Company Overview

Mackay Lake Lodge combines all of the comforts of home with a rustic character that lends itself to this magic land.

Situated on a gravel esker which was left behind by a glacier 10, 000 years ago, Mackay Lake Lodge has a gravel airstrip for wheeled planes as well as a float plane docking facility.

Just an hour's flight by bush plane from Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, Mackay Lake Lodge is the prefect setting for a true wilderness fishing or photography adventure.

Getting to Mackay Lake Lodge

Getting to the Lodge on Mackay Lake is Surprisingly easy and inexpensive considering where we are. Several daily flights are scheduled to Yellowknife from Edmonton, Calgary, and Winnipeg with same day connections from most North American and European destinations. Charter flights from Yellowknife to Mackay Lake Lodge are included in our packages and are usually scheduled on Mondays and Fridays. As a service to our clients we have negotiated special airfares and hotel rates and we will assist you in planning your complete itinerary.

The facilities at Mackay Lake

Mackay Lake Lodge accommodates up to 24 persons and offers full services with cabin accommodations complete with flush toilets and electricity. Amenities include; freezers, smokers, and a licenced guest lounge/canteen.

Bedding, towels and a laundry service are provided. Meals are served buffet-style with a choice of salads, main courses and country foods.

Professional guides, modern boats 7 motors and a modern communication system help make your trip comfortable and enjoyable.

All you need to bring is your fishing tackle or camera and items of a personal nature including clothes and toiletries.

Warburton Bay Outpost accommodates up to 12 persons in 4 rustic cabins. It is designed for the do-it-yourself outdoor person. A kitchen facility is provided complete with a propane stove, electricity and utensils. We supply boats, motors, gas & oil and the basic facilities. Your are responsible for damages to our equipment. Your will need to bring your own sleeping bag/blankets, towels, groceries and items of personal nature. Guides are supplied by request at additional charge.

The Outpost camps at Hill Billy Bay, Big Island and Caribou Bay are used primarily for overnight camping excursions which can be included in planning your trip to Mackay Lake Lodge.

The Snake River and Aylmer Lake outpost camps accommodate 2 to 6 persons and we supply only basic camping equipment, boats, motors and cabins.

BOOKING INFORMATION

True North Safaris 3919 School Draw Ave. Yellowknife, NT X1A 2J7 Phone: 403-873-8533 Fax: 403-920-4834

TRUE NORTH SAFARI

Welcome to Mackay Lake Lodge Travel to the"Barrenlands", the"Land of the Midnight Sun", home of the"Aurora Borealis". Unchanged wilderness since the beginning of time.

Mackay Lake Lodge combines all the comforts of home with a rustic character that lends itself to this magic land.

The 100 mile long lake is crystal clear and cold and is fed by a number of pristine rivers. This makes ideal habitat for giant Lake Trout and Arctic Grayling.

Wildlife, which is unique to the Canadian Arctic, is abundant. The migration of the Bathurst caribou herd is one of the last remaining, true spectacles of nature you and can be witnessed annually at Mackay Lake.

Whether you come to capture giant Lake Trout, fly fish for Arctic Grayling, or to photograph the Arctic Tundra, our professional management and staff will help make your trip safe and enjoyable.

Seasons in the Arctic In contrast to the harsh Arctic winter, the"Barrenlands" become a virtual Paradise in the summer.

Spring begins around the en of May as the last straggling caribou make their way northeast across Mackay Lake to the calving grounds on the Arctic coast.

As the Midnight Sun appears in June, the nesting birds arrive an begin the cycle of birth and regeneration. While the days are long and warm and the snow has left the land, the large body of Mackay Lake is not free of ice until the beginning of July.

For weeks after"ice-out"the lake trout can be found near the shallows and river mouths before they begin to disperse and travel into the main body of Mackay Lake.

Mackay Lake is in the heart of the summer range of the Bathurst caribou herd and the spectacular migration back from the calving grounds occurs around the third week of July.

By the first week of August, the midnight sun begins to fade into darkness and the"northern lights"or"spirit walker" performs its magical, nightly dance.

By the end of August, just eight weeks since their arrival, the wildflowers become blueberries, cranberries, cloud berries, or bear berries. The new-born nesting birds, peregrine falcons, jaeger, geese and tundra swans are testing their wings and the majestic caribou are getting ready to shed the velvet from their antlers.

By the end of September, the throbbing energy of the Arctic summer has given way to flaming reds and oranges of autumn; the caribou gather into large herds again, in preparation for the mating season and another migration southwest to the trees, where they winter.

In October, the now white caped, polished antlered caribou bulls begin to fight, sometimes to the death, for the right to make, and the lakes in the tundra begin to freeze.

Five to seven feet of ice provides the foundation for a winter road which is ploughed north from Yellowknife in January.

Convoys of trucks re-supply the mines and lodges in the far north until mid-April when the snow begins to melt on the portages.

While the Barrenground grizzly bears and Arctic ground squirrels sleep through the harsh arctic winters, countless wolves, wolverines, foxes, caribou, muskox, ptarmigans, and Arctic hares continue to make the Barrenlands their homes.

The miraculous cycle of birth and regeneration will begin again come spring.

Company Information

Additional Details

Legal Name: True North Safaris Ltd.

Number of Employees: 1989

Contacts

Products

• Hunting/Fishing Tour Packages

NAICS Categories

• 561520 Tour Operators
• 721212 Hunting and Fishing Camps

Additional Information