Moose Basin Vacations offers unique experience
- Jeff Helsdon
- Oct 9
- 3 min read
SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO OUTDOORS
By Jeff Helsdon
Catching a 40-plus inch pike in the first night is a good indicator of a good fishing spot.
This was a surprise beginning to a trip to Moose Basin Vacations. I won the trip at the Ruffed Grouse Society dinner in Courtland the year prior, and was looking forward to it for a year. Renovations at the cabin on Allan Lake, west of Kapuskasing, Ont. were recently completed.
Prior to settling in, owner Jim Donaldson took fishing companions Marian Chelu and Angelo Dumitru and I for a tour of Allan Lake, the Opasatika River, and Zadi Lake. This river eventually empties into the Moose River, and Hudson Bay. We were shown the best spots for fishing in Allan Lake in early July, but Donaldson said the Opasatika and Zadi Lake may be better spots.
“That lake is very productive fishing in the spring when the water temperatures are low,” Donaldson said. “When the water temperatures go up, the fish seem to flood into the river.”
He said Allan Lake is ideal for hunting, with moose, bear and grouse mentioned.
Angelo and I couldn’t wait to hit the water the first night while Marian elected to stay back. We fished the river and tied into some walleye. The action wasn’t fast and furious like I have seen in the past in the north, but was steady. There was an occasional smaller pike mixed in to make things interesting.
There are some cottages on Allan Lake, but we didn’t see another boat on the water. We did see a bald eagle. Then we were drifting along the shore of Zadi Lake and Angelo seemed to catch on bottom, and then it moved.
“I’ve got a big one,” he said.
I scrambled for the net and quickly discovered we had forgot to grab it on our way out in haste. I offered to help, but Angelo said he had it. Watching him land a 43-inch pike with his bare hands was a site to behold. An amateur taxidermist, he opted to keep the fish to mount it.
The cabin on Allan Lake is one of three that Donaldson owns. He has been gradually renovating them and starting to rent them out. His plans are to open the cabin on Kapuskasing Lake in 2027 and the one on Saginash Lake in in 2028.
The renovation job on the Allan Lake cabin was impressive. The cabin is finished with pine boards on the interior, has electricity, indoor running water and a porch overlooking the lake. An outhouse/shower building is a few steps away, and although it’s an outhouse, it’s nicer than most.
Besides the cabins, Donaldson offers day fishing trips from his home base in Kapuskasing. Prices are $350 to $800, and vary from kayak tours to small boats and larger 18-foot boats. The Allan Lake cabin is $300 a night.
An ardent angler, Donaldson started weekly walleye fishing tournaments in Kapuskasing. He has a store attached to his house and bases the tournaments from there.
The three of us went back to the spot the next day. We caught a few walleye for supper, and some smaller pike. Zadi Lake was a target that evening and we found a ridge that seemed to hold walleye, both that evening and the next morning. Marian discovered the hot lure was a Berkley Flicker Shad in fire tiger colour. It showed up well in the stained water.
On our last night, we went back near the spot where Angelo caught the monster pike. We were catching fish to take home, and had a couple walleye and two smaller pike on the stringer, when we heard a little splashing on that side of the boat. We chalked it up to the pike splashing around on the stringer. Hearing it again, Marian looked over the side.
“Look at that pike,” he said excitedly.
I looked and saw a pike as large as the one he caught previously, or larger. It was chasing after the fish on the stringer. I happened to have my line in the boat, and cast out quickly. The monster pike wasn’t interested in my offerings, or what Angelo or Marian threw. It will be there for the next angler, and it proved there could be ‘more than one’ fish that big in the lake.
Contact Donaldson at (613) 362-2943 to book, or with questions of his offerings.
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