fish.

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