Fishing Destinations - Ontario

Paddling the numerous multi-lake, multi-day Algonquin routes draws canoe trippers from all over the world. The fact that most canoers don't fish much is good news for anglers. Therefore, despite the park's high number of visitors, the fishing remains exceptional. The most sought-after fish to catch are the stunning wild brook trout, especially in the early spring and fall. However, there is also excellent action for lake trout and smallmouth bass. Keep your gear simple and plan a leisurely route that allows you time to fish the interior. You'll be content when you get home.

Fishing enthusiasts must visit Long Point Bay! You can fish practically all year long. Ice fishing, particularly for yellow perch and Northern Pike, kicks off the winter season very early in the new year. You can see for miles the huts that line the bay if the ice stays thick. Spring Pike and perch are plentiful in the middle of March and early April as the ice begins to melt. From May 15 to the end of June, almost half of the Inner Bay becomes a haven for spawning bass in the early summer. The sanctuary is clearly marked, and no form of fishing is allowed there. But the rest of the bay is great for crappie, sunfish, perch, pike, rock bass, and sunfish. The BASS season begins the fourth Saturday in June! In search of smallmouth and largemouth bass, up to 3,000 boats are in the bay. The weed lines and patches that attract these species are what make this area so popular. Large mouth bass are still plentiful for early morning and late night fishing during the hot months of August. Fishing season lasts well past Labor Day weekend in the fall. The fishing for perch and pike in September is incredible!

This large bay on the north shore of Lake Ontario may be the best place on earth to catch a 10- or even 15-pound (4.5-6.8 kilogram) walleye from mid-October to spring. Precision trolling with diving lures is the preferred method in the late fall, and big spoons and lipless crankbaits are the preferred methods during ice fishing season. Additionally, Quinte's north shore is home to a significant population of largemouth bass, which is under-fished.

The Grand is a combination of three rivers that runs approximately 300 kilometers from Grey County's Dufferin Highlands to Lake Erie. Some of the best fly fishing for big brown trout in Eastern Canada can be found in the swift upper sections. The middle section has walleye, smallmouth bass, pike, and migratory steelhead rainbow trout that can only be caught by canoe, kayak, or raft. On a two- to three-hour canoe trip, it is not uncommon to catch 30 to 40 bass in the area between Brantford and Cambridge. These four species, in addition to nearly every other fish you can catch in Ontario, including enormous channel catfish, can be found in the lower section.

The Kawartha region in south-central Ontario is home to four major lakes that are connected by the Trent-Severn Waterway: Pigeon, scugog, sturgeon, and balsam They change to a rocky Canadian Shield landscape in the north, surrounded by rolling farmland in the south. Fishing for both warm- and cold-water fish, such as large and smallmouth bass, walleye, crappies, northern pike, and big muskies, is excellent due to this diverse topography.

Lac Seul, a vast reservoir northwest of Sioux Lookout, is home to astonishing numbers of walleye measuring between 61 and 76 centimeters and 24 and 30 inches. Walleyes can be found in the shallow, stained water of many of the bays that branch off from the main lake basin even during the peak of summer. Smallmouth bass, yellow perch, and northern pike are also abundant. Even bigger muskies are grown at Lac Seul, and they are known to catch walleye jigs, which is a heart-stopping experience. Drive-in, boat-in, and fly-in camps all make Lac Seul well-served despite its remote location.

The classic big-water fishing for powerful lake trout and leaping salmon can be done on Lake Huron, which is a massive and deep Great Lake. Summer fishing is good, but salmon really start biting in the fall. Georgian Bay, on the other hand, is the lake's massive east arm. Around its thousands of rocky islands, you can catch trophy-sized northern pike and smallmouth bass. In addition, Georgian Bay has exceptional shore fishing, which is uncommon in trophy waters. Boat launches, charter services, and lodging options abound in this popular summer vacation spot.

Large Lake Nipigon has world-class lake trout fishing, a rarity in the far north, with fish weighing an average of 20 pounds (9 kilograms) despite having numerous camps and easy road access. Lake trout can even be caught with light tackle in the spring. The shallow bays of the lake are home to 40-inch (more than 100 centimeter) northern pike, making early-season fishing excellent. The brook trout are another species. The world-record brook trout was famously caught on the Nipigon River, which is at the southern end of the lake. From May until the lake ices over, this river is great for fly fishing.

Lake Simcoe, which is just an hour north of Toronto and is surrounded by motels, camps, homes, and cottages, poses a mystery: Why is the fishing still so good despite being so accessible? The smallmouth bass, which eat a diet of round gobies, are big and getting bigger every year. Any cast could bring a record fish. Simcoe becomes one of the most popular ice-fishing destinations in the nation during the winter. There is family-friendly fishing for tasty, easy-to-catch yellow perch, and anglers can catch sleek, powerful lake trout and whitefish in deeper water.

Muskies are referred to as "the fish of 10,000 casts," but not on Lake St. Clair, where, from June to November, a single pleasant day of trolling can yield half a dozen fish weighing 20 or 30 pounds (10 or 14 kilograms). St. Clair often produces more trophy smallmouth than any other Canadian lake, despite being flat, featureless, and shallow, unlike most Ontario bass lakes. The Detroit River, which connects Lake Erie and St. Clair, becomes the center of the world for walleye from mid-April to mid-May as 10 million fish migrate through it to spawn. For a chance to catch a fish of a lifetime, contact Handlebarz Fishing!

Spanning long and broad, Nipissing—the largest lake in Northeastern Ontario—averages just 15 feet in depth. It is renowned for walleye fishing, but today bass fishing is even better, particularly for largemouth. Nipissing's shallow, weedy areas and fallen timber hold an abundance of large bass and northern pike (10 to 15 pounds). Come fall, muskie enthusiasts have a realistic chance at 30 and 40 pound catches. What's more, its proximity to Southern Ontario make it a great getaway with varied lodging options.