Suskeena Lodge

The Sustut River is one of a handful of class one rivers in British Columbia and offers exceptional runs of fish in a pristine wilderness. Anglers interested in clear water, large steelhead and remote locations, will find few rivers to match the Sustut’s beauty or angling experience.

Steelhead flyfishers’ dream 

The Sustut River is the most remote of the famous Skeena steelhead tributaries, meaning that guests at Suskeena Lodge will enjoy solitude on the river while they try to crack that magical 30lb mark. The wild strain of steelhead entering the Sustut is one of the largest in the world and compares only to its neighbours on the Babine, and the Kispiox to the south. Being so far from the sea, these fish can take on very trout-like behaviour and they react to skated dries and other floating line techniques remarkably well.

The river has sections of long freestone pools in the lower river as well as canyon water in the middle river. The legendary upper river, accessible by helicopter in the three peak weeks (September 17 – October 8) has beautiful glassy pools enabling stunning visuals of large steelhead in their habitat and is a sanctuary for numbers of fish preparing to over winter before they spawn in the spring. The lower sections have endless long pools that can, at times, produce big numbers of fish as they reach the first holding water after the long upstream battle through the Skeena. This is where anglers visiting Suskeena Lodge can enjoy long cobble runs suitable for anglers of all abilities while targeting steelhead that have never seen a fly.

The fishing programme at Suskeena Lodge enables anglers to spend over half of day fishing on water not fished by anybody else. All anglers, beginner and expert, can count on knowledgeable, experienced guides who have spent seasons hunting steelhead. The river is accessed using both jet boats and rafts, depending on water levels. There are three anglers per boat in weeks of nine rods and two anglers per boat in weeks of six rods.

The video below gives a wonderful overview of the experience here.

Delightful custom-built lodge 

Built in the 1960s, Suskeena Lodge is the first commercial operation on the Susut River to host anglers fishing for wild steelhead. This charming property nestles on the banks of the river, has panoramic views, a crackling fireplace and offers a lovely home away home atmosphere in its beautiful setting. The cabins are double occupancy, along with one single cabin, and are equipped with en-suite bathrooms, on-demand hot water heaters which can be used while the generator is running, and a wood stove for heat. Each cabin is provided with filtered drinking water each day. Breakfast is available at the lodge from 6.30am, a hot lunch is served on the river by your guide and ranges from soups, sandwiches, stews and more. A three-course dinner, with complimentary wine and beer, is served back at the lodge each evening.

There is a well-stocked fly shop on site with flies, tackle and clothing available for purchase.

Remote location in a pristine environment 

Located in northern British Columbia, roughly 100 miles north of Smithers, the lodge is accessible only by air using bush planes or helicopters. It is set within the traditional territory of the Takla First Nation which is a rich environment of lakes, rivers, forests and mountains and is bordered on the west by the Skeena Mountains and on the east by the Rocky Mountains. It is recommended that anglers fly into Smithers the night before the fishing starts. The following morning anglers are transferred to the airport for the onward 45-minute flight to the lodge landing strip.