--- title: "Sointula Lodge" kind: "Fishing Lodges" region: "North Vancouver Island, British Columbia" canonical: "https://wildernessledger.com/experience/sointula-lodge" author: "Ben Taft" reviewed: "2026-09-14" operator: "https://sointulalodge.com" --- # Sointula Lodge > Sointula Lodge: from $7,035 CAD per person for the 4 Day Fishing Trip (3 nights), one rate whatever the size of your party, 2026 season May to October, plus tax, with 18 guests and 12 staff a trip, and in the lodge's words spots sell out far in advance. - Kind: Fishing Lodges - Region: North Vancouver Island, British Columbia (gateway Port Hardy) - Season: May to October for bottom fish and July to October for salmon; the lodge says it operates year-round - Sleeps: 18 guests - Access: Boat, Road, Scheduled flight, Float plane - Rate band: $$$$, $2,000+ per person / night - Canonical page: https://wildernessledger.com/experience/sointula-lodge - Operator site: https://sointulalodge.com - Record checked: 14 September 2026 by Ben Taft Sointula Lodge sits on a 38-acre property on Malcolm Island, between northern Vancouver Island and the Broughton Archipelago, a fifteen-minute boat ride from Port McNeill. Guests stay in log cabins on the lawn above the dock and eat four-course dinners in a timber great room over the water; the lodge takes a maximum of eighteen guests per trip. Packages run three or four nights with a guided day for every day, on enclosed-cabin boats with private bathrooms, and are all-inclusive: accommodation, meals, drinks, gear, guiding and the processing and packaging of the catch. The fishing packages target salmon and halibut; the wilderness packages tour the Broughton Archipelago instead of fishing it. Bottom fish run May to October and salmon July to October, and the lodge says orca are seen from July. A sauna and hot tubs sit by the water. ## From, per person $7,035 CAD, double, 4 Day Fishing Trip (3 nights on site), the season 2026. Per person, Canadian dollars, plus tax. The lodge prints one rate whatever the size of your party: three to four guests normally share a boat, a party of three or more gets its own, and a party of two or a solo angler can book a private boat for $1,950 extra. Discounted rates for children 12 and under exist but are not printed. The same packages are US$5,250 (4 days) and US$6,250 (5 days) on the site's USD switch, with the private boat at US$1,500. Read from Sointula Lodge, Packages (rates in CAD and USD) on 14 September 2026. ## At a glance - Season: May to Oct (salmon from July) - From: $7,035 (per person, 4 days, plus tax) - Guests: 18 (a trip at a time, 12 staff) - Boats: 3 to 4 a boat (27 ft, enclosed, heated, a head) - Transfer: 15 min by boat (from Port McNeill; not included) - Wifi and cell: Basic (out of range a few hours at a time) - Deposit: 33% (balance 60 days out) - Sells out: Far ahead (in the lodge's words) ## Seasons - The season: May to October 2026 (bottom fish from May, salmon from July) ## Rates, 2026 (CAD) Per person, Canadian dollars, plus tax. The lodge prints one rate whatever the size of your party: three to four guests normally share a boat, a party of three or more gets its own, and a party of two or a solo angler can book a private boat for $1,950 extra. Discounted rates for children 12 and under exist but are not printed. The same packages are US$5,250 (4 days) and US$6,250 (5 days) on the site's USD switch, with the private boat at US$1,500. | Package | Occupancy | The season | |---|---|---:| | 4 Day Fishing Trip, 3 nights on site | Double | $7,035 | | 4 Day Fishing Trip, 3 nights on site | Single | $7,035 | | 4 Day Fishing Trip, 3 nights on site | Triple | $7,035 | | 4 Day Fishing Trip, 3 nights on site | Quad | $7,035 | | 5 Day Fishing Trip, 4 nights on site | Double | $8,375 | | 5 Day Fishing Trip, 4 nights on site | Single | $8,375 | | 5 Day Fishing Trip, 4 nights on site | Triple | $8,375 | | 5 Day Fishing Trip, 4 nights on site | Quad | $8,375 | | 4 Day Wilderness Trip, 3 nights on site | Double | $7,035 | | 4 Day Wilderness Trip, 3 nights on site | Single | $7,035 | | 4 Day Wilderness Trip, 3 nights on site | Triple | $7,035 | | 4 Day Wilderness Trip, 3 nights on site | Quad | $7,035 | | 5 Day Wilderness Trip, 4 nights on site | Double | $8,375 | | 5 Day Wilderness Trip, 4 nights on site | Single | $8,375 | | 5 Day Wilderness Trip, 4 nights on site | Triple | $8,375 | | 5 Day Wilderness Trip, 4 nights on site | Quad | $8,375 | In the price: Accommodation, meals, drinks, gear, guiding and the included activities; Fish processing and packaging on the fishing packages. On top: Tax; Transportation to and from the lodge; BC tidal fishing licence, $38.85; Tips for staff; the lodge suggests 15% of the trip value per guest; Private boat for a party of two, $1,950. The whole lodge can be booked out: the corporate page prices a private 4-day fishing retreat at US$64,000 and a 5-day one at US$80,000. Read from Sointula Lodge, Packages (rates in CAD and USD) on 14 September 2026. ## Included - Your log cabin, meals (hot breakfast, lunch out on the water or a beach, a four-course dinner from a set menu), and wine, spirits and beer - A guided day on the water every day, three to four guests to a boat with a licensed guide, in a 27 ft NorthRiver with an enclosed heated cabin and its own bathroom - All fishing gear: rods, reels, tackle, plus Columbia insulated rain jackets, rain pants, rain boots, Mustang inflatable life jackets and children's life jackets - On the fishing packages, your catch weighed, filleted, frozen and packed in insulated boxes that check as airline luggage - The High Seas Day (bottom fish and salmon off the northern tip of the island) and a day of Great Bear Rainforest fly fishing, both on request, on the fishing packages - Beach Bistro lunch of boiled crab on an island one day, the Burger Boat lunch delivered to you on the water another - Kayaks, paddleboards, bicycles, the hot tubs and the Finnish sauna, the pool table, the trails and the alpacas - Binoculars on the boats ## Not included - Tax - Getting to the lodge: the flight or drive to Port McNeill and the 15-minute boat ride, or a chartered floatplane; the lodge helps arrange it - BC tidal fishing licence, $38.85, printed and in your hand on arrival - Tips for staff; the lodge suggests 15% of the trip value per guest - A private boat for a party of two, $1,950 - The cellar wine list, massages, and the half- and full-day helicopter adventures, priced on request ## Deposit and cancellation - Deposit: 33% at booking. Inside 60 days of the trip the whole balance is due at booking. - Balance due: 60 days before arrival, plus taxes - More than 90 days out: Deposit kept, but fully transferable to another date in the same season; with the lodge's permission, to the next season - 90 days or fewer: All funds forfeited; a transfer to another date in the same summer at the lodge's discretion if there is space - Moving to the next calendar year: 25% of the deposit paid is applied to a visit the following summer Deposits are non-refundable at any point. In the lodge's words, with 18 spots and 12 staff, cancellations are discouraged because it buys and commits on your behalf; it will try to work with a change. Not mentioned by the lodge. Read from Sointula Lodge, Confirmation and Policies on 14 September 2026. ## When it sells out Four- and five-day trips run on a rotating basis through the season, 18 guests at a time, so there is a limited number of trips a year, and in the lodge's words spots can sell out far in advance of the start of the season. Book as early as you can; the guest confirmation form is due 14 days before arrival. ## Questions people ask **How much does Sointula Lodge cost?** The 4 Day trip (three nights) is $7,035 per person plus tax and the 5 Day trip (four nights) is $8,375, fishing or wilderness, in Canadian dollars; the website also prices them at US$5,250 and US$6,250. Everything at the lodge is in: cabin, meals, drinks, gear, guiding and processing. On top: tax, getting there, the $38.85 fishing licence and a suggested 15% tip. A party of two can have a boat to themselves for $1,950. **Fishing or wilderness, and can we mix them?** Both cost the same and both put you on a guided boat every day. The fishing packages target five species of Pacific salmon, halibut, lingcod and other bottom fish minutes from the dock, and process what you keep. The wilderness package tours the Broughton Archipelago instead: whales, dolphins, bears, beach lunches, the Great Bear Rainforest. If one of you wants to fish and the other does not, the lodge recommends you both take the wilderness package: time on the water is customizable, so fish in the morning and look for bears in the afternoon. **What does a day look like?** A hot breakfast, then out on the water with your guide; the lodge tailors each day to weather and tide rather than printing a timetable. Lunch is out: one day the chef meets you on an island for the Beach Bistro (boiled crab, wine), another day the Burger Boat comes to you with a grill. Back at the lodge, your catch is weighed for bragging rights and processed while you have happy hour, then a four-course dinner in the great room over the water. Afternoon breaks are for the bikes, the kayaks and paddleboards, the hot tub and sauna, a walk into Sointula or through the cedar forest at the back of the property, or a massage from the local masseuse. **What are the cabins like?** Ten log cabins on the lawn above the dock, furnished, in the lodge's words, to feel like a home away from home, with private bathrooms. The lodge takes 18 guests a trip with 12 staff. The main lodge holds the bar, the dining room looking over the docks and Cormorant Channel (whales go by during dinner), and the covered deck with its fire table. **How do I get there?** The last leg is always a 15-minute boat ride from Port McNeill. Most guests fly Vancouver to Port Hardy on Pacific Coastal and taxi to Port McNeill, or drive up Vancouver Island. Chartered floatplanes fly direct from Vancouver, Seattle and other points on the coast; the lodge helps arrange them, and it has a rate at the Fairmont at Vancouver airport. Travel is not in the price. Contact the lodge before booking flights or ferries: it has set arrival and departure times. **What are the boats?** Five 27-foot NorthRiver Sea Hawk OS boats built in 2021 and 2023, with fully enclosed heated cabins, private bathrooms, suspension seats, Lowrance radar, GPS and sounders, 250 hp Yamaha outboards and top-of-the-line rods and reels. Three to four guests to a boat; a party of three or more gets its own. **What happens to my fish, and what if I catch nothing?** Your catch is filleted, frozen and packed in insulated boxes for the trip home; the boxes check as luggage on commercial flights, and fish from the lodge have flown as far as France, Norway, Bahrain and Australia. If you have a fishing package and come home empty-handed, the lodge makes sure you take home high-quality locally caught salmon. Catch and release is encouraged, and BC tidal limits for Area 12 apply; your guide briefs you. **Do I need a fishing licence?** Yes, everyone, including children under 16 and wilderness guests (so the crew can set prawn and crab traps with you). Buy the five-day BC tidal licence with a salmon stamp from Fisheries and Oceans Canada online for your trip dates, print it, and bring it. The lodge puts it at $38.85. **Is it for children and beginners?** The lodge welcomes families and says the guided fishing suits first-timers as well as seasoned anglers. Children's life jackets are provided and children 12 and under get a discounted rate, which is not printed; ask. No minimum age is published. **Is there wifi and cell signal?** Basic wifi at the lodge and cell coverage in the general area. A few fishing spots are out of range, but only for a few hours at a time. The lodge recommends unplugging. **What should I pack?** Passport, printed fishing licence, sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, hat and gloves, warm layers (the lodge suggests three while fishing in the morning), a jacket, casual clothes for dinner, a swimsuit for the hot tub, a camera. Rain jackets, rain pants, rain boots, life jackets, fishing gear and binoculars are all provided. Summer temperatures run from 2 to 20°C, so check the forecast. **Do I tip?** Tips are not in the price. The lodge suggests 15% of the trip value per guest. **Can we take the whole lodge?** Yes. The lodge hosts corporate retreats and family reunions and prices a private, all-inclusive 4-day fishing retreat for the whole lodge at US$64,000 and a 5-day one at US$80,000; half- and full-day helicopter adventures for one to five people are priced on request. ## Trip tools - What a trip to Sointula Lodge costs, all in: https://wildernessledger.com/experience/sointula-lodge/cost (plain text: https://wildernessledger.com/experience/sointula-lodge/cost.md) ## Sources - Sointula Lodge, Packages (rates in CAD and USD): https://sointulalodge.com/packages/ (read 14 September 2026) - Sointula Lodge, Fishing: https://sointulalodge.com/fishing/ (read 14 September 2026) - Sointula Lodge, Wilderness: https://sointulalodge.com/wilderness/ (read 14 September 2026) - Sointula Lodge, Confirmation and Policies: https://sointulalodge.com/confirmation-and-policies/ (read 14 September 2026) - Sointula Lodge, What to Bring: https://sointulalodge.com/what-to-bring/ (read 14 September 2026) - Sointula Lodge, Directions: https://sointulalodge.com/directions/ (read 14 September 2026) - Sointula Lodge, When to Visit: https://sointulalodge.com/when-to-visit/ (read 14 September 2026) - Sointula Lodge, The Lodge: https://sointulalodge.com/the-lodge/ (read 14 September 2026) - Sointula Lodge, FAQ: https://sointulalodge.com/faq/ (read 14 September 2026) - Sointula Lodge, Corporate Retreats (whole-lodge rates): https://sointulalodge.com/corporate-retreats/ (read 14 September 2026) Canonical page: https://wildernessledger.com/experience/sointula-lodge Written by Ben Taft, Photographer and filmmaker, The Wilderness Ledger (https://wildernessledger.com/about). Ben Taft visited and photographed Sointula Lodge in person; the figures above are from the operator's own published material, read on the dates shown. Every photograph and film is his. Publisher: The Wilderness Ledger. Corrections: hello@wildernessledger.com.