Frontier Lodge - Gateway to Thaidene Nene
East Arm- Great Slave Lake Located at the Mouth of the Stark River, Lutselk'e, Northwest Territories T6K 4C2 Canada
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East Arm- Great Slave Lake Located at the Mouth of the Stark River, Lutselk'e, Northwest Territories T6K 4C2 Canada
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Frontier Lodge is much much more than just a place to stay - it’s an amazing experience all rolled up in the magic of the North West Territories. My partner and I just spent 3 days there and it was fantastic. Why Frontier Lodge you ask? To be honest I would never have visited if it were not for my old friend Mike Bridgman. Mike had lived in the adjacent village of Lutsel K’e where he worked as a Ranger with the Dene. He raved about the fishing and the skills of the Dene and invited me to come visit. Unfortunately he passed away unexpectedly but his widow encouraged me to still make the trip. How is it an amazing experience? Many reasons: 1. The location at the mouth of the Stark River is spectacular. 2. The views of the lodge as you approach it from the air are amazing. 3. The management and staff make you feel like family from minute 1 - from the manager Corey and his partner Jazmine and their 10 month old son to the amazing chefs Paulette and Dan to all of the guides and other shore staff Kaila and Shelby . Everyone made us feel welcome and part of their family. The fresh cinnamon buns and warm muffins when we got there did not hurt. 4. Our cabin was comfortable and warm and had a great little shower. Loved the caribou skin in ours. 5. The guides were all friendly and amazing, but I have to say that were were especially blessed to have Pete Enzoe as our guide. Pete is a local trapper, fisherman and hunter well respected for his skills. We had no idea that he is also a local celebrity who co-authored a children’s book “ The Caribou Feed Our Soul”. His bush-craft and knowledge of there the fish would be was amazing. It was impressive to watch him build a fire, fillet and cook a lake trout and clean everything up in less than an hour. Pete kept telling us that we would see a Muskox, and sure enough on our second last day, he spotted a movement in the bush at the far end of the bay that my wife and I could not see. He manoeuvred the boat to within feet of the bull. Great experience. It is too bad they are displacing the Caribou. Ask to have Pete as your guide.You will not regret it. 6. The fishing was better than expected. The lake trout were big and hungry. They hit hard and fast. My fist strike on day 1 was within 10 seconds of dropping the lure in the water. Were were delighted that we caught over 100 trout in 2 full and 2 1/2 days … 7. The geology and geography of the East Arm of Great Slave Lake is spectacular. As a former geologist I was intrigued by the morphology of the long islands in the East Arm and the Precambrian conglomerates and other lithologies. Bring your rock hammer and check out the Red Cliff and other areas you will fish. 8. Not a single mosquito or bug bite - not one! Conclusion Part of me tells me that I should not write such a glowing review so it will remain as it is - a perfect little family- oriented fishing camp in one of the best fresh water fisheries in the world BUT that would not be fair to anyone who has not experienced the WOW that you get when you come to this place. Be sure to visit but leave no trace Jed…
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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My two sons had been listening to my Yellowknife stories for years - I had worked there for a couple of years in the 70’s. So for my 70th birthday they were not only took me to Yellowknife but also to this renowned Eastern Arm of Great Slave Lake fishing Lodge. It was the experience of a lifetime! First of all I’ve always loved fishing, but had never really had a huge amount of luck (except when I had originally lived in the NWT and travelled throughout the North). The fishing was incredible. The Lake Trout are plentiful and huge. On the first day I caught a 21 pound, 38 inch monster. One son caught one almost as large. Another day we went for Pike and both sons caught fish more than 40 inches long. We also caught Arctic Grayling at the nearby river. Our guide was skilled and really cared about us and the fish we were catching and then releasing. He added to each of our days. The food was good and plentiful - any special requests were provided for with pleasure. The staff were super friendly and pleasant. The Accommodations were in log cabins - each of us had our own room. There was even a wood stove fired sauna. What a wonderful place - we are planning on going back. …
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Date of stay: August 2019Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Probably all that needs to be said is that our group of four planned to go here as a "once in a lifetime" trip to celebrate my dad's retirement and by the third day we were discussing when we would be coming back. The service from start to finish was world class. We were very well taken care of all week. One thing we hadn't counted on, but really enjoyed, was going out in the boats at night in the boats to fish after dinner. Another thing that seems undersold in the reviews was the food. The food was amazing all week. When we were picked up in the boats on Saturday morning we were greeted, then taken up to get our fishing licenses sorted out and were served fresh cinnamon buns that were out of this world. And it just didn't stop. All week. Fresh muffins for the boat every morning. It was awesome. The accommodations were great - rustic as you'll see in photos, but very comfortable. The guides worked very hard to ensure we were on fish all week long, regardless of weather conditions. The shore lunches were legendary. Caught so many fish. Bring heavy tackle. And make sure you spend some time fishing grayling in the river. It's a blast. One thing that cannot be overstated is dressing appropriately. We were there in early July (just got back) and on Canada Day it was 4C, felt like -1. Now this was colder than normal, but I consistently wore more clothing than I did skiing at Whistler this winter. Could not recommend a place more highly. Can't wait to go back.…
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Date of stay: July 2019Trip type: Travelled with family
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Allow me to preface my review by saying that I have been to several fishing lodges over the years and at this point I have very little patience for mediocrity. So when I was asked by my fishing buddy to fly from NYC to Yellowknife through Toronto, through Edmonton, into Yellowknife get a room for the night and wake up the next day to get on a fourth plane to the Frontier Lodge I was hesitant; but you know what they say about work vs fishing! My experience there was magnificent. The entire staff including Jasmine, Kayla & Paula were genuinely concerned for our every need. The warm Canadian hospitality, spacious cabins and phenomenal food were only matched by the most consistently great fishing I have ever experienced. The guides are hard working enthusiastic, knowledgeable, brilliant teachers for the novice fishermen among us and will do whatever it takes to put you on fish. I would be remiss if I did not mention my guide, Logan whose laid back fishing style, phenomenal shore lunches and witty repartee made 9 hours on the lake feel 9 minutes. We casted for pike and trolled for lake trout with great success landing more than 100 in 3.5 days. Another highlight was wading into the river with light tackle to catch artic grayling. Wayne and Debbie's Frontier Lodge is a diamond in the rough and a lodge that I will return to whenever I can.…
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Date of stay: June 2019Trip type: Travelled with friends
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Room Tip: Get as close to the TV room as possible.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Frontier Fishing Lodge Last Fall I decided I wanted to do something Epic. I was turning 50 this year and due to all of the normal life stresses I had limited most of my past trips (30+ in total) to NW Ontario. I had just returned from a really great trip to Northern Manitoba that showed me how awesome the furthest reaches of Canada could be and I figured the next obvious choice was Northwest Territories. The issues that would separate the lodges were 24×7 power, Wi-Fi, quality of water, species of fish available, and guided / unguided. In a perfect world I would have full time power, Wi-Fi, fantastic water, unguided, and fantastic pike fishing. I reviewed my options, which included (Plummer’s, Taltson Big Pike Lodge, Trout Rock Lodge, and Frontier FishingLodge). My decision came down to Trout Rock and Frontierso I contacted both places and learned Trout Rock was totally booked for 2018 so it would have to wait, or so I thought. Because my primary target was pike I booked Frontierfor opening week so I paid my deposit in October and the wait began. Fast forward to June 14 for my trip starting June 16 or so I thought. In late March Trout Rock contacted me to say I could have a 3 trip in June if I wanted it. I quickly said no it would have to wait, but just for grins what were the dates. It turned out the dates lined up perfectly with the Frontiertrip. Dang! If I could come up with the money I could fish both and I needed a buddy to fish with me. Well you only live once. Now fast forward to June 14. ☺ Due to the fact it was opening week I would get 7 full days of fishing at Frontier but I had to fly in on Friday night vs. the normal Saturday am. To get to Yellowknife then required me to fly in the day before June 14 Thursday. I spent Friday in YK resting up for all the epic fishingI expected over the next 10 days. The Black Knight pub helped kill a few hours with good food / drinks / chats with the fellow pub patrons. The bays on Great Slave and Stark Lake were cold and holding many big pike. One in particular turned out 4 41+ pike in 2.5 hours. That was definitely the high point of the week but in general I caught a lot of very nice pike 6 over 41 with the largest being 44. The hottest lure was an Orange and Copper Doctor spoon, but Williams Wobblers worked as did regular 6 ½ inch Big Hammer swim baits and #5 Blue Fox spinners. One of the Trophy Pike The Lake Trout were just waking up due to the sheet of ice covering most of the big lake. In the end I had several 30+ trout sessions (4 hours am or pm) with the fish averaging over 15 lbs. The best lures for trolling were Husky Junior spoons in Chart / Pink / Pearl / Yellow / Half Waves in (Gold / Red) and (Silver / Red). When I was jigging I used Water Wolf tubes in 5 / 7 / 9 inch. The larger ones on harness the smaller ones on large 2oz jig heads. Not bad! 23lbs of fun The biggest and best surprise of the trip was the Graylings. I had never caught one coming into the week. The more I asked about them the more the guides kind of’ shrugged and said bring some small Mepps and tiny spoons. I figured ok I sure hope I can catch one. Well….WOW….They are super beautiful, super fun fighters, and best of all for someone who knows nothing about them, SUPER easy! All you need to do is watch for the telltale fish feeding on the surface and cast to the spot. The Stark River is world class Grayling fishingwith numerous rapids, pools, eddies. I REALLY REALLY loved fishingin the super clear fast moving water for the Grayling. I’d see them feeding and cast my size 0 Mepps spinner that had a bug dressing on the tiny treble and hook up. Then it was game on. Jumping / spinning / running into the rapids those grayling are AWESOME! Another cool thing was they could be could on the big lakes while having shore lunch. The fish in the lakes are a bit larger and having them available really was a ton of fun. If I go back to FrontierI will definitely spend a bit more time fishingthe “sailfish of the North”. Absolutely Gorgeous Grayling Overall the experience at Frontier was excellent – Excellent guides / professional shore staff / good food / good communication with the owners. The price tag for a week at Frontier is not cheap but the overall experience is worth the price. If you are looking for big pike, abundant big trout with a chance at a monster, and fun frisky grayling look up Frontier FishingLodge.…
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Date of stay: June 2018Trip type: Travelled solo
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
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After many years of saving and impatiently waiting I finally took the plunge and booked a trip out to the lodge with a friend of mine. Our guide, Corey, was awesome. I fish a lot and all over North America - this was the BEST trip I've ever been on in my life without a doubt. The fishing was amazing, the food and hospitality was so far beyond my expectations. I can't recommend this trip enough to anyone who's on the fence about going..you won't regret it!
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Date of stay: July 2018Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
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I arrived July 14th, on what looked to be the first day of a huge catis fly hatch all along the Stark River. You could see the grayling rising and taking top water catis everywhere. So we knew we were in for good fishing. Frontier Lodge delivered! Their location is superb and they run a great program for fishermen of all types. As I was focused on fly fishing so the proximity to the Stark River and trophy grayling was the main draw. A quick 5-7 min walk got you to the river and the fish were right there. You needed waders and wading boots if you were going to be successful walking to the river. If walking and wading wasn't for you, a quick two min boat ride does the trick too. We also ventured out on the lake for some trout and pike fishing. The lake trout were biting hard, some boats were pulling in 50 to 60 fish a day! We lost count after about a dozen and were catching fun, feisty, Lake trout on large streamer flies. Mostly trolling but casing back to a fish that was hooked worked great to hook into his follower friends. The food was home style, family, fare. It was enjoyed as a group around two large tables. The atmosphere was charged with fishing stories and tales of the big one that got away. After dinner the lounge was open till 10pm and we enjoyed cold drinks while watching the sun come no where close to setting over the vast Lake view that stretched out in front of you. This is a smaller Lodge, with a quaint, cozy, feel. With superb staff working tirelessly to make your trip as smooth and enjoyable as possible. I did the four night stay, which offered an afternoon, two full days, and a morning of guided fishing. The length of trip just right and left me wanting more! For an Edmonton local, like myself, I could do this weekend trip with only taking two days off work, doesn't get any better than that! I hope to be up to frontier again.…
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Date of stay: July 2017Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Well I did it again! Went back to see Wayne and Deb the end of July and enjoyed it as much as two years ago. Please read my review of two years ago. Same good stuff this year as then. But this year I had the fantastic guide my friend has had for years. Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday were perfect conditions. The two of us caught and released about 45 lake trout on Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday we were at about 65 fish. Wednesday morning I was lucky enough to latch onto a 32 pound lake trout. The 41" fish pooped me out over about 15 minutes before getting him into the boat. What a blast! Quick picture and measurements and back into the water he went. So far it is the second largest fish caught at the lodge this year. And shortly after landing this guy I was able to pull in a 22 pounder. Thursday was windy with a couple blasts of rain. The weather cleared for a shore lunch of fish. We found a decent area and were able to pull in about 35 fish. Friday was worse and after about 10 fish in 2 hours back to the lodge we went. Wind was picking up and too much close lightning for our liking. So a restful day after that. Still a great holiday. 155 fish in three days of fishing! So much fun! And next year, barring unforeseen circumstances, I will definitely be back!…
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Date of stay: July 2017Trip type: Travelled with friends
Location
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Room Tip: All room are pretty well the same and totally acceptable for a fishing lodge.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from FrontierFishing, Manager at Frontier Lodge - Gateway to Thaidene Nëné
Responded Jan 24, 2018
Thanks for the review! We truly appreciate it! Hope to fish with you again very soon. All the best, Frontier Fishing Lodge
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Our group of 4 (2 brothers plus the wife and college-age son of one of the brothers) visited Frontier Fishing Lodge for a second time and this trip was even better than the first! Everything went very smoothly. Great weather, fantastic food. And the staff and guides are amazing. We had an incredible time. One of the best parts of the FFL experience is the variety of fishing available. You can slow troll or jig spoons for huge lake trout, throw topwater lures for big aggressive pike, and wade in a rushing river with spinning gear or a fly rod for monster arctic grayling. And you can do all 3 distinctly different types of fishing each day! This trip, our biggest lake trout was 19 pounds (the woman in our group caught a 30 pounder last year). We also caught a 38-inch pike (and countless others up to 33 inches) and numerous grayling up to 21 inches. On our last night, I went out wading in the nearby Stark River by myself. I caught 10 arctic grayling in about an hour. The solitude, the rush of the rapids, the diminishing light, the active hard-fighting fish, the incredible scenery…that's something I'll never forget. We'll be back!…
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Date of stay: July 2017Trip type: Travelled with family
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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This was a fun trip! Great fishing, food, stories, staff, and accommodations. We arrived in Yellowknife on a Friday night and stayed at the Explorer Hotel. A nice, comfortable hotel with good food and helpful staff. The next morning, a lodge representative picked us up at 7:30 AM to take us to the airport. We were flying to the lodge on a land plane, not a float plane. There were about 10 of us on the flight to the lodge. The flight left at 9 AM and took 50 minutes. It landed at a short air strip across the bay from the lodge at Lutselk'e. From there, we got in a few boats for the 2 minute ride to the lodge. We got our fishing licenses, had some great snacks, and were shown to our cabins. Lunch was at 12 or 1 (can't remember). We were in our boats with our guides fishing for lake trout shortly after that. The fishing was great! Our party of 3 (two men, 1 woman) caught countless lake trout, northern pike, and arctic grayling on our 3-day trip. Easily a couple hundred fish total over the first half day, 2 full days, then the last half day. Maybe more. We quickly lost count. Our largest fish was a nearly 30 lb lake trout caught by the woman in our group. We also caught a 13 lber and a 17 lber and countless others in the 8 to 12 lb range. Our largest pike with 36 inches. The grayling were fun too, both wading in the river within walking distance of the lodge, and in the main lake off the shore while waiting for the guide to fix the shore lunch. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful and the guides were top notch. Even the guides we weren't assigned to were more than willing to lend us gear or give us tips about fishing, especially for river grayling. The cabins were clean and comfortable, the food was great, and the internet access was very reliable. On our last day, we fished until about 10:30, finished packing, and were ready for the flight (this time on a float plane) about 11:30. The flight left about 11:45 back to Yellowknife, where we stayed the night again before flying home the next day. All in all, a fantastic trip. It's only been a few days since we returned and we're already talking about going back next year.…
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Date of stay: August 2016Trip type: Travelled with family
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Frontier Fishing Lodge
LOCATION
CanadaNorthwest TerritoriesLutselk'e
NUMBER OF ROOMS
32
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Frequently Asked Questions about Frontier Lodge - Gateway to Thaidene Nëné
What are some of the property amenities at Frontier Lodge - Gateway to Thaidene Nëné?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and a business centre.
What food & drink options are available at Frontier Lodge - Gateway to Thaidene Nëné?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant and a lounge during their stay.
Does Frontier Lodge - Gateway to Thaidene Nëné offer any business services?
Yes, it conveniently offers a business centre, meeting rooms, and conference facilities.