Canada fishing

[Gregorym38]

Hey everyone,

this is random but i have recently been looking into canada to go fishing, i live in nj so it would be a long drive. BUT it seems canada has unpressured water and huge fish, i was talking to a guide the other day who flies clients out to lake evans for monster pike. Has anyone had luck fishing in the ontario region? 

[Dwight Hottle]

It depends on what you call monster pike. If your talking about 10-20lb pike the lake your talking about might produce. There is a Lake Evans in Quebec that has a reputation for bigger pike. True fly in lakes that receive less pressure than drive to lakes provide the best shot at a trophy pike. Generally Ontario is not noted for monster pike like Quebec, or the western provinces like Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta,  Alaska, Yukon or the Northwest Territories. I have fished Munroe lake, Scott lake, Great Bear lake, Great Slave, Lake Athabasca & Lac la Marte pursuing big pike. Initially we wanted to catch a true 20lber. After achieving that goal we wanted a 25lber & finally we set our sites on a true 30lber. It took me around 15 years & thousands of dollars to finally reach my new trophy of a lifetime. 

 

[Susky River Rat]

Why go all the way there for pike when you have 45” musky in your backyard that get caught regularly. Even bigger ones that don’t. 

[Gregorym38]

Yeah thats true, but pretty much everything that swims there seems to be huge and abundant. Nj is just very pressured, and idrk many spots to catch anything. I plan to explore the passaic river.  I would only be able to go to the lakes accessible by road. Would be a little vacation i guess. 
 

8 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

It depends on what you call monster pike. If your talking about 10-20lb pike the lake your talking about might produce. There is a Lake Evans in Quebec that has a reputation for bigger pike. True fly in lakes that receive less pressure than drive to lakes provide the best shot at a trophy pike. Generally Ontario is not noted for monster pike like Quebec, or the western provinces like Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta,  Alaska, Yukon or the Northwest Territories. I have fished Munroe lake, Scott lake, Great Bear lake, Great Slave, Lake Athabasca & Lac la Marte pursuing big pike. Initially we wanted to catch a true 20lber. After achieving that goal we wanted a 25lber & finally we set our sites on a true 30lber. It took me around 15 years & thousands of dollars to finally reach my new trophy of a lifetime. 

 

That is awesome, if you were in my shoes where would you plan on going? Even if not for pike, smallies or lmb are fun too

[Susky River Rat]

7 minutes ago, Gregorym38 said:

Nj is just very pressured

It’s a lot less pressured than PA lakes and rivers. That’s why I used to go there.

[Finessegenics]

Yeah, Canada is awesome. Even near major cities, lakes/rivers don't seem to be as pressured. Just a lot less people here and A LOT of water. There's thousands of places you can go just within a single province. I don't know much about monster pike but if you're interested, I know an amazing outfitter in Quebec with great walleye and smb fishing. There are definitely pike but the lake isn't well known for producing monster pike. Been there a few times. Not a fly-in but not accessible by road either. You leave your car at a secluded lot/boat ramp and they will pick you up by boat and bring you to camp. 

[Dwight Hottle]

30 minutes ago, Gregorym38 said:

Yeah thats true, but pretty much everything that swims there seems to be huge and abundant. Nj is just very pressured, and idrk many spots to catch anything. I plan to explore the passaic river.  I would only be able to go to the lakes accessible by road. Would be a little vacation i guess. 
 

That is awesome, if you were in my shoes where would you plan on going? Even if not for pike, smallies or lmb are fun too

 

You can't beat the great lakes system for quality smallies. The lake you mentioned may be a lot of fun as well. I never had a bad experience fishing Canadian Lakes. It was always a trip that required a lot of planning & research but has created great memories. 

[gim]

1 hour ago, Finessegenics said:

Even near major cities, lakes/rivers don't seem to be as pressured. Just a lot less people here and A LOT of water. There's thousands of places you can go just within a single province

This is the selling point of Canadian fishing. At least it was for me the couple of times I went. Most fish have probably never seen a lure or bait. My Father goes to Ontario every June with his side of the family to target walleye, pike, and lake trout. His relatives generally suck at fishing here in the States but when they go to Canada for a week, they all turn into pros. That’s how easy it can be to catch fish there.

 

Locations that @Dwight Hottle mentioned are pike strongholds. Canada is one of the very few places left where you can catch sizable northern pike with any regularity.

 

Something to keep in mind is all the added regulations. Some places require barbless hooks. Only certain size fish can be kept. And obviously if you are driving across there are rules about what you can and cannot bring with.

[Scott F]

Lakes that you can drive to and have big pike are some of the most heavily fished. I used to fish some remote fly-in lakes where in the first few years of being fished by only 6 anglers a week, all catch and release. The size of the pike caught went down every year mostly due to inexperienced anglers not handling the fish well and killing them. Even the big, high priced lodges with guides aren’t putting out nearly the numbers of big fish they used to. While there are certainly big numbers of fish that can be caught, trophies are not common on most lakes. Just like in the states, you need to be in the right place at the right time. It’s not as easy as just showing up and tossing out a lure. 

[Gregorym38]

7 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

 

You can't beat the great lakes system for quality smallies. The lake you mentioned may be a lot of fun as well. I never had a bad experience fishing Canadian Lakes. It was always a trip that required a lot of planning & research but has created great memories. 

I have always wanted to fish one of the major lakes but there is so much water i havd no idea where to look. if you know that area, is thd st lawrence river any good? 

@Scott Fi didnt think of that, makes sense though that there are less trophy fish being caught

 

[Dwight Hottle]

12 hours ago, Gregorym38 said:

I have always wanted to fish one of the major lakes but there is so much water i havd no idea where to look. if you know that area, is thd st lawrence river any good? 

@Scott Fi didnt think of that, makes sense though that there are less trophy fish being caught

 

You need to get a guide that knows the area. Lake Saint Clair, Lake Erie Ohio waters, PA or NY waters all have good smallie fishing. So does the Niagara river & Lake Ontario & the St Lawrence. 

[PaulVE64]

Ontario is huge and there are 250,000 lakes here.

The fishing is good everywhere.

Check out the forums at Www.lakesimcoeoutdoors.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Susky River Rat]

2 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

You need to get a guide that knows the area. Lake Saint Clair, Lake Erie

They have the boat to be able to safety and comfortably handle these bodies of water too. Unless it’s flat calm a 16’ bass boat won’t cut it.

[Further North]

I've fished Ontario a fair amount.

There is lots of water you can drive to that has big pike, and musky.

Both my personal best pike (one on gear, one on the fly) - right around 48" - came from a lake in NW Ontario that you can drive to, and gets almost no pressure for pike.

Sorting out where to fish is always a challenge the first couple days until you figure out what pattern the fish are on, as there is so much water, structure, and cover that it all looks good.

In Canada, "Heavily fished" tends  to be nothing like pressured water here in the states.  I have spent full weeks on Lake of the Woods where I have only seen a few boats the whole week while out fishing, as opposed to dozens a day down here, and LOTW is one of the most popular destinations in Canada.

...I'm sure there's exceptions to that (there always is) but generally speaking, the Canadian version of heavily fished is a fraction of what the US definition looks like.

[Deleted account]

¿Canadá no es internacional?

 

[PaulVE64]

This is what Algonquin Park looks like one day from any access point except the NE corner that is dominated by a canyon. Yeah, a canyon.

 

I've done 14 day trips in the area. Its spectacular and redefines beauty for many visitors.

[Fallser]

I've been going to a lodge in NE Ontario for close to 38 years.  It's on Lady Evelyn Lake.  It's noted more for its walleye and smallmouth fishing than huge pike.  It does have some decent size pike, but we go more for the smallmouth and walleye.  Pike are by-catches.  It's a 14 hour drive from Philly to the pick-up point and then a 19 mile boat ride to the lodge.  Nice thing about it is all we have to bring is our fishing gear and clothes, a few snacks and a bottle or two of alcohol or a case of beer.  The lodge provides boats, gas, bait.  Two sit-down meals and a packed lunch or they supply the gear and fixings for a shore lunch.  You just have to provide the fish.  There are only three lodges and two fishing camps on the lake.  The lodge I go to is the furthest one and we seldom see any boats when we're fishing.

  It depends on how far from civilization you want to get and how much you're willing to pay for the experience.  Do your research and make the decision.  

One of the bays we fish off the main lake.

A decent smallie

[Captain Phil]

For a number of years I fished with friends on Lac Seul Lake in Ontario.  We flew into Dryden and drove out to Lac Seul Lodge where my friend owned adjacent property.  My friends were walleye fisherman and I fished for pike.  This lake is literally eaten up with huge fish.  I have caught walleye up to 10 pounds and pike up to 25 pounds in Lac Seul.   I saw a photo of Al Linder with a 50 pound musky he caught there. https://www.lacseullodge.com/ 

[Further North]

8 hours ago, Fallser said:

I've been going to a lodge in NE Ontario for close to 38 years.  It's on Lady Evelyn Lake.  It's noted more for its walleye and smallmouth fishing than huge pike.  It does have some decent size pike, but we go more for the smallmouth and walleye.  Pike are by-catches.  It's a 14 hour drive from Philly to the pick-up point and then a 19 mile boat ride to the lodge.  Nice thing about it is all we have to bring is our fishing gear and clothes, a few snacks and a bottle or two of alcohol or a case of beer.  The lodge provides boats, gas, bait.  Two sit-down meals and a packed lunch or they supply the gear and fixings for a shore lunch.  You just have to provide the fish.  There are only three lodges and two fishing camps on the lake.  The lodge I go to is the furthest one and we seldom see any boats when we're fishing.

  It depends on how far from civilization you want to get and how much you're willing to pay for the experience.  Do your research and make the decision.  

One of the bays we fish off the main lake.

A decent smallie

That sounds like a sweet set up.

I specifically look for lodges that'll let me bring my own boat.

It is set up exactly the way I want, and all my "stuff" is in it, exactly where it's supposed to be, where I can find it.

7 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

For a number of years I fished with friends on Lac Seul Lake in Ontario.  We flew into Dryden and drove out to Lac Seul Lodge where my friend owned adjacent property.  My friends were walleye fisherman and I fished for pike.  This lake is literally eaten up with huge fish.  I have caught walleye up to 10 pounds and pike up to 25 pounds in Lac Seul.   I saw a photo of Al Linder with a 50 pound musky he caught there. https://www.lacseullodge.com/ 

Lac Suel is supposed to be a great lake...but I've never hit it right.

Fishing with "Walleye guys" on their boats was most likely the problem.

[DaubsNU1]

Friends of mine know the owners of the Silver Water Wheel Lodge on Lac Seul in Ontario. 

 

I've fished there three times. Wonderful!

 

Fishing stats from 2022. More of a trophy walleye fishery. 

 

Something to consider.  Daubs

 

 

[Captain Phil]

6 hours ago, Further North said:

Fishing with "Walleye guys" on their boats was most likely the problem.

 

It's a challenge.  My friends troll spinners with live minnows out the back of the boat.  They catch walleyes all day.  I sit in the front and cast.  They call me "The Man of A Thousand Casts!"  I throw big spinnerbaits and large Cisco plugs.  They don't make fun of me when I bring a fish in the boat that won't fit in the rod box.  ?

[gim]

1 hour ago, Captain Phil said:

My friends troll spinners with live minnows out the back of the boat.  They catch walleyes all day.

That is primarily what we did too when we went there.  It actually got boring after a while, nothing but 16-20 inch walleyes every few minutes.  It sounds like a blast until you start doing it.  After we ran out of bait, we just used plastics and and they slurped that down just as well.  So now they don't even bother with live bait anymore lol

[Further North]

53 minutes ago, gimruis said:

That is primarily what we did too when we went there.  It actually got boring after a while, nothing but 16-20 inch walleyes every few minutes.  It sounds like a blast until you start doing it.  After we ran out of bait, we just used plastics and and they slurped that down just as well.  So now they don't even bother with live bait anymore lol

Yeah...we got up there on Saturday, and I was ready to come home on Tuesday.

I'm not disparaging that type of fishing, but it's not for me.

I want to be moving, working cover and structure, and not sitting, jigging or trolling.

[gim]

8 minutes ago, Further North said:

I'm not disparaging that type of fishing, but it's not for me.

I want to be moving, working cover and structure, and not sitting, jigging or trolling.

Wasn't for me either, which is why I discontinued going back there every June after I went a couple times.  The drive got to be a bit much for me too, it was 10 hours one way.  Plus I am not a big fish eater either, and half the meals up there were nothing but fish.

[Captain Phil]

I'm not into Walleye fishing myself.  My friends eat everything they catch and walleyes are always on the menu.  I have caught a few exceptionally large walleyes while pike fishing.  The lake is full of small pike under ten pounds that can get to be a nuisance.  If you throw large pike lures in Lac Seul, you will tangle with a fish worth the effort.  The largest pike I catch in Loc Seul are caught casting a spinnerbait in flooded timber.  Rainy overcast days are best.