Ontario offers amazing fishing experiences for anglers of all skill levels. That said, if you’re an expert angler planning your next fishing trip, look no further than Ontario, Canada. This province alone offers a wide range of options. Options in trophy fish and numerous options in fishing lodges.
Canada has aggressively protected its fisheries, keeping the diverse fish populations healthy and well-managed. This means that you can have non-stop reel action in a stunningly beautiful location.
Ontario boasts around 158 unique species of fish, many of them trophy worthy. Plus, it has over 200,000 lakes to choose from, not to mention other bodies of water. With all these angling opportunities, how does one narrow down which Ontario fishing trip they want?
What do expert anglers look for in a fishing excursion?
Expert anglers may be looking for the opportunity to specialize in a particular species of fish. Or, they may be looking to vary their experience and challenge themselves with new fish. These fishermen and women know what they want to go after, what sort of fishing lodge they want, and all the trappings around their perfect Ontario fishing trip.
Are there different fish in different locations in Ontario? Or do you largely find the same fish all over?
The answer to this depends on the fish you are targeting. Some fish are localized. Common trophy fish that you will find in most of the lakes in Ontario are walleye, lake trout, northern pike, muskie, and large and smallmouth bass. You’ll also find plenty of panfish and other species.
Something nifty about Ontario is that you don’t have to guess where to go for the fish you want.
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) has a tool for serious anglers called Fish ON-Line (https://www.gisapplication.lrc.gov.on.ca/FishONLine/Index.html?site=FishONLine&viewer=FishONLine&locale=en-US). You can search by water body, fish species, GPS coordinates, etc.
For example, we just did a search for Lake Savant (our home base) and were able to pull up a list of fish available in that lake (see image above). You can use this tool to help narrow down your choices by the fish you want to target.
Top 10 Ontario Fishing Trip Experiences (by Fish)
Rather than give you an incomplete or arbitrary list of fishing lodges to choose from, here’s a list of the Top 10 Fishing Trip Experiences that you can have in Ontario, Canada.
10. Fish for “Alternative Species”: You can choose to go after the less commonly sought-after fish and prove your mettle at catching carp, brown trout, catfish, freshwater drum, rainbow trout, sturgeon, and whitefish, etc.
9. Fish for Salmon in the Great Lakes: Salmon is always a great catch and the Great Lakes offer plenty of sport if it’s the catch you want. You’ll find Chinook, Coho, Pinks, Kokanee (Sockeye), and two strains of Atlantic salmon.
8. Panfish are not just for novices: Ontario waters offer plenty of panfish, including yellow perch, black crappies, bluegill, pumpkinseeds, rock bass, and more. So, if you’re an expert fishing with novices, this might be a fishing experience that can satisfy you all. Plus, they’re good eating.
7. Brook Trout: These can be found in big rivers, lakes, and ponds throughout Ontario. They love live bait. The record size was 14.50 lbs and 31.5 inches long.
6. Lake Trout: These are also found in waterbodies throughout the province. They can get quite large, the record caught was 63.12 lbs and 51.5 inches long.
5. Smallmouth Bass: Bass is probably the most popular game fish in all of North America. Ontario grows them big. The record for smallmouth was 9.84 lbs and 24 inches long.
4. Largemouth Bass: These run about a pound larger than the smallmouth bass. The record largemouth bass was reported as 10.43 lbs and 22 inches.
3. Muskellunge (Muskie): This fish is fun. It’s big. It’s a cunning and fierce predator. It’s relatively easy to catch the smaller fare. The challenge comes when you’re trying to catch “the big one”. It’s rare, but some can grow to be nearly 70 lbs. The official recorded catch was 65 lbs and 58 inches. The size of a small child!
2. Northern Pike: This is a ferocious ambush predator and will pretty much eat anything in the water. They’ll even go after large fish like walleye or largemouth bass. Thus, they are a formidable catch to reel in. The record holds at 42.12 lbs and anything larger than 20 lbs is considered a trophy fish.
1. Walleye: Speaking of large fish, catching the record walleye means you caught one greater than 22.25 lbs and 36.5 inches. But the challenge here really lies in finding them and getting the walleye to bite. They are notoriously elusive.
Here’s to your next Ontario fishing trip!
Wildewood on Lake Savant is a fishing adventure resort located in remote wilderness of Ontario, Canada. Andy Kerecman manages their blog (https://wildewoodonlakesavant.com/about-resort/blog/) that celebrates the pristine landscape around the lake and the amazing trophy fishing that can be had.