Ontario Fishing Vacations

Ontario is a freshwater province first. Destination Ontario counts more than 250,000 lakes, and the fish most visitors come for are walleye, northern pike, muskie, smallmouth and largemouth bass, and lake trout. The trip can be a drive-to lodge with a rental boat, a full-service fly-in lodge where meals are cooked for you, or an outpost cabin on a lake with no other buildings. In winter, many lakes turn into ice fishing destinations.

The big picture

For U.S. anglers coming from the Upper Midwest, the northwest corner of the province is the natural starting point. Marketed as Sunset Country, it sits directly north of Minnesota, with more than 70,000 lakes and more than 200 fishing lodges and resorts, many reached by highway from border crossings at Fort Frances, Rainy River and Pigeon River. Towns such as Kenora and Red Lake are jumping-off points for floatplane trips. Our Northwestern Ontario fly-in fishing guide covers the region in detail.

Ontario is also a center of fly-in fishing; Northern Ontario Travel puts the province’s count at close to 300 fly-in lodges. If you have never done one, read our fly-in fishing lodges guide before you book.

How the season runs

Open-water fishing in the northwest runs mainly from May through September, with the best walleye and pike action in early summer and bass and muskie fishing that builds later in the season. Many lodges reopen around the spring walleye opener. Lake trout are often easiest to catch soon after ice-out, and winter brings ice fishing for walleye, lake trout, crappie and perch. Each species has its own open season, and those dates vary by zone.

Licences and rules

Visiting anglers from outside Canada generally need two things: an Outdoors Card, a plastic ID card valid for three calendar years, and a fishing licence. If you fish for one day only, a one-day licence is available without the card, and an eight-day licence can be bought online. Your catch counts against your own limits only if you hold your own licence. Buy them through Ontario’s licensing service, and carry your card and licence summary while fishing.

The province is divided into 20 fisheries management zones, each with its own seasons, limits and exceptions, and individual lakes can have special rules. Ontario also has rules on how fish must be packaged for transport so conservation officers can identify species and size. Rules change every year, so read the regulations summary for your zone before you go. Our fishing licenses guide covers general planning.

Choosing where to go

• First trip, want flexibility: A drive-in lodge or housekeeping cabin in the northwest, where you can bring or rent a boat.
• Want remote water and no crowds: A fly-in outpost cabin, if your group is comfortable cooking and doing chores.
• Want everything handled: An American plan fly-in lodge with meals and guides.
• Comparing with home waters: See Minnesota Lake Country for a drive-to walleye trip south of the border.