About Rough Rock Lodge

Bring your favorite bait-caster and spinning rod/reel combo. Even if you don’t have your own gear, Rough Rock Outpost can supply the equipment. The Outpost also has seasoned guides and fully equipped boats. Within minutes of leaving the shore in a sleek 17-foot boat equipped with a 40 horsepower Honda motor, a bow mount electric trolling motor and depth finder, be prepared to come face to face with the fish of a lifetime. And it won’t take long! At Rough Rock, you don’t have to travel far to get to a fishing spot, you’re already there. Anglers look forward to the legendary Rough Rock Grand Slam — Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike & Muskie. The current record is 90 minutes – the challenge is there and you could top it.

The beauty of being on the river system is there are active fish all season long from spring through fall. Sport fishing is plentiful at Rough Rock because John and his staff practice and teach proper handling techniques. Our catch and release policy insures that these prized sport fish will live on to be caught another day. A big fish is an old fish. We recently confirmed the catch and release of a 49-inch Muskie which was caught at least twice, evidence that our environmentally sound practices used every day mean proven success year after year. Rough Rock Outpost is the only Canadian fishing lodge located within 15 miles, so you can fish unpressed waters with excellent results. A photograph of your catch preserves the memories for years to come and allows the fish to continue their life cycle for future generations.

Guests look forward to the shore lunches with freshly-caught, legal slot fish. Your guide sets up a campfire along a river bank, fires up the cast iron frying pan, fillets, then seasons the fish with a tasty combination of flour and spices, and fries them up over an open fire. This is no ordinary shore lunch with just a can of pork and beans and few potatoes. Rough Rock guides elevate the shore lunch to a new level. The distinctive sizzle of outdoor cooking and the taste of fresh fish with all the fixings under the beautiful Canadian sky are some of the best memories at Rough Rock. You might want to take a nap after this bountiful feast, but then you’ll miss out on some of the best afternoon fishing!

After a successful day of fishing, everyone heads back to the lodge for delicious dinners that include Rough Rock’s renowned signature dishes like grill-your-own 10-oz. top sirloin steaks and fork-tender baby back ribs. Gracious hospitality, bountiful meals, comfortable accommodations in cabins with all the modern conveniences, plus world class fishing are a winning combination at this Canadian fishing resort. Their motto is, “You won’t rough it at Rough Rock.”

When it comes to a Canadian fishing lodge, there is only one Rough Rock Outpost. Surrounded by the sheer beauty of rock cliffs and colorful ever-changing scenery, the resort is located on the Canadian Shield, one of North America’s most spectacular places with thousands of crystal clear freshwater lakes created by an ancient glacier. This one-of-a-kind Canadian fishing resort is located on Rough Rock Lake, 45 miles north of Kenora in Ontario, Canada, also known as Sunset Country. That’s just another past-time at Rough Rock, watching the gorgeous sunsets and sharing stories around the campfire.

Your host is Lt. Col. (Ret.) John Kugler, who retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2003 after a 24-year career in the military. He flew F-16 fighter jets and completed 18 combat missions over Iraq. After retiring, John was hired by FedEx to fly planes, but his childhood roots in Nebraska farm country called to him. He wanted to find a place where he could share his love of the outdoors and that famous Midwestern hospitality. The place he found was Rough Rock Outpost in the unspoiled Canadian wilderness.