5 Best Fishing Spots In Ontario

Ontario is the second largest province in Canada and is home to 400,000 lakes, rivers and streams that altogether hold a staggering 15 percent of the world’s freshwater. When you come to Ontario to fish you can be sure that you will have not only the opportunity for some of the best freshwater fishing in the world, but also the chance to catch a variety of trophy fish, including brook trout, lake trout, muskie, northern pike, salmon, bass and walleye.

Lake Of The Woods

Lake of the Woods is a popular destination for anglers who target walleye, Ontario’s most popular gamefish. The Ontario walleye record is 22.25 pounds, though they average between 1.5 and three pounds. Don’t be surprised if you find walleye in the Lake of the Woods that are over 10 pounds, as this is the place you want to be for trophy fish. The Lake of the Woods spans 70 miles and has more than 14,000 islands. It contains many other game species apart from walleye, including northern pike, perch, crappie, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, trout, sturgeon and even muskie, giving any angler plenty of opportunity to switch it up and target something different.

Lake Ontario

Ontario offers some of the best salmon fishing in Canada outside of British Columbia. Lake Ontario is the easternmost and smallest of the Great Lakes. It is home to the current Ontario record for chinook salmon at 46.38 pounds and coho salmon at 28.64 pounds. Bordering many different cities in southern Ontario, this lake is a great destination for any angler looking for a trophy fish and a great vacation. There are many different salmon charters available all around the lake and many anglers have gone home with fantastic stories of once-in-a-lifetime type catches. On the northern shore of Lake Ontario, just west of the Saint Lawrence River is the Bay of Quinte. The Bay of Quinte is known by anglers in the area and abroad as one of the best places in North America to fish for trophy walleye. Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte together are considered by many to be an angler’s paradise.

Lake Nipigon

Lake Nipigon is often referred to as the sixth Great Lake, spreading out to a massive total area of 1,872 square miles. Red Rock, located 120 miles northeast of Thunder Bay on the Nipigon River, currently holds the world record for brook trout at a stunning 14.5 pounds. Brook and lake trout are most active in the spring and fall. In Ontario you can expect to find, on average, brook trout between one and three pounds and lake trout between two and 10 pounds. This lake boasts a variety of other fish species including walleye, pike and whitefish.

Lake St. Clair

On the border of Michigan and Ontario is Lake St. Clair, one of the hottest muskie spots in North America, let alone Ontario. Muskies are the largest member of the pike family and are considered to be fantastic sportfish that average between 10 and 30 pounds. Where Lake St. Clair really shines is the sheer amount of quality muskies you can catch on any given trip. It’s unlike any other fishery in that way. If you’re a smallmouth bass angler, this lake ranks right up there with Lake Erie and Lake Simcoe as being the best of the province.

Lake Simcoe

Lake Simcoe is the fourth largest lake that exists entirely in Ontario. It’s fished year round and is famous for ice fishing, its incredible population of lake trout, perch, and whitefish, and having some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in all of Ontario. Some of the highest levels of bass tournaments in Canada are held on this lake and it’s easy to see why: catching a trophy bass that’s six pounds or greater is not too uncommon. On the south side of the lake is Cook’s bay, a popular hotspot for anglers as its shallows are rich with weed growth and bulrushes, perfect for both bass and pike. Spring and summer bring anglers from all around in search of jumbo perch. These fish are commonly targeted through the ice from mid-January to mid March as well. In winter, ice huts are set up all around the lake for people to rent.