Plot

After her mother's death, 12-year-old Juliana tries to save her family's Lake of the Woods fishing lodge by catching a world record Musky, an ancient medicine fish with a spirit-essence, or risking her home.

After her mother's sudden death, 12-year-old Juliana (Emma Tremblay) is forced to repair an awkward relationship with her father as well as deal with the impending bankruptcy of the family business: a fishing lodge on majestic Lake of the Woods. In a last-ditch attempt to save the lodge, Dad (Adam Beach) organizes a high-stakes fishing derby. Juliana is powerless to help until she finds a world record Musky lurking in the waters around the lodge. Juliana devises a plan to catch the beast and save the family business. When she seeks the counsel of an old Native Ojibway guide, she learns that this particular Musky is an ancient 'medicine fish' with a spirit-essence crucial to the survival of the lake, and all other Muskies. Will she capture the mythic beast and save the lodge? Or will she allow the Musky to live and sacrifice her home? What medicine does this Magical Musky hold?—Producer

Mike and Maggie Reid, of First Nation heritage, own and operate the now struggling Birch Island Lodge, a fishing resort on Lake of the Woods just outside of Kenora, which has long been in Mike's family. Maggie has made the decision to leave Mike, at least in the immediate term, as she is unable to cope with his risky decisions that are partly the reason for the lodge's financial problems; also, he is increasingly turning to drink to deal with life. Maggie plans to leave with their 12-year-old daughter Juliana to live in Winnipeg; Juliana doesn't want to move, the lodge being the only home she's ever know. Then Maggie is assumed to have accidentally drowned in the lake; her body is not found. Now Juliana and Mike must strike a new relationship and fight against losing the lodge. They decide to go ahead with the long planned fishing tournament at the lodge sponsored by fishing technologist Kiro Yamashita. Beyond the tournament specific prizes, the undeniable big lure, as with any Yamashita sponsored event, is what is now the $1 million jackpot for any species catch of a world record nature. In the process, Juliana gets in touch with her indigenous background through long time family friend and neighbor John Smoke, most specifically of the local legend of the medicine fish. While Juliana sees that legend as possibly getting them out of their financial problems, it has unintended consequences of a more personal nature in relation to Maggie. Upon learning of the medicine fish, other want to capitalize on it for their own selfish wants, which might affect what happens with Juliana and Mike.—Huggo