The Fish Species of Northern Ontario

Ontario's north holds a rare mix of cool-water and cold-water species side by side. No other drive-to destination in North America offers walleye, muskie, and wild brook trout in the same week.

Walleye

The number-one target, found nearly everywhere in the north. Superb eating, willing biters, and present in numbers that surprise first-time visitors. Jigs and minnows, bottom bouncers, and slow trolling all work.

Northern Pike

Aggressive, common, and huge in the far north — 50-inch fish exist in shallow lakes near James Bay. Pike hit spoons, big spinners, and anything that flashes.

Smallmouth Bass

Hard-fighting bronze fish in rocky lakes and rivers, strongest in Sunset Country and Algoma. Topwater smallmouth fishing on a calm evening is addictive.

Muskie

The fish of ten thousand casts. Northwest Ontario is the best muskie water in the world, with true giants in Eagle Lake and Lake of the Woods.

Lake Trout

Deep, cold, clear lakes across the Shield hold lake trout that live for decades. They come shallow at ice-out and through the ice in winter, then go deep all summer.

Brook Trout

The jewel of the north. Cold rivers and spring-fed lakes hold wild brook trout, and the 14.5-pound world record came from the Nipigon River in 1915. Algoma and Superior Country are the heartland.

The Supporting Cast

Yellow perch and black crappie fill fry pans. Whitefish bite through the ice. Rainbow trout, steelhead, and salmon run the Great Lakes tributaries. There is no wrong season and no empty water.