You have begun to plan your next vacation and the only thing you know for certain so far is that you want a great fishing experience. For whatever reason, the lakes, rivers, and reservoirs near where you live do not fit the experience you want. Maybe you are wondering about Canadian fishing lodges. And you’ve heard something specific about fishing lodges in Ontario Canada. If you want a great fishing experience that is also a great adventure, you are definitely on the right track. Let me push you off that fence with 10 reasons why it would be worth it to drive up to a fishing lodge in Ontario Canada.
1. The drive is awesome.
The drive is a lot more adventurous than flying. A lot of the drive from your home is nice. After you cross the US/Canada border the population areas get smaller and wilderness gets much bigger. Americans are always impressed by the amount of awesome wildlife they can observe while driving up here.
2. The huge number of lakes.
In Northwest Ontario alone there are over 70,000 lakes and rivers! The lakes and rivers outnumber the people here. Almost all of these bodies are pristine, and you can fish them, except for the few that are fish sanctuaries.
3. The huge number fish species in Ontario lakes.
You may be used to having 2, maybe 3, species of sport fish to angle for in the lakes near you. There is probably some nice bass, trout, and crappie. The Ontario Ministry of Fish and Wildlife conserves the pristine nature of these lakes and rivers. This ensures the fish populations thrive. Most fisheries in Northwest Ontario are self-sustaining due to excellent habitat, clean and undeveloped waterbodies, and low fishing pressure. The MFWalso raises and stocks 8 million fish of 12 different species each year! They include Atlantic salmon (for Lake Ontario), Aurora trout, bloater, brook trout, brown trout, Chinook salmon (Great Lakes), lake trout, rainbow trout, splake (a hybrid of a male brook trout and a female lake trout), lake whitefish, muskellunge, and walleye. Plus, there are several other species that are also plentiful, like northern pike. With all this care in conservation, there is at least one species you will enjoy fishing for – perhaps several. And, because some of these species will be new to you, adventure and challenge are part of the game.
4. The world class trophy fish.
Ontario has been practicing fish conservation for decades. The water is clean, clear, and cold. The ecology and biodiversity of the lakes are healthy. The fish populations are thriving, and a good percentage of fish reach mature ages. Any angler who comes to Ontario has a chance to catch a trophy sized walleye, lake trout, northern pike, or whatever you are after.
5. The expert lake, fish, and technique knowledge to aid you.
A lot of the fishing resorts and fishing camps have guide staff that know the lake, the fish in it, their behavior, and the best ways and places to catch them. Some resorts include this in the booking price, and at others you can add that service.
6. The lodging at the lakeside.
The lodging available to you will vary depending on the lake you select. It can also vary on the lake as well, if there is more than one resort or camp. On many lakes there are fishing resorts with cabins that are almost as nice as your own home. They have full kitchens, bathrooms with flush toilets and hot showers, air conditioning, fireplaces, screened in decks, and a well-stocked camp store. If that experience is not what you want, there are fishing camps where you get a more basic comfortable cabin with beds, sink, stove, toilet/outhouse and shower. Some are more basic where the showers and bathrooms are communal. There are lots of choices and price ranges to match the type of fishing experience you want. All are right there on the shore of a beautiful lake.
7. The year-round open season for several species.
To know for sure when open season is for the species and lake or area you want, look it up in the 2019 Fishing Ontario Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary. Any fish that doesn’t have an open season listed, has a year-round open season! Here is a list of species that have open season in all or most fisheries management zones. It’s a big list: bass, trout (rainbow and brown), catfish, crappie, lake whitefish, salmon, splake, sunfish, yellow perch, and northern pike. Not every species is present in every lake in Ontario. This lets you know there is a tremendous amount of fishing to do all year in Ontario!
8. The best lake trout fishing in the world.
This is not an idle boast. Lake trout’s natural habitat is only on the North American continent. This habitat is further restricted to the northern part of this continent; roughly a line from the Columbia River system in Washington state to New York City. Within this habitat, there are more lake trout in Ontario than anywhere else. The record for lake trout is 102 inches and 50 pounds. A lot of trophy lake trout come out these lakes, especially in Northwest Ontario.
9. The walleye.
This awesome fish is probably not available to you at home or not nearly as numerous as you may like. Its natural habitat is on the North American continent from the arctic to the Great Lakes. This is where the great big ones are. They have been introduced as far south as Alabama, but they just get along down there. In Ontario, they can get to be 42” and 25 pounds!
10. The lifetime family memories.
Bring your family for an adventure that will last them a lifetime. Get them unplugged and living something real. You can all do something together that can be a great bonding experience. Like teaching your son or daughter how to set up their gear and them getting that first strike and reeling in their first catch. Also, Ontario Parks has a Learn to Fish program where participants can learn to fish on the day of their instruction. This free program includes everything including tackle, bait, sunglasses, and a one-day license.
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