Keechewahshaykahmeeshek/Cairns Lake
Walleye opens Sat, May 16 — it lies 84 km northwest of Red Lake, and the nearest road is 18 miles off — this is fly-in water.
Keechewahshaykahmeeshek/Cairns Lake is the 57th-largest of 1,629 named lakes in Ontario Far North, with 103 miles of charted shoreline and 52 islands. Its 61 ft maximum depth is greater than 62% of depth-surveyed lakes in the region.
MNRF aquatic resource surveys
Fish species
Also present: Blacknose Shiner, Bluntnose Minnow, Brook Stickleback, Cisco, Fathead Minnow, Iowa Darter, Johnny Darter, Johnny Darter x Tesselated Darter, Logperch, Longnose Sucker, Mimic Shiner, Mottled Sculpin, Ninespine Stickleback, Northern Pearl Dace, Spottail Shiner, Trout-Perch, White Sucker
On this water
Lodges & operators 0
No lodge is based on Keechewahshaykahmeeshek/Cairns Lake itself. These are the closest that are — each on its own water, with the straight-line distance from here.
- Dogskin Lake Lodge and Outposts Ltd.✓ Verifiedlodgefly-inamerican · housekeeping30 mi away
Home water: Dogskin Lake
Fly-in fishing and hunting lodge on Dogskin Lake in Atikaki Provincial Park, eastern Manitoba, reached by a 45-minute floatplane flight from Lac du Bonnet. The American-plan main lodge fishes about 7,000 acres of water the operator holds sole outfitting rights to, plus 3,000 acres of portage lakes and rivers, for walleye typically 18-24 inches and northern pike in the 28-36 inch range. Four self-guided outpost camps on their own private lakes (Mannifrank, Noname, Black and the hunting-only South Eagle) run solar power, Starlink and full kitchens, and the operator also guides moose and spring black bear hunts on roughly 60,000 acres of Crown land.
- Fireside Lodge✓ Verifiedlodgedrive-tohousekeeping42 mi away
Home water: Little Vermilion Lake
Drive-to lodge on Little Vermilion Lake near Sioux Lookout, the only camp on the lake, with boat and portage access to a multi-lake system (site cites both 9- and 11-lake figures) fished for walleye, northern pike, muskie, tiger muskie and smallmouth bass. Cabins are housekeeping style with fully equipped kitchens, and home-cooked meals can be pre-ordered separately. Per-person packages bundle a 16 ft Lund with a 20 hp Yamaha.
- lodgefly-inhousekeeping42 mi away
Home water: Little Vermilion Lake
Fly-in housekeeping lodge on Little Vermilion Lake north of Red Lake, reached by float plane from a base on the Chukuni River, and the only lodge on the lake. Fishing is for northern pike and walleye, with a catch-and-release policy releasing all pike over 35.5 inches. The operator also runs three fly-in outpost cabins northwest of the lodge on Hornell, Mantricia and Warrington lakes plus fly-out guided moose hunts; Warrington and Mantricia straddle the Ontario/Manitoba border and require licences for both provinces.
- Geary's Manitoba Trophy Outposts Inc.✓ Verifiedoutpost networkfly-inhousekeeping42 mi away
Home water: Little Vermilion Lake
Family-run fly-in operation north of Red Lake, Ontario, pairing a small housekeeping lodge on Little Vermilion Lake with three remote outpost camps on Warrington, Mantricia and Hornell lakes, all reached only by float plane. Trophy northern pike and walleye are the draw, with Warrington and Mantricia straddling the Ontario-Manitoba boundary and fished under Manitoba limits; fly-out moose hunts are also sold.
2026 regulations
Seasons & limitsFMZ 2
- Special limit on this water — Lake Sturgeon: Closed all year · Refer to zone-wide seasons and limits (All waters located within the portion of Zone 2 from the Ontario / Manitoba interprovincial boundary east along the line of 52°35’N. latitude, to the intersection with 93°50’W. longitude, thence south to the intersection with 52°10’N. latitude, thence east to the intersection with 92°10’W. longitude, thence south to the Zone 2 boundary, including all of the waters within Woodland Caribou Provincial Park; thence in a westerly direction to the Ontario/Manitoba interprovincial boundary, thence northerly to the intersection with 52°35’N. latitude.)
Ice-out here is typically mid May (modeled from regional ice records).
| Species | Season | Sport licence | Conservation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Whitefish | Open all year | S - 12 | C - 6 |
| Northern Pike | Open all year | S - 4, none between 70 - 90 cm (27.6 - 35.4 in.), not more than 1 greater than 90 cm (35.4 in.) | C - 2, none between 70 - 90 cm (27.6 - 35.4 in.), not more than 1 greater than 90 cm (35.4 in.) |
| Walleye and Sauger or any combination | Jan. 1 - Apr. 14 & 3rd Sat. in May - Dec. 31 | S - 4, not more than 1 greater than 46 cm (18.1 in.) | C - 2, not more than 1 greater than 46 cm (18.1 in.) |
| Yellow Perch | Open all year | S - 50 | C - 25 |
Compiled from MNRF Recreational Fishing Regulations open data (2026 season, zone-wide rules shown for this lake's species). Regulations change by variation order — confirm with the official FMZ 2 summary before you fish.
Comparable trips
Similar water
Same region, overlapping species, comparable size.
- Birch Lake18 shared species · 28,067 ac
- Trout Lake16 shared species · 86,060 ac
- Premier Lake16 shared species · 382 ac
- Stull Lake15 shared species · 33,949 ac
- Seagrave Lake15 shared species · 3,316 ac
Around this water