Side by side · Fishing Lodges

Moutcha Bay Resort vs Steep Island Lodge

Two fishing lodges side by side from their own published tariffs: Moutcha Bay Resort from $1,829, Steep Island Lodge from $545 per person, with seasons, what is and is not in the price, deposit and cancellation terms, and the transfer from the gateway.

How this page is made. Every figure is from the two operators' own published tariffs and booking pages, as recorded in their Ledgers, last read 14 September 2026. The sentences under "Which one" are rules over those figures, not opinion; where an operator publishes nothing, the row says so and the rule stays quiet. Ben has stayed at both.

Moutcha Bay Resort and its marina from the air, the yurt village set along the shore of Nootka Sound

Nootka Sound Moutcha Bay Resort

The lodge at Steep Island lit from within at dusk, its deck and boardwalk running along the bluff above Discovery Passage

Discovery Islands Steep Island Lodge

The record

Side by side

Fact	Moutcha Bay Resort	Steep Island Lodge
From, per person	From $1,829 per person for 3 nights (Bronze, self-guided), Summer season (May to September), 2026 tariff	From $545 per person per night on a 1-night minimum, 2026 tariff
Per night	about $610 per person per night, the Bronze, self-guided rate divided by its 3 nights	$545 per person, the printed nightly rate
All in, with tax	about $1,920 per person for the shortest stay, with GST at 5%	about $572 per person for the shortest stay, with GST at 5%
Stays sold	8 packages of 3 or 4 nights	By the night, 1 to 7 nights
Priced for	Double, two to a boat; Quad, four to a boat; Triple, three to a boat	Double; Single; Triple; Child, 12 and under
Season	Summer season, May to September	Not published; salmon fishing in Discovery Passage runs roughly May to September
In the price	On a fishing package: a Signature Cedar Yurt for two or a Luxury Cedar Yurt for three or four, a continental take-away breakfast, an artisanal packed lunch and a three-course dinner at the Conuma Grill each day Gold: full days on a 32-foot North River with a certified guide, 10 hours dock to dock, gear and tackle, lunch aboard. Silver: one guided day and the rest self-guided on a 24-foot ABD. Bronze: self-guided days on an 18-foot Quay Craft Provincially regulated fish processing on Gold, Silver and Bronze: filleted, vacuum-packed, flash-frozen and boxed for departure day The Anglers Academy, at no extra charge on any guided boat On a unit booked by the night: dine-in or continental take-away breakfast with the lodge suites, yurts and chalets; breakfast for two with a Forest Cabin; parking for one vehicle On a campsite: water and 30-amp power, washhouses with flush toilets and hot showers, parking for a vehicle and boat trailer, the boat launch, a fire ring, wifi Barbecues around the resort for anyone, and private ones at the yurts and chalets The playground and zipline in the Highland campground	Transport to and from Campbell River: the shuttle from Campbell River Airport and the water taxi to the island A suite in one of the cedar cabins, each with a private ocean view and a wood stove Breakfast, lunch, dinner and appetizers The exercise room, the games room with pool and shuffleboard, and the large-screen TV in the lounge On a fishing day: guide and boat, all fishing gear, rain gear and floater coats, a picnic lunch and snacks, and your catch cleaned and boxed
Not in the price	GST at 5% on everything, including campsites, and PST at 8% on lodge suites, chalets and yurts Extra guests aged 12 and over beyond a unit's base count, $100 each per night Pets, $25 per pet per night in the pet-friendly units (chalets, yurts 1 to 4, select Forest Cabins; free on campsites) A tidal waters fishing licence with the salmon conservation stamp, bought before you arrive Gratuities: the resort suggests $70 to $100 per guest per day for the guide and 20% of your stay for the shore staff Drinks, and lunch and dinner on a stay booked by the night (the Conuma Grill is licensed and a la carte) Fuel and bait on a rental boat, and moorage, fuel and bait for your own boat at the marina Firewood, $10 a bin, delivered to your campsite Kayaks and paddleboards on a unit stay (the Rates page prices them from $35 for two hours as a non-guest rate)	Applicable taxes Alcohol Gratuities Fishing: $190 an hour per boat on an 8-hour tide, one to four anglers to a boat Fishing licences Extra fish processing: vacuum sealing, smoking and canning, available on request Diving and eco tours, priced on request; a fuel surcharge may apply to eco tours Getting to Campbell River
Deposit	10% of the booking when you reserve, charged to the card on file	Not published. The lodge books by email and phone and does not print a deposit on its site; ask when you enquire.
If you cancel	More than 90 days before arrival: 10% of the booking; the rest refunded 90 days or fewer before arrival: full payment forfeited	Not published
Getting there	Road from Gold River (the resort, on Head Bay Road towards Tahsis, about 6 km past the Conuma hatchery): about an hour from Gold River on Head Bay Road, gravel with 15 and 18% grades, not in the price. Timing partly our estimate.	Water taxi from Campbell River (Campbell River Airport, or the Discovery Marina dock if you drive): an airport shuttle and a 10-minute boat ride, in the price.
Sleeps	100 guests	22 guests
Region	Nootka Sound, British Columbia	Discovery Islands, British Columbia
Source	2026 tariff, read 14 September 2026	2026 tariff, read 14 September 2026

"From" is the lowest adult double rate in the newest tariff, per person for the shortest stay sold; the all-in line adds the tax the calculator adds. Anything marked "our estimate" is ours, not the operator's.

Which one

What the record says

The two are not priced the same way, Moutcha Bay Resort is priced as a package (Bronze, self-guided, 3 nights) and Steep Island Lodge priced by the night, so the fair comparison is per night: about $545 per person at Steep Island Lodge against about $610 at Moutcha Bay Resort, both before tax.

Moutcha Bay Resort prints its season, May to September; Steep Island Lodge does not publish its dates, so ask before comparing.

Moutcha Bay Resort lists more in the price, 8 items to 5; both lists are in the table.

Steep Island Lodge is the quicker to reach: an airport shuttle and a 10-minute boat ride from Campbell River. Moutcha Bay Resort is about an hour from Gold River on Head Bay Road, gravel with 15 and 18% grades (the timings are partly our estimate).

Steep Island Lodge is the smaller place, 22 guests to 100.

Which of those matters is yours to weigh; the pages behind each place have the rest, and the calculators price a stay for your own party.

Moutcha Bay Resort
The record and the Ledger What a trip costs, all in Request availability
Steep Island Lodge
The record and the Ledger What a trip costs, all in Request availability

From the Journal

A story that covers both

From the Journal How to choose a fishing lodge in Canada Read the story

Answered from the record

Which is cheaper, Moutcha Bay Resort or Steep Island Lodge?

What is included at Moutcha Bay Resort and at Steep Island Lodge?

Moutcha Bay Resort lists 8 things in the price, starting with on a fishing package and gold. Steep Island Lodge lists 5, starting with transport to and from Campbell River and a suite in one of the cedar cabins. The full lists, and what each leaves out, are in the table on this page.

How do you get to Moutcha Bay Resort and to Steep Island Lodge?

Moutcha Bay Resort: Road from Gold River (the resort, on Head Bay Road towards Tahsis, about 6 km past the Conuma hatchery): about an hour from Gold River on Head Bay Road, gravel with 15 and 18% grades, not in the price. Timing partly our estimate. Steep Island Lodge: Water taxi from Campbell River (Campbell River Airport, or the Discovery Marina dock if you drive): an airport shuttle and a 10-minute boat ride, in the price.