All-inclusive fishing trips in Ontario, explained.
American Plan, Housekeeping and everything in between: what the price covers, what it does not, and what a trip really costs.
Search for an all-inclusive fishing trip in Ontario and you will find lodges using the same words to mean very different things. One price covers a guide, a boat and three meals a day. Another covers a cabin and a dock. Both get called all-inclusive.
The fix is to learn the four plan names Canadian fishing lodges use, and to know which costs sit outside almost every package. We use our own packages at Muskie Bay Resort below as worked examples, but the vocabulary works at any lodge you are comparing.
The four plans you will see
American Plan means lodging plus all your meals, cooked for you. At Muskie Bay that is breakfast, a field lunch or shore lunch, and dinner at the Lodge. Our semi-guided fishing package is American Plan and also includes a deluxe boat with gas and the use of boats and motors on our outpost lakes.
Deluxe American Plan is the American Plan with a guide added. Our premier guided fishing package puts a guide and a guide boat with you, and adds live bait, fish cleaning and daily maid service on top of lodging and all meals, including a traditional shore lunch on the water. This is the closest thing to a true all-inclusive trip.
Modified American Plan usually means breakfast and dinner, with lunch on your own, so always ask what a lodge includes. Our bring your own boat package is listed as Modified American Plan and covers lodging, all your meals at the Lodge, and dock and launch access for the rig you trailered in.
Housekeeping Plan means lodging with a full kitchen, and you cook. Our deluxe self-guided package is a housekeeping plan that still includes a deluxe 18 ft boat with gas, which is where most of the cost of a fishing trip sits. Bring your own towels.
Plans side by side
All of those prices are per person, in US dollars, for a 3-day package with the most people per boat, and every package runs from 3 to 7 days. Full grids for every length and group size are on our rates page.
What all-inclusive usually leaves out
These sit outside the package price at almost every Ontario lodge, ours included:
- Ontario HST. 13%, added on top of the package price.
- Your fishing licence. Non-residents need an Ontario Outdoors Card and a fishing licence, both of which you can buy online before you travel.
- Gratuities for guides and lodge staff.
- Card fees. We add a 3% service charge on Visa and MasterCard.
- Getting here. Fuel, the drive and the border crossing. Our guide to crossing into Canada for a fishing trip covers passports, licences and live bait.
What a trip actually costs
Two worked examples, before card fees and tips:
Two anglers, semi-guided, 3 days, sharing a boat. $720 per person, so $1,440 for the pair. Add 13% HST of $187.20 and the trip comes to $1,627.20.
Three anglers, premier guided, 3 days, one guide boat. $970 per person, so $2,910 for the group. Add $378.30 in HST and the total is $3,288.30, with the guide, bait, lodging and every meal covered.
A $200 per person deposit holds your dates and the balance is due at check in. Deposits are non-refundable, so if your dates are uncertain, call Paul at 807-271-3015 before you book.
Which plan fits your trip
First trip to these lakes, or you just want it handled: Deluxe American Plan. A guide on unfamiliar water is worth more than anything else you can buy, and on a lake as big as Crow Lake it saves days of searching.
You can run a boat and want the meals taken care of: American Plan, semi-guided. You fish your own hours with our crew telling you what is biting.
You are self-sufficient and watching the budget: Housekeeping. You still get the boat and gas, you just cook your own meals.
You are bringing your own boat: Modified American Plan, with lodging, meals and dock access handled so you just show up with the rig.
Planning a winter trip instead? Our Ontario ice fishing packages run three nights and two days with lodging and all meals included, from $800 per person.
Questions to ask any lodge before you book
- Is the price per person per day, or per person for the whole package?
- Is a boat included, and is the gas?
- Which meals are included, and is lunch on the water or back at the lodge?
- Are tax, licences and card fees on top?
- What is the deposit, and is it refundable?
If a lodge answers all five clearly, you can compare it fairly against anyone else. If you want our answers for your dates, call Paul or see all rates and pricing.
Frequently asked questions
What does American Plan mean at a fishing lodge?
Lodging plus all your meals, cooked for you. At Muskie Bay that is breakfast, a field lunch or shore lunch, and dinner at the Lodge. Deluxe American Plan adds a guide.
What is the difference between American Plan and Housekeeping?
American Plan includes all your meals. Housekeeping gives you a cabin with a full kitchen and you cook for yourself, which costs less. At Muskie Bay both still include a deluxe boat with gas.
Are fishing licences included in an all-inclusive package?
Usually not. Non-resident anglers need an Ontario Outdoors Card and a fishing licence, which you can buy online before you travel.
Is tax included in Ontario fishing package prices?
Usually not. Ontario's 13% HST is added on top of the package price at most lodges, including ours.
How much does an all-inclusive fishing trip in Ontario cost?
At Muskie Bay, 3-day packages start at $640 per person for semi-guided American Plan and $970 per person for fully guided Deluxe American Plan, in US dollars before 13% HST.