The Company Behind Big Cedar Lodge Just Bought a Storied Island Resort — and It's Not in the Mountains

Bass Pro Shops has agreed to acquire Cheeca Lodge & Spa, the famed fishing and sporting resort in Islamorada in the Florida Keys. It will be only the second resort owned by the outdoor-recreation company, and a notable move away from the mountain-and-lake setting of its first.

That first property, Big Cedar Lodge in the Missouri Ozarks, draws about 7.5 million guests a year and sets aside half of its 24,000 acres for conservation through founder Johnny Morris's non-profit foundation. Cheeca is a very different animal: an oceanfront Keys institution with cottages and lodges, three pools, a nine-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed par-3 golf course, a historic fishing pier, waterfront dining and a full-service spa.

Bass Pro says it will keep Cheeca's conservation focus, continuing efforts to protect the fisheries and habitat that make the Keys a bucket-list destination for anglers. "They have been true leaders in conservation," said Nick Wiley, executive director of the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida, pointing to the company's habitat and fisheries work.

The deal is a reminder that resort ownership is coming from unexpected corners. Retailers, sporting brands and experience companies increasingly see destination lodges as an extension of their customer relationships rather than a side business. For a brand built on fishing and the outdoors, a legendary Keys angling resort is close to a perfect fit — and it gives Bass Pro a saltwater counterpart to its freshwater flagship.