Ontario provides anglers some of the best fishing in North America for numbers and quality of fish. There are so many popular areas to visit in Ontario that offer great fishing plus the business services to have an excellent fishing vacation. From the resorts, guides and outfitters throughout Ontario, you have so many options for planning a great fishing trip. Walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, lake trout, perch, crappie and muskie are found throughout Ontario. If you’re looking to target largemouth bass, the better fishing occurs in eastern Ontario. In some places, you will also find other trout too.
Take a look below at the popular regions and destinations to visit for an Ontario fishing vacation.
Lake of the Woods Region
Lake of the Woods is a gigantic lake that has several awesome sections of the lake that serve as their own featured destination. Walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and muskie make this lake popular, but you can also catch crappie, perch and largemouth bass too. Head just north of Kenora and you will find a bunch of other awesome lakes in Minaki, Ontario.
| Kenora |
| Minaki |
| Morson |
| Nestor Falls |
| Sioux Narrows |
Rainy River Region
The Rainy River Region is home to some excellent fishing and you don’t have to go too far across the border to get to these waters. Rainy Lake and the Rainy River are right at the border and they both offer excellent fishing opportunities. The Rainy River is better in the spring and fall, while Rainy Lake is good during the entire fishing season. Atikokan is one of the better smallmouth bass destinations in Ontario and there are a lot of smaller waters here to fish, so you don’t need a fancy boat to catch nice fish here. The Clearwater-Pipestone Chain of Lakes is another awesome fishery in this region.
| Atikokan |
| Clearwater / Pipestone Chain of Lakes |
| Rainy Lake |
| Rainy River |
Patricia Region
The Patricia Region is home to some outstanding fishing for a variety of fish such as walleye, northern pike, muskie, smallmouth bass and more. Lac Seul is one of the most popular drive-to lakes for walleye fishing and the pike fishing is good there too. The Red Lake chain is another great fishery with excellent numbers of walleye and pike. Sioux Lookout can hold its own with any of the other featured destinations in this area. There are many other excellent fishing destinations in this area as well. Take a look below to learn more.
| Dinorwic Lake & Wabigoon Lake | Perrault Falls |
| Eagle Lake | Pickle Lake |
| Ear Falls | Red Lake |
| Ignace | Sioux Lookout |
| Lac Seul | Sturgeon Lake |
| Lake St. Joseph | Vermilion Bay |
Wilderness Ontario
| Highway 17 – Between Ignace and Highway 11 |
| Highway 502 – Between Dryden and Rainy Lake |
| Highway 622 – Between Atikokan and Highway 17 |
Near Detroit
Head towards Detroit if you want to fish one of the best lakes in the midwest. Lake St. Clair is an amazing fishery for smallmouth bass and muskie with other species of fish available too. Pelee Island is an awesome destination for smallmouth bass and big walleye. Whether you come from Ontario or Sandusky, Ohio to reach Pelee Island, you’re going to be glad you made the visit once you arrive. The fishing is outstanding during the summer around the island.
Fairly Close to Toronto
Within a couple of hours from Toronto, anglers have many options for planning an awesome fishing vacation. You can target huge walleye and smallmouth bass in this region with some excellent largemouth bass fishing, northern pike, muskie and panfish too.
| Bay of Quinte | Rice Lake |
| Kawartha Lakes Region | Rideau Lakes Ontario |
| Lake Simcoe | Thousand Islands |
| Niagara Falls Region | Toronto, Canada |
Superior Country
Superior Country is another awesome area to visit in Ontario. Lake Nipigon is more remote while Thunder Bay is a popular city on Lake Superior. Greenstone, Ontario is somewhere in between the two destinations, so you get a little bit of everything if you visit this area. Plan on having good opportunities to fish for walleye, pike, smallmouth bass, salmon, trout and more.
| Lake Nipigon |
| Thunder Bay |
Northeastern Ontario
Northeastern Ontario provides some excellent fishing for a variety of fish species. Depending on where you go, you may end up catching largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, muskie, panfish and more.
| Chapleau |
| Temagami |
| French River |
| Lake Nipissing |
| Sudbury |
Georgian Bay Area
Georgian Bay is a huge area with some amazing fishing opportunities. Walleye, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, northern pike, muskie and panfish will keep anglers busy throughout this region.
| Almaguin Highlands | Manitoulin Island |
| Georgian Bay | Muskoka |
| Haliburton County | Parry Sound |
