Side by side · Fishing Lodges

Nootka Sound Resort vs Steep Island Lodge

Two fishing lodges side by side from their own published tariffs: Nootka Sound Resort from $2,325, 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.

The floating lodge at Nootka Sound Resort lit at dusk in Galiano Bay

Nootka Sound Nootka Sound 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	Nootka Sound Resort	Steep Island Lodge
From, per person	From $2,325 per person for 3 nights (Bring your own boat), Summer season (June to September), 2026 tariff	From $545 per person per night on a 1-night minimum, 2026 tariff
Per night	about $775 per person per night, the Bring your own boat rate divided by its 3 nights	$545 per person, the printed nightly rate
All in, with tax	about $2,441 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, June to September	Not published; salmon fishing in Discovery Passage runs roughly May to September
In the price	A private suite for two with a private washroom: two twins, a queen or a king Hot breakfast, an artisan boxed lunch, fireside appetisers with select beer and wine, a three-course dinner with select beer and wine, and a 24-hour snack bar Guided packages: full days on a 32-foot North River with a certified guide, 10 hours dock to dock, gear and tackle, a boxed lunch aboard, and rain gear if the weather turns Self-guided packages: the rental boat, equipped with safety gear, VHF, GPS and sounder, two electric downriggers, rods, reels, net, gaff and basic tackle Provincially regulated fish processing: filleted, vacuum-packed, flash-frozen and boxed for your departure day Daily housekeeping The guide-boat transfer from Moutcha Bay Resort when you have booked a guided package The Anglers Academy, at no extra charge on any guided boat Moorage on the bring-your-own-boat packages	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, and PST at 8% on the accommodation share, which the resort does not break out 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 beyond the select beer and wine at appetisers and dinner Fuel and bait on a rental boat (the rental rate card excludes them; the package sheet does not say) Getting to Moutcha Bay Resort, or a seaplane to the dock The single-occupancy upgrade, available but not priced Moorage for your own boat outside a bring-your-own-boat package, $50 a night	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	Boat from Gold River (Moutcha Bay Resort, where you park; guide boat or your rental boat onward): an hour by road from Gold River to Moutcha Bay, then 15 to 20 minutes by boat to Galiano Bay, 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	40 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, Nootka Sound Resort is priced as a package (Bring your own boat, 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 $775 at Nootka Sound Resort, both before tax.

Nootka Sound Resort prints its season, June to September; Steep Island Lodge does not publish its dates, so ask before comparing.

Nootka Sound Resort lists more in the price, 9 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. Nootka Sound Resort is an hour by road from Gold River to Moutcha Bay, then 15 to 20 minutes by boat to Galiano Bay (the timings are partly our estimate).

Steep Island Lodge is the smaller place, 22 guests to 40.

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.

Nootka Sound 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, Nootka Sound Resort or Steep Island Lodge?

What is included at Nootka Sound Resort and at Steep Island Lodge?

Nootka Sound Resort lists 9 things in the price, starting with a private suite for two with a private washroom and hot breakfast, an artisan boxed lunch. 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 Nootka Sound Resort and to Steep Island Lodge?

Nootka Sound Resort: Boat from Gold River (Moutcha Bay Resort, where you park; guide boat or your rental boat onward): an hour by road from Gold River to Moutcha Bay, then 15 to 20 minutes by boat to Galiano Bay, 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.