Bowhey's West Nipissing Resort Marina & Cafe

This is the resort to go to for a great cottage getaway. Great staff and great fun. The boats are well taken care of as well as the land. Ian is a great resort host and really cares for the customers. I would give Bowey's 10 stars if I could. Will definitely come back!

Don't waste your time here! This guy is rude! Watches u like hawk! No privacy or freedom here.

Stayed the weekend on the yatch. Had a great time and the owner operator was super nice. Beautiful pool to enjoy a nice swim after a day of canoeing or hiking.

Absolutely amazing week at Bowhey's.
Ian is attentive and goes above and beyond. He keeps the resort incredibly clean. The pool was awesome. Great marina. The cottage was equipped with everything we needed. Wrap shack was a complete hit for lunch and dinner when we didn't feel like cooking. Already booked for next year. Thanks for a week of fun Ian, see you next year for more karaoke
-The Clements Family

Unfortunately we were thoroughly disappointed in our time there. Owner seemed completely uninterested in our concerns and became quickly agitated and aggressive when we approached him with it issues The cottage had not been checked for cleanliness prior to our arrival and the pontoon boat was not properly equipped or working safely. We eventually relocated to a different campground in the same area and were able to enjoy the rest of our vacation time. The only positive thing we can comment on was the view from our cottage #5. As usual, Lake Nipissing has a beautiful sunrise and sunset.

Spent a weekend here for fishing trip with a couple guys. They advertise that they offer fishing boats provided with GPS, trolling motor ect. Both boats we rented didn’t have GPS and both of the trolling motors were broken. The first boat was full of gas but our second boat was empty after 45 mins of use and almost caused us to become stranded out in the lake. They also failed to provide proper life jackets and there were no oars provided with the boat. The cabins were dirtier when we arrived than when we left. Ian (the owner) failed to check in with us once through out our stay. No disinfectant to be seen either. You’d think in a pandemic you’d offer some at least provide some sense of concern for your guests safety. Would not recommend staying here. There are plenty of other fantastic resorts to stay at. Don’t waste your money here.

I’m not one to write negative reviews, but I feel with our experience here, it’s more than warranted.

I had gone back and forth for several days with Ian to book the private lake retreat for 2 nights. I was waiting to get the go ahead for my husband to have the Friday off before confirming, which I told Ian. Once we had confirmation, I emailed Ian to tell him we were good to reserve Friday through Sunday and asked him to send our next steps. His response was “kk”. We had somewhat discussed the deposit process prior so I called him that day to be able to provide my credit card. When I called him I said who I was and my reason for calling, he told me he was checking in some customers and would need to call me back. I never received a call from him so I called again the following day (two days before we were booked to check-in) with no response and left a message telling him that I hadn’t given the deposit yet and for him to call me so I could, or if there were any problems. I also mentioned that if there were no problems, or if he wants me to pay the deposit when I get there, that we would see him Friday. He was well aware of the distance for us, as I had mentioned it in a previous email. Because I never heard from him, and with it being Canada Day, to me that meant everything was okay.

However, you can imagine our frustration and upset after driving 5hrs with our large dogs in the back, to be told by Ian that he was “confused” by who I was, followed by that he had booked the cottage to someone else. He then tried to blame my not giving him a deposit for why he did not hold it for us. Claiming that “he never holds anything without a deposit”. I guess he wasn’t that confused on who I was after all. I explained to him that I tried to give the deposit, but that he never called me back. He then insisted that he called me and left a message. I did not have any voicemails, nor missed calls from him. I think you’ll agree that paying a $500 deposit is well worth not having to drive 10 hours in 1 day, and with my two attempts to pay it, that clearly wasn’t the problem, but common sense isn’t as common as you’d think.

Ian tried to find us a room at a resort across the lake, which was appreciated in the moment, but when you’re expecting a secluded cottage with its own dock, a packed trailer park/cabins does not suffice.

We were very sad at the outcome, given the drive, and the anticipation to stay there which could have potentially lead to many more stays in the future. But it seems that Ian had already reserved the cottage for someone else when I tried to pay the deposit, and instead of coming clean on that, he allowed us to drive all the way there to find out. And instead of owning up to his mistake, or maybe a lack of being organized (which would have been better received), he tried to blame it on us.

My mistake in all of this (because we all make them) was not trusting my gut on the lack of paperwork, professionalism I received while trying to reserve the cottage, and for expecting a stranger to respect our time and money.

1000 % would recommend. Such a awesome experience renting the yacht. Ian Bowhey and the staff are amazing and great people to know. If you are not from the area, it is definitely worth the drive.
Great fishing, 5 stars. Can't wait to return again.

Family Friendly? I think not, if you wanna go away to a place that's private stress free/ worry free where you can relax and have fun this Is definitely not the place you're wanting to go to, the owner Ian is very unpleasant and rude beyond measure, he's RACIST and always watching, very unprofessional and drinking on the job, partying with the visitors thinking he's cool and funny, the firewood barely burns its so wet. I could go on but it's not worth my time just like the owner

Great experience/ Good Staff. Although not too strict on returning rental boats on 10/15 mints late but be mindful of time, time flies sooner than usual when on Boat

Took both my boys for 3 nights to fish the lake and both got a pike on the 1st day out. The yacht we stayed on was clean and comfortable and Ian the owner made sure we got the best advice on where to fish successfully. Enjoyed the pool daily and the company of the other guest's.highly recommend a stay here if you want to relax and get in some good fishing!

A beautiful resort to visit. First the positives. The landscaping, pool, and scenery was five star. Built on top of the Canadian Shield, you will be blown away by the views. The snack cafe offered delicious treats on the weekend. The owner was hard working and clearly proud of his establishment. Some
improvements could be made to the rustic cabins themselves. The mattresses were quite dated and not comfortable at all. If we were there for a weekend, it would not have been a big issue but a full week made sleep very uncomfortable. We drove to town to purchase mattress pads, an expense we would not have had to add if the mattresses were better. I would also recommend a few details be addressed, like fresh bath mats and an inventory of kitchen utensils to ensure there is a decent knIfe and flippers to flip eggs etc. Those small but important things would have made the guest experience so much better. All in all, we enjoyed our stay.

Boat rentals are very fairly priced! Boats are in very good condition. Rented a 16.5' prince craft with 40hrs 4stroke and bow mounted trolling motor, all equipment was in very good working condition! Very fair as well, one the seats broke when I was leaning back sitting and he didn't charge me, "the seats should be able to take a leaning on, I can't charge you for that. " Very honest and very good service, I will be back!

First of all, great hosts and the eating joint that have.
And the list continues.
Cottages were very clean and well equipped!
The location of cottages is so beautiful that you won't believe your eyes when you'll wake up in the morning.it's breathtaking.
So many activities like kayaking, canoeing and others.
There was a spot right in front of our cottage for bonfires.
Definitely stay for atleast 2-3 days to absorb the natural beauty and freshness in th air.

Thank-you Ian, Lil and family!
We really enjoyed our stay! We stayed here and now wish we could live here!
Thanks for being great hosts!

We stayed here for a week and had a great time. Lil and Ian are super nice and there kids are great to. Cabin was great and the fishing and pool were awesome. Had the Carmel apple cheesecake wrap and it was delish, other great varieties of wraps at the wrap shak. Would definitely recommend this place for fishermen and family's.

Best place for your kids and family they have boats kayaks canoes and also swimming pool and beach for the kids, if your looking for a good fishing experience this is one of the best place to go.the owner is a very nice guy aswell as the family.thanks Mrs Bowhey!

Believe in fate? We were scheduled to go to another camp further north but due to forest fires and travel restrictions were unable to go. A search on the web brought us to Bowheys and thanks to a vacant cottage we were able to come.
We have stayed in numerous cottage resorts over the years but hands down, Ian and Lil along with Amber and Kyle were the best hosts ever. So accommodating and friendly,
The cottage was extremely clean, beds comfortable, everything worked well. Pool was clean. Grounds were well kept and Zeus the cat, gorgeous and friendly. Food at the wrap shack was mouthwatering, we sampled both the breakfast and ice cream wraps. We have totally changed our future summer plans to include Bowheys every year. Thanks Lil and Ian. Let us return the favour should you ever be down Windsor way. We have officially adopted you into the family!

Stayed here last year with my family. Amazing views, the owners were nice, the cabin was what you would expect a cabin to be when you’re camping. The owners always made sure the pool was well maintained to swim in and the price was more than reasonable for all the amenities included. There was always a paddle boat, canoe or kayak available when we wanted to use them. Just make sure you bring your own water.the tap water had a little bit of a brown tinge to it. But us city slickers never drink tap water anyway ;) I’m looking forward to going back sometime, my heart is missing those views.

My brother and I have been going here for the past 4 years soon to be our 5th. For us we wanted to be able to go to a place out of the city for great fishing.

Booking was super easy and the cost was more than resonable.

The cottages are great for a northern retreat especially when you dont need to bring your own cookware big bonus in my books

The boat rental was perfect for a day on the water and with the resort having there own gas pumps makes it evem better

The fishing is hands down some of the best we have had in a long time even with some of the insane heat we have had over the years.

And i cant forget to mention Ian L, Lill and there family they are some of the greatest people. Always checking to make sure things are great, giving some pointers on where to fish what more could you ask for in hosts truly awesome people and are always looking for ways to make the resort and experiance better