Ontario Fishing

Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering fish for food, which now has also become a sport. Ontario fishing is quite majestic and Ontario’s waters have a lot to offer.


Where to Fish in Ontario
Ontario has four incredible regions to explore. Each offers unique fishing experiences ranging from fly-in and drive-in trips to day and charter adventures. Fish for trophy muskie, monster northern pike, record class brook trout, and more.

Northwestern Ontario

Northwestern Ontario is well known for trophy muskie, but walleye, lake trout, northern pike, and bass also thrive in the pristine waters of the Northwest. This region, north of Lake Superior, encompasses ancient waterways, lush boreal forest, waterfalls, and sheer granite cliffs. You'll discover a multitude of world class fishing hotspots. Some are accessed easily by road; others require fly-ins or portages. Quetico Provincial Park and the Albany River system are legendary wilderness Ontario fishing destinations, known for a variety of fish, from brook trout to walleye. Fish the big water of Lake Superior for amazing lake trout, steelhead, and salmon. And if river fishing is more to your liking, the picturesque tributaries between Marathon and Thunder Bay hold wild brook trout in their headwaters and migratory salmon and trout in lower reaches and at rivermouths.

Northeastern Ontario

Northeastern Ontario, with its countless lakes and rivers, is a great place to start. With boundaries that extend north to the James Bay lowlands and south to the popular waters of Georgian Bay and Manitoulin Island, there's a lifetime of new waters for the adventurous angler for fishing in Ontario. Inland from Parry Sound, Rainbow Country offers amazing fishing opportunities. Troll for a wide variety of cold- and warm-water game fish, including massive muskie and yard long northern pike.

In Algonquin Provincial Park, there's plenty of brook and lake trout, as well as remarkable smallmouth bass fishing. And it's only matched by the serene charm of canoe routes connecting those wilderness waters. There are exceptional fly-fishing opportunities too. If you long to explore isolated and unspoiled habitat, here's a place where you'll find it.

North Central Ontario

North Central Ontario is Ontario's year-round playground for anglers, a premier vacation destination offering a variety of sparkling lakes and rivers. Its boundaries extend north to the spectacular coastal beauty of the James and Hudson Bay lowlands and south to the rugged Lake Superior shoreline of Algoma Country. From cottage country to unsullied wilderness, this region has it all! In Algoma Country's multitude of inland waters, walleye, northern pike, bass, panfish, and several trout species supply angling memories that are sure to last a lifetime.

The fly-in fishing in this region is legendary. In the Hudson Bay lowlands, the third largest wetland in the world, fish the famous Sutton River for large brook trout. Or fly-in to a remote outpost on the Albany, one of many coastal headwater rivers where a great Ontario fishing adventure awaits.

Southern Ontario

Southern Ontario is a great destination for anglers, offering a variety of exceptional and scenic waterways, including Lake Huron, Georgian Bay, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. Away from the big waters, many pastoral rivers draw anglers to great fishing. The Grand, the Niagara, the Ausable, the Maitland, and the Saugeen are just a few that offer surprisingly diverse fisheries. Bass, walleye, rainbow trout, salmon, panfish, catfish, and carp are all available in the lower reaches, while brook and brown trout inhabit headwaters.

In Halliburton’s deep, clear lakes, troll for lake trout, brook trout, smallmouth bass, and whitefish. Or fish for muskie and walleye and largemouth bass in other waters just minutes away. Don't forget to bring a canoe because there's plenty to explore.

Lake Simcoe, part of the Trent-Severn Waterway, has a fine fishery that includes lake trout, northern pike, bass, crappie, jumbo perch, and whitefish, Atherley Narrows, which connects Lake Couchiching to Lake Simcoe, has some of the province's finest spring perch and crappie fishing, but northern pike and bass are what this area is best known for in other seasons.