Finn Bay Lodge

Rivers Inlet, British Columbia

A floating salmon lodge in a sheltered Rivers Inlet cove, five minutes by boat from the inlet's best Chinook and Coho water.

1 Lodge

Locations 1

Max Guests 16

Species king salmon, coho salmon, sockeye salmon, pink salmon, chum salmon, halibut, ling cod, red snapper, rockfish

Access fly-in

WiFi Yes

Only cabin/lodge No

Pricing $$$$$

Overview

Finn Bay Lodge is a floating, all-inclusive fly-in salmon fishing lodge in Rivers Inlet on the central coast of British Columbia. It is owned by Mick and Johanna Heath, who fished the inlet for years before opening the lodge.

The lodge sits in a small, sheltered cove and is the outfitter's only base, with no separate outposts. It is on the central coast, about 300 miles north of Vancouver, in the Great Bear Rainforest.

The trip is a guided-optional salmon package of 4 days and 3 nights or 5 days and 4 nights. It includes round-trip seaplane flights from Vancouver, meals, boat use and gear. The 2026 season runs from July 7 to August 29.

Best for: Salmon anglers who want a small-group floating lodge with a private room and bath, and a first-time or experienced group that wants flights and gear included.

Best time: The season runs July 7 to August 29. Chinook fishing is strongest early, then Coho join in, so July and August both offer a mix of species.

Highlights

Floating lodge in a sheltered cove

Five minutes by boat to prime water

Private room and bathroom for every guest

Gourmet chef and three meals daily

Boston Whaler Montauks with fuel and bait

Round-trip seaplane flights from Vancouver

Catch filleted and vacuum packed

Best Fishing Lodge 2024, BC Travel & Tourism Awards

The Fishing

The fishing is for Chinook and Coho salmon in Rivers Inlet. The lodge says Chinook average 20 to 25 pounds, and fish into the 80s are caught every year. It also says few places produce more salmon over 60 pounds.

The lodge is a five-minute boat ride from the fishing spots it rates as the best in the inlet. It is placed to fish the 30-plus miles of the inlet, and the lodge says the fish are usually right at its door. Chinook are targeted early in the season, and Coho action follows. Guests can often catch both in the same day.

Guests fish from the lodge's Boston Whaler Montauks, with fuel and bait included. Boots, jackets and a new Islander TR3 reel are provided for use during the stay. An expert goes out with guests on the first day to advise on locations and technique. Guides can be arranged for additional days.

Accommodations

Finn Bay Lodge floats in a small cove and has eight upscale cabins. Each guest has a private room and a private bathroom. The cabins are WiFi-enabled, and there are no bunkhouse-style rooms. The lodge keeps its group small, at 12 to 16 guests at a time.

The lodge works on the American Plan. A chef prepares three meals a day, plus snacks and appetizers. Snacks are also provided during fishing days. Fish caught during the stay are filleted and vacuum packed for the trip home.

Fish Species

king salmon coho salmon sockeye salmon pink salmon chum salmon halibut ling cod red snapper rockfish

What They Offer

Amenities available at one or more of this outfitter's properties.

Guide service

Meal plans

Boats included

Gas included

WiFi

What's Unique About Finn Bay Lodge?

YouTube

River's Inlet Finn Bay Lodge Adventure with The Outdoor Line

YouTube

5.0

Based on 4 reviews from across the web

Review Highlights

Guests rate Finn Bay Lodge very highly. All of the reviews give it 5 out of 5 stars, and reviewers describe the trips as memorable and say they want to return or recommend the lodge to friends and family. Several guests single out the owners, Mick and Johanna, by name, along with the rest of the staff.

Reviewers consistently praise the service. They describe the hosts and crew as attentive, helpful, and accommodating, and one guest said they "lacked for nothing." Guests often mention the food, calling the meals "5-star" and comparing the dinners to an upscale restaurant. One group had the chef grill burgers on a boat during a day of fishing. Guests describe the accommodations as excellent, with clean rooms and a dock and view they enjoyed even on days with little catching. Guests credit the deck crew with keeping the boats clean, stocked, and ready each morning, and Johanna with having coffee and snacks out early for the morning fishing. Guests also say the staff helped them find productive fishing spots, and one group reported catching more fish than they expected. Coho fillets were one of the catches. One reviewer said the fish arrived home in perfect condition, with a generator keeping them frozen on the trip back. The trip starts with a scenic floatplane ride, which one guest called some of the most beautiful scenery they had seen.

Reviewers raise no recurring complaints. One group had their names left off the flight manifest into Port Hardy before departure, but the owner apologized, offered options to make up for it, and the guest still rated the trip 5 stars. Listen to the guides, who know the water well. Fishing is productive, and one reviewer noted that the scenery and dock time make a day enjoyable even without a catch. The lodge suits small groups of two or more, such as brothers or buddies, and first-time fly-in guests who want guidance finding fish. It also suits anglers who value good food, comfortable lodging, and attentive service as much as the fishing.

Read all 4 reviews

Scott Purvis Aug 5, 2024

Outfitter

My buddy Brian and I booked the 4-Night trip which started on August 5th, 2024. The trip got off to a bit of a rocky start just days before departure as Mick called and informed me our names were left off the flight manifest into Port Hardy, which I initially thought was a joke. Although this was a bit of bad news, this was the precise moment where the exceptional service began. Mick apologized for the inconvenience and extended some very gracious "options" to us, which he probably didn't have to do, but he left us with no other choice but to accept. Overall, the service from the crew was top-notch from top to bottom. The rooms were always cleaned and the food was outstanding. The deck crew was always on top of it by having the boats clean, organized, stocked and ready to head out. Johanna was always the first one up and had coffee and snacks ready to roll for the morning fish. This was an experience we will not soon forget and look forward to our next trip to Finn Bay Lodge. Your location is awesome and the experience was unforgettable. Feel free to leave our names off the flight manifest next time as well!! Thank you again for providing such a memorable experience.

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Ron & Karon Bishop

Outfitter

We had a great time at Finn Bay. The owners and staff were incredible. Extremely gracious and very accommodating to our needs. We lacked for nothing and were treated like royalty. The meals were 5-star and the lodge had excellent accommodations. The drinking water, of course, was supreme. Congratulations for achieving your superb certification rating. We appreciated being led out to the many good fishing spots we'd never have found on our own. We didn't feel we needed a guide but the extra help getting us to the good spots definitely helped. We had a great time at Finn Bay. Our fish arrived in perfect shape and the generator ran non-stop all the way back keeping it all frozen. We will definitely recommend your lodge to our friends and family. We wish you a great season this year and beyond.

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Eric Berg

Outfitter

Finn Bay Lodge is a special place – though I suspect you already know that. We caught more fish than we thought possible and enjoyed incredible service from the staff.

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Paul Riley

Outfitter

My brother and I spent 5 incredible days at Finn Bay Lodge. The trip starts with a floatplane trip over some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. Upon landing in the still waters of Finn Bay, we were met by Mick, Johanna and their staff. Over the course of the next 5 days, they all were the most attentive, informative and helpful hosts. Finn Bay's Chef is as good as it gets with each evening's dinner worthy of any upscale restaurant! Chef even took one of the bigger boats and grilled us some amazing burgers right on the boat while we fished at a sheltered bay a 45 minute boat ride from the resort! They went the extra mile to find where the fish were and we came home with a couple nice boxes of coho filets! Please listen to Mick or Seve, they know their stuff! And... even if one didn't catch any fish that day, sitting on the dock in front of your cabin enjoying a cocktail and drinking in the amazing view is well worth it! Can't wait to go back!

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Getting There

Guests fly to Vancouver, British Columbia, where the lodge's chartered seaplane service starts. Round-trip air transportation from Vancouver to the lodge is included in the package. The seaplane lands at the lodge dock in Rivers Inlet, which has no road access.

Guests coming from elsewhere in North America connect through Vancouver International Airport. Lodge staff meet guests there and direct them to the floatplane departure.

Access:

fly-in

Air service:

Vancouver Airport

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