Top 10 Fishing Spots in Ontario
Ontario is a province defined by water. With over 250,000 lakes and hundreds of navigable rivers covering roughly 17 percent of the province's total area, the sheer volume of freshwater habitat would be staggering even without considering the quality of the fish it holds. And the quality is extraordinary. Ontario walleye, muskellunge, northern pike, lake trout, brook trout, and smallmouth bass rank among the finest sport fisheries in North America, and the scale of the water means that even heavily fished zones near population centres still produce fish that anglers in Europe or the American South can only dream of. Fly into a remote lodge near Red Lake or take the Trans-Canada Highway north of Sault Ste. Marie, and you begin to understand what true wilderness fishing looks like.
Lake Simcoe Walleye
Lake Simcoe, the large lake northeast of Toronto between Georgian Bay and Lake Ontario, is Ontario's most heavily pressured fishery and still manages to produce outstanding walleye. The lake covers approximately 73,000 ha and holds strong populations of walleye, lake trout, rainbow trout, and lake whitefish. Walleye fishing is best in late ice-out conditions — late April and early May — when fish concentrate on shoals and points in the 3–6 m depth range. The evening feeding window, roughly 30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after, is when the largest fish come shallow. Jigs tipped with shiners or minnow-type soft plastics over hard-bottom transitions are the standard approach. Ice fishing on Simcoe for lake trout in January and February is also a major winter tradition.
The St Lawrence River — Muskellunge
The International section of the St Lawrence River between Kingston and the Ontario-Quebec border is widely regarded as one of the premier muskellunge fisheries in the world. The 1000 Islands region — where the river braids through a granite archipelago of 1,864 islands — provides the complex weedy and rocky structural habitat that muskellunge require. Fish average 90–105 cm; specimens above 120 cm are caught every season, and the river has produced certified fish above 130 cm and 25 kg. Large bucktails, soft-plastic swimbaits in the 25–30 cm range, and glide baits on figure-eight presentations at boat-side account for the majority of fish. The prime season runs from late June through October.
Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods, straddling the Ontario-Manitoba border and extending into Minnesota, is a massive inland sea of nearly 400,000 ha. It holds some of the finest walleye fishing in Canada, with fish averaging 40–50 cm and 1–2 kg, and trophy fish above 5 kg possible in areas like Sabaskong Bay and Big Traverse Bay. Northern pike up to 100 cm are common in the weed-lined bays. The lake's enormous size means that discovering productive water requires either local knowledge or investment in a guided trip. The town of Kenora on the Ontario side is the gateway; numerous lodges and charter services operate here, offering access to remote bays rarely visited by other anglers.
The Wabigoon Lake System
Northwest of Thunder Bay and accessible via the Trans-Canada Highway through Dryden, the Wabigoon Lake system — comprising Wabigoon Lake, Eagle Lake, and a series of interconnected bays and rivers — is one of Ontario's finest trophy northern pike destinations. Pike exceeding 100 cm (the informal 40-inch benchmark) are caught with regularity; fish above 115 cm are genuine possibilities for visiting anglers who fish the right locations in May and June. Large in-line spinners, Pike-sized jerkbaits in perch or sucker patterns, and live or dead bait on sliding rigs account for the largest fish. The area around the outflows of Wabigoon River into Eagle Lake concentrates fish in late spring.
Georgian Bay — Smallmouth Bass
Georgian Bay, the large bay of Lake Huron that lies east of the Bruce Peninsula, is considered by many to be the finest smallmouth bass fishery in Ontario and possibly in North America. The eastern shore in particular — a labyrinth of granite islands, submerged boulders, and clear, cold water with excellent clarity — provides ideal smallmouth habitat. Fish averaging 35–45 cm are common; bass over 50 cm and 2.5 kg are taken regularly. The zone around Parry Sound, the Thirty Thousand Islands, and the area north to Britt all produce excellent fishing. Tube jigs, small crayfish imitations, and soft-plastic stick baits on drop-shot rigs are the dominant techniques. The season runs from the late-May opener through October.
Nipigon River and Lake Nipigon
The Nipigon River, draining Lake Nipigon north of Lake Superior, is historically significant as the location of the world-record brook trout: a fish of 6.57 kg caught by J.W. Cook in 1915. While trout of that size are no longer realistic expectations, the Nipigon River still holds some of the largest wild brook trout in Ontario, with fish in the 1.5–2.5 kg range taken regularly. The river is restricted to fly fishing only in its most productive sections near the town of Nipigon. Lake Nipigon itself, at 4,848 km², is one of the largest lakes in Ontario and offers exceptional lake trout, walleye, and northern pike fishing from a handful of remote fly-in lodges.
Quetico Provincial Park — Remote Wilderness Canoe Fishing
Quetico Provincial Park, adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota, is 4,700 km² of pure Canadian Shield wilderness accessible only by canoe. The lakes within the park — including Jean, Batchewaung, Kasakokwog, and Cache Lake — hold walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, and lake trout that have experienced relatively little fishing pressure in their lifetimes. Canoe camping trips of 5–10 days into the interior of Quetico represent one of the finest wilderness fishing experiences available anywhere. Self-sufficiency is essential; motorboats are not permitted. Walleye in the 1.5–3 kg range are common table-fish, while pike exceeding 90 cm are realistic targets in the shallow bays.
The French River
The French River system, flowing westward from Lake Nipissing to Georgian Bay, was a major Indigenous travel route for millennia and remains one of Ontario's most famous fishing destinations. The lower French, between the provincial park's eastern boundary and the bay, produces large smallmouth bass and walleye in a dramatic setting of granite falls, pools, and channels. The upper system above Lake Nipissing holds muskellunge, northern pike, and walleye. Evening topwater fishing on the smooth-water pools of the lower French — when large smallmouth explode on surface lures as dusk falls — is a classic Ontario summer experience. Several outfitters operate on the river offering guided trips and houseboats.
Lake Erie — Walleye Capital
Though most of Lake Erie lies in the United States, Ontario's north shore between Port Stanley and Port Colborne produces some of the finest walleye fishing in the Great Lakes. Ontario walleye limits and slot restrictions apply on the Canadian side. The spring walleye run — when fish move into the shallow nearshore zone from March through May — brings some of the densest walleye concentrations anywhere in North America. The Long Point area, the waters off Port Dover, and the eastern basin near Port Colborne all hold exceptional walleye. Drifting with spinner rigs and worm harnesses at 4–8 m depth is the classic technique. Perch fishing is also exceptional, with jumbo yellow perch in the 250–350 g range taken from piers and boats throughout summer.
Explore on the map
Ontario's fishing landscape is almost too vast to comprehend from a map, but having a geographic reference is still enormously helpful when planning a trip across the province's remarkable range of lakes and rivers. Browse the full network on the map and explore Ontario on the map to find the right destination — whether it is a drive-to walleye lake two hours north of Toronto or a fly-in pike camp on a remote Northwestern Ontario river system.