Trophy Fishing Trip Of A Lifetime
The Search For Your 10-Pound Walleye And 20-Pound Northern Pike Begins Here
Gunisao Lake is known by many as the "Master Angler Walleye Lake"
Our numbers tell the real story about our prolonged success, and proven results. Not only do we catch some of the biggest walleye each year, we catch a lot of them.
Take a look at last season's numbers and you'll see that Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge continues to live up to the reputation of The World's Best Trophy Walleye Fishing!
Gunisao Lake is known by many as the "Master Angler Walleye Lake"
Our numbers tell the real story about our prolonged success, and proven results. Not only do we catch some of the biggest walleye each year, we catch a lot of them.
◉ 24 seasons in a row, Budd’s has more than doubled the amount of Trophy Walleyes compared to every other lake in Manitoba.
◉ 3 out of 5 of our 2024 guests caught a Master Angler.
Take a look at last season's numbers and you'll see that Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge continues to live up to the reputation of The World's Best Trophy Walleye Fishing!
Manitoba is home to the oldest Master Angler program in North America, 52 years and going strong. The program considers a 28 inch (or larger) walleye a Manitoba Master Angler.
◉ 24 seasons in a row, Budd’s has more than doubled the amount of Trophy Walleyes compared to every other lake in Manitoba.
◉ 3 out of 5 of our 2024 guests caught a Master Angler.
Manitoba is home to the oldest Master Angler program in North America, 52 years and going strong. The program considers a 28 inch (or larger) walleye a Manitoba Master Angler.
World Class Walleye & Northern Pike
If Trophy Walleye's Your Game, Then Budd's Is The Name! ™
World-Class Walleye.
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 590 Master Angler Walleyes (7 were 32" or larger) caught in 2024, you can see why Budd’s is the destination for avid Trophy Walleye anglers.
Spring Fishing (May 16 - 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 4)
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.
Spring Fishing (May 16 - 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 4)
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
Hold on Tight, Northern like to fight!
While most of our anglers come to land Trophy Walleyes, there are also plenty of pike to be caught. Catching 30 to 40 pike in an afternoon is not uncommon. They average about 30 inches but can get upwards of 47 inches. Landing pike from 36 inches to 42 inches is common for a day of fishing. Most of our guests will spend their morning fishing for walleyes and catching lunch then spend their afternoons hunting down those furiously fighting Northern Pike.
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. Once they start to move out of the shallow bays to deeper waters, we look toward the cabbage weeds to land our monsters. Mid-July until the end of our season when the cabbage has almost reached the water’s surface is usually our best time of year. Pike 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.
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. Once they start to move out of the shallow bays to deeper waters, we look toward the cabbage weeds to land our monsters. Mid-July until the end of our season when the cabbage has almost reached the water’s surface is usually our best time of year. Pike 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.
Budd's Master Angler Club
Join the club.
The Budd’s Master Angler Club (BMAC) is our very own club designated to acknowledge the achievements of all of the Trophy Fishermen on Gunisao Lake.
Benefits of joining the BMAC include:
◉ A commemorative BMAC pin with the year of your accomplishment.
◉ Your name places on our annual "BMAC List" poster.
◉ Qualifies you for Manitoba’s Master Angler Program, (receive a certificate of achievement and a variety of eligible badges).
◉ 1 lucky BMAC member will receive a free trip back to Budd’s the following year!!
Great Guides & Gear
Pro Staff Guides
Experience is valuable
and our guides have it.
Many of our guides have fished Gunisao Lake for over 20 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!
1875 Alaskan Lund Boats
Quick, safe, and comfortable boats.
40hp, 4-stroke Yamaha motors and 1875 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.
Pontoon Boat
Six on a boat.
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.
Rods & Reels, Tackle, And More
Superb fishing gear.
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!
Catch, Photo, Release
Preserving the fishery.
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 mandated. 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, 2018, and 2023 produced over 1000 Master Anglers each season; making them 4 of our best seasons for Trophies.
* 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.
