Whether you’re new to fishing or a seasoned pro, finding the best spots to fish is imperative to having a great experience! With endless options at your fingertips, it can be difficult to choose the best spot. We’ve dumbed things down and selected the top 10 places to fish in Ontario all year round so you don’t have to!
1) Winnipeg River
When: Summer
Type of fish: Smallmouth bass
Highlights:
Sitting at the border of Manitoba and Ontario, the Winnipeg River runs 235km through the country. You can fish on nearly every section of the river and it’s recognized for the amount of smallmouth bass it’s home to!
2) Lake Scugog
When: Winter
Type of fish: Muskie, smallmouth & largemouth bass, catfish & black crappie
Highlights:
This man made lake is just a hop, skip and jump away from Toronto, making it a great spot for those who aren’t looking to venture too far from the city! It’s an especially busy spot for ice fishing but don’t fear, as there are plenty of fish to go around. It’s weedy environment is the perfect place for fish to call home.
3) Lake Simcoe
When: Year round – although Lake Simcoe is known for its ice fishing
Type of fish: Lake trout, whitefish, smallmouth & largemouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike & variety of panfish
Highlights:
Lake Simcoe has a reputation for being the ‘most intensively fished’ lake, due to the excellent winter fishing conditions. As the 6th largest inlet lake in Ontario, there is a considerable array of fish to choose from!
4) South Georgian Bay
When: Spring, summer, fall & winter
Type of fish: Spring = trout, summer = smallmouth bass, salmon and northern pike, fall = salmon
Highlights:
With many rivers and streams, come a wide range of fishing landscapes to choose from! South Georgian Bay is a great spot to fish in Ontario because you can fish year round and plan your fishing trip based on the type of angler you are and your favourite species to catch.
5) Rondeau Bay
When: Year round
Type of fish: Largemouth bass, sunfish, crappie, catfish, & pike
Highlights:
With vast mats of weed growth, the Rondeau Bay has slowly but surely become a wonderful environment for fish, therefore making it a spectacular spot for any angler! Rondeau Bay is also world renowned for copious white an black crappie fish throughout the spring. They’re a fun catch and delicious, drawing more people to the bay!
6) St. Lawrence River
When: Year round
Type of fish: Northern pike, walleye, smallmouth & largemouth bass, muskies, carp, yellow perch & bullheads
Highlights:
It’s not uncommon to stumble upon over 10lb northern pike while fishing at the St. Lawrence River. This spot is unique in that it offers outstanding scenery with the 1000 islands situated along the river! The St. Lawrence forms a border between New York State and Ontario, making it a hotspot for American Anglers. Depending on the type of fish you’re after, this river is an exceptional place to fish in Ontario throughout all seasons!
7) Lake Nipissing
When:Winter
Type of fish: Walleye, pickerel, bass, northern pike & muskie
Highlights:
Although fishing conditions on Lake Nipissing are great year round, winter is the prime time to visit. As the ice fishing capital of the North with 2,000 huts on the lake, we can see why Canadians make their way to this lake throughout our long winters!
8) Balsam Lake
When: Summer
Type of fish: Largemouth bass, walleye, muskie & pike
Highlights:
Balsam Lake offers another wonderful spot to fish in Ontario! With several options and various fish to go after, it makes for an awesome summer fishing trip.
9) Maitland River, Goderich
When: Summer and fall
Type of fish: Steelhead, Rainbow trout & bass
Highlights:
The Maitland River offers 150km of water for fishing with many islands that are easily accessible for fly anglers! If you’re looking for a more secluded area to fish, some of these islands are lesser known and hidden. This makes for a great spot to fish in Ontario, especially if you’re up for an adventure!
10) Quetico Provincial Park
When: Summer – It’s best early summer but you’ll have no trouble finding fish to catch throughout the duration of Ontario’s warmer months!
Type of fish: Lake trout, northern pike, walleye & smallmouth bass
Highlights:
Being a Provincial Park, Quetico makes for a great spot to set up camp and fry your fresh fish over a fire. With 2943 lakes within the park itself, if you aren’t happy with one you can simply move on to another! Although, we doubt that would be the case considering you could catch trout, northern pike, walleye and smallmouth bass at the same lake within the same day!
What next?
With the top 10 places to fish in Ontario at your fingertips, all you need to do is choose your perfect spot! LandPass is an app that unlocks exclusive land for hunters and anglers to provide you with an unmatched outdoor experience. We’re launching soon in Ontario. Learn more about our services here!
