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Home Story Yellow Dog Lodge: Where Stories are Made

Yellow Dog Lodge: Where Stories are Made

We are Gord and Kathy Gin, the owners/operators of Yellow Dog Lodge. We purchased the lodge in 2006 and over the past decade have made vast improvements and expanded the original operations.

We named Yellow Dog Lodge in honour of the Dogrib Band of the Yellowknives Dene Indigenous Peoples, but our first guests logically assumed it came from the original camp pup, our friendly yellow Labrador retriever named Casey whose favorite job was to greet arriving guests.

Yellow Dog Lodge is a family-run business catering to our guests – family-style. Go fishing and hiking, sing karaoke, do a puzzle, play a game, or just hang out around our camp fire or hot tub. We’ve set up our operation to offer our guests a variety of options and activities in a very relaxed atmosphere. More importantly, we want you to enjoy yourself on your own terms in your own time — without a lot of structure and scheduling.

The Lodge

Located near the channel between Duncan and Graham lakes, about 35 air miles north east of Yellowknife, our Lodge can accommodate up to 32 guests at a time — 12 guests in the four-bedroom main lodge, up to 4 people in each of the two private cabins, and up to 6 guests in the Executive Cabin, plus 6 more in our floating tent camps.

Unique to Yellow Dog Lodge are the 2 self-contained floating tent camps. Affectionately named the “Dog Houses,” these facilities are anything but. Each Dog House features a wall tent that sleeps up to 4 people and is equipped with a wood stove, propane grill, portable toilet, cooking utensils, coolers and a casting deck. Each unit is also powered by a small outboard that allows guests go and live where they please on the lake.

They’re the perfect choice for guests who prefer to get away from everything and do it all themselves. It is the best and safest way to get out there and really experience living in the wilderness, where the only sounds you’ll likely hear come from the loons, owls and eagles.

Fabulous Fishing

Canada’s beautiful Northwest Territories continues to serve up the world’s finest sport fishing. As a result, the North has been a bucket-list destination for generations of anglers.

We welcome guests who have wide-ranging interests, and the fishing is simply outstanding. For avid fishing folks, we also offer optional fly-out daytrips to a handful of other lakes for those who want to catch walleye, as well as trout and grayling — or just get a change of scenery.

Our waters are known more for numbers of fish than for trophies, but anglers do see their share of trout approaching 40 pounds, and pike in the 40 to 50-inch class. Several regular guests book trips every June just to target big pike in the shallows.

Many of the lakes’ best fishing areas are within a stone’s throw of the lodge, including a spot 30 metres from the back door where, in September, anglers catch trout on nearly every other cast. This is the type of fishing where everyone can bring in a catch, and have a lot of fun. For a change of pace, guests seeking more solitude and scenery can travel up one of the rivers or make a short hike to one of the nearby lakes. There is something here for everyone.

Awesome Aurora Viewing

From August 15 to September 30 and from March 1 to April 15 we offer an incredible vantage point to view the spectacular Aurora Borealis. With Yellow Dog Lodge being only a 20 minute bush-plane flight from Yellowknife, it makes for an excellent getaway from the city.

Folks come for the spectacular beauty and mystical displays of the Aurora Borealis, but also want to kayak or canoe along a pristine river, fish our magnificent lakes, hike through wilderness terrain, and just bask in the remote wilderness setting with family and friends.

Award Winning

Catering to aurora adventurers as well as serious anglers has transformed Yellow Dog Lodge into something more than the traditional fishing camp. And it’s this forward-thinking approach that helped our lodge earn high praise and recognition.

In 2017, Yellow Dog Lodge received the prestigious Operator of the Year Award from Northwest Territories Tourism. In 2011, Destination Canada recognised Yellow Dog Lodge as one of Destination Canada’s Signature Experiences – their “once-in-a-lifetime” travel experiences in Canada. To this day our lodge is offered as part of this exclusive collection.

When it comes time to choose this year’s adventure destination, start with Yellow Dog Lodge in Canada’s Spectacular Northwest Territories. It is the place where you will write your story – a unique story created by you. One that you’ll want to share with others.

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