My son (age 46) and I (age 75) visited Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge for the second time this past…read moreweek. This is my 33rd fishing trip to Manitoba and 18th lodge visited. We were the first group in for this season. Other than being very cold and rainy it was a great trip. Nothing has changed since our first visit in 2019. In my opinion this is the best overall lodge in Manitoba. There are so many different ways that this lodge is superior to others but let me try and highlight a few. Let's start with the booking process. Pit, the owner and General Manager, appears to sit at his computer 24 hours a day. When you contact him, you get an almost immediate response. His communication is clear and to the point. When you book you get a provisional slot hold until you make your deposit. You can send in a check or use a credit card. Once you book his wife, Julie, takes over and contacts you about any special requests you may have. If you have any special dietary requests, booze orders or the like she makes sure it happens. Next are the lodge facilities. The cabins are immaculate and appear brand new. Ours had two bedrooms each with a mini split heater and AC and a living room with a fireplace. There was also a screened in porch. A short walk to the main lodge itself which houses the dining room and "Big Mollys Bar". The bar is unusual in that it includes a happy hour before dinner where the drinks are free. At most lodges I have fished the groups tend to keep to themselves. One impact of the happy hour is that most groups become very friendly. Secret spots and lures are shared freely and you make new friends. We have already made contact we people we met at the lodge and are making plans to met again next year. On to the food. Most lodges have a fixed breakfast. At Aikens you can order whatever you want for breakfast. I had asked Julie to have some hot peppers for my omelet and they sure were hot! The shore lunches were also unique. The lodge has prepared several sites throughout the lake with picnic benches, metal roofing to protect from the rain, propane cook tops and chopped wood for the open firs. This not only keeps you dry and comfortable but dramatically reduced the food preparation and cooking time. The lunches themselves are not just the old fried fish but included different variety of batters and baked fish. Dinner at the lodge was also special every night. Julie cooked for us a few nights and she is the best chef in Canada. One night we had a pork chop that must have been 2 inched thick but was still moist and tender. Steak night riveled any steak house in Winnipeg, The staff were also exceptional. Pit, Julie and Patrick are all co-owners and unlike many other lodges are on site. This ensures that if any issues arise, they are dealt with quickly and properly, They have hired a great group of young ladies to work the dining room and cabins. They are friendly and hard working. The guides are also good. They tend to hire young men in college who work there for4 to 6 years so you always have an experienced guide who knows the lake in your group. The newer ones receive formal training from Pit and Pat and also learn from the more experienced guides. The fishing is also good. The boats are newer 18-foot Lunds powered by 60HP Yamaha motors. They have very comfortable cushioned chairs, depth finders, live wells and trolling motors. Most lodges have. 16-foot boats and 20 or 30HP engines, benches and no electronics You can really cover a lot of ground quickly with these 60 HP motors! It was very cold (low 40's) and rainy during our trip which impacted the fishing. However we still managed to catch several pike on the low 40s and had an afternoon during which we caught walleye over 22 inches for 3 hours straight. I made the "century club" by catching 4 walleyes totaling over 100 inches in the same day. We can't wait to return next year!

Keeping it Reel This was our second time at Aikens Lake…read moreWilderness Lodge. It's the place to go for great fishing, professional, yet warm, fun and friendly outstanding staff and delish food! It's all you'll need for your fishing adventure! Our guide was knowledgeable, professional, kind and patient. His shore lunches were superb! Many thanks to Pat, Pit and the whole crew who made our stay remarkable. I can't say it enough times, all the staff at Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge are exceptional!

Best park I have been in north of the USA. This is a beautiful place with nice ambience from the…read morestaff to the wildlife and views. Lakes to swim in with showers and beaches to be lazy on. Lots of space everywhere. Really a nice change for US parks. This park seems very lightly used and I appreciate they follow the leave no trace guidance. There are places to camp, get fresh ice cream, do laundry and get a hot shower.

So since it's been two years and I've been back twice two this lovely campground it's definitely…read moretime for an update. Last year I was so pregnant and this year I was there with the kiddo! One thing you know for sure, I got to be intimately familiar with the services. We took advantage of the awesome and gorgeously designed and sustainable comfort station. It's a lot of concrete, clean lines, and natural light. Lovely. We unfortunately couldn't find a family shower or wheelchair accessible shower in the main comfort station so we all had to pile in to do the kids bath but it was spacious and alright! We did laundry and explored the take a book leave a book library and had so much fun. The actual campsites are pretty big and open, it's the prairies after all, but there are also lovely trees here. And tons of cute prairie dogs. And also tons of poison ivy so watch out!

If you're a nature lover, Kildonan Park is a great place to be at. It's the most beauuutiful…read moresuburban park I've been to by the Red River that has many things to see and do. This park has it ALL...historic trees, trails, gardens/lawns, picnic tables, barbecue pits, public art, duck pond, swimming pool, play area, boat dock, restaurant, main attractions like Hansel & Gretel's Witch Hut and outdoor theatre, Rainbow Stage just to name some. I can't say enough about this park. Highly recommended!

Large, expansive park with a popular outdoor pool with a waterslide for the summer months…read more Rainbow Stage and Prairie's Edge restaurant are both located inside the park. Lots of different covered areas for picnics and even the famous Witches Hut for your little ones to explore. Kildonan Park is a favourite hiding spot for the Winnipeg Rocks community just so you know to keep an eye out for their painted little beauties!

Absolutely amazing Fishing. It is the full treatment I go every year well worth the time and effort…read moreto get there. If you take one fishing trip a year this is it.

Great fishing vacation. The boats are new the engines also new. The guides are very knowledgeable…read morewhere to find the fish. My father has been here before and my first visit, everything was perfect. The cabins are clean with a deck. The food was great. My father is 88 and everyone made sure that he was comfortable getting on/off the boat and around the property. Greg the owner even had a golf cart readily available for our use.

This place was fun! We only did the 2nd fastest Go-Karts and the batting cages but it was a blast…read more Reasonably priced and everything seemed clean and organized. Every staff member we talked to was niceand very helpful. If you're looking for something to do in Winnipeg, give this place a try.

Instructors are very knowledgeable, encouraging, and friendly. Class is a great experience, with…read morelots of activity, and detailed instruction. Highly recommended.

I love the pool here. It's nice to go to an outdoor pool in a park that is more than ankle deep!…read moreEveryone can enjoy a good swim here and the splash pad is nice, though it's in some shade so it can get cold. The park itself is so beautiful, so walking around all day then cooling off would be aces!

Can anyone remember if there are lockers to secure valuables there? Some of the outdoor pools…read moredon't have anything lockable. As this is the best outdoor pool in Winnipeg I was hoping for some sanity. But this is Winnipeg....

There was a power outage so the nice desk person let us in for free. The trails are easy to do and…read morenice for my girlfriend to try out. The boardwalks were good for the most part but others were flooded in due to the high rainfall. There is a nature center with praire dogs and burrowing owls which was cool. There are a couple of teepees as well as other historical sites. At the very end, we walked towards the otherside away from the gift shop to see the free range bison. It was a nice day and couldn't ask for anything better. Also, there is a cafe at the front desk near the gift shop. We brought in our own sandwiches and drinks but you can always get something if they don't have a power outage (j/k).

Lovely place during all seasons! Lots of activities and always changing. The restaurant is good…read moretoo. Snowshoeing in the winter to finding birds in the summer.