Steelheading in Ontario rivers isn’t limited to just the spring. Summer brings off shore Steelheading into “prime time.” The great lakes of Ontario offer spectacular summer ‘bow’ fishing, and the lakes are in good form!

Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron and Georgian Bay all produce good silver bullets, but my personal favorites are Lakes Ontario and Erie.

Lake Ontario, from the Niagara River mouth to the Ganaraska River in Port Hope, provides Rainbow trout fishing of the deep. During the hot summer months I find

Rainbow trout in the deeper water column of 90 feet and depths of up to 250 feet. The hotter the days the deeper I will travel. When making the first trip to Lake Ontario I like to start my search at 200 to 250ft of water and move in shallow from there. Temperature obviously plays a key role as it does with any type of fishing. If you have a temperature probe on your downriggers find that consistent 60 to 65 degree F mark and start your fishing at that spot. If you don’t own such a luxury then start your cannon balls at depths of 15ft and 20ft, dropping down 5ft intervals every half hour or so or until you find the fish. Bait fish are also a good indication of where the bows will be too.

For Lake Ontario Steelhead I like to use spoons such as the Northern King – green/silver, orange/silver and blue/silver combos. Watermelon and Emerald are also good colors in Northern King spoons. Silver Fox makes great spoons in the same colors mentioned above for running ‘cheaters’, which is the way to go, when off shore Steelheading. Rapala black and silver body baits also work well as does Yozuri black/silver and chartreuse/green color combos. The list is endless, but spoons, for me, are always a good starting point.

Lake Erie is another fantastic Steelhead fishery. It’s overrun and the Steelhead are relatively easy to find. Hot summer months send me searching in the deeper water column, which, in Lake Erie, is 70 to 80 ft of water. To reach these depths one must travel a pretty good distance as opposed to Lake Ontario. Lake Erie is a shallow lake so keep your eye on the weather when off shore fishing because it can ‘pick up’ in a moments notice. Erie is not much different than Lake Ontario as far as speed and lures go. With a speed of 2 to 2.5 mph. same lures mentioned above are used with the addition of lures such as the A.C Shiner in blue/silver combos and black and silver as well as Bomber body baits in the same color patterns. Spoons though are still a good starting point along with the 60 to 65 degree F. mark with your temperature probe. Try the same method of finding them in Lake Erie as Lake Ontario, start your cannon balls at 15ft and by implementing your 5ft depth changes at half hour intervals you shouldn’t have a hard time finding the Bows. A good rule of thumb for both these lakes is to run a long lead because of the shallow depths you’re fishing. Generally, this is where Steelhead are found.

When hooked in the river Steelhead are known to be excellent fighters, but when caught in the wide-open lake well,…that’s what I call ‘fresh water Marlin’. They are a sight to see, with their tail walking acrobatics and torpedo like maneuvers, fighting hard to the very end. That is why I have tremendous respect for this fish! When releasing them back into the wild I can’t help but wonder, who is really ‘hooked’ here, the Steelhead ………..or me?
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Canada is the place to go if you want to catch trophy northern pike, walleye, muskie and lake trout. While there are tons of fishermen that plan trips up here every year, there are still so many lakes that offer some unbelievable fishing. If you are looking to plan a fishing trip for northern pike, you should be taking a look at some of the fishing resorts and lodges throughout Canada. You can find northern pike throughout most of Canada, but most of the fishermen go to Ontario because there are many lakes to drive-in where you can plan a great trip on a tight budget. If you want to go all out and plan the trip of a lifetime, there are still plenty of fly-in fishing trips in Ontario, but there are also some outstanding places to go in Manitboa and even Saskatchewan.

The fly-in fishing trips provide some incredible fishing for northern pike. On some lakes, you will catch 5 to 10 pound fish all day with many in the high teens and some in the 20 pound range. Not all fly-in fishing trips are created equal though. On some lakes, there are numerous cottages and on other lakes you may have the only cottage on the lake for an entire week. Either way, the fishing pressure will be much less than what you are going to see on a drive-in lake, but in my opinion, I am not going to pay for a fly-in trip unless I have the chance at catching trophy fish.

Every fly-in lake should give you plenty of action, so try to find a resort or lodge that posts fishing reports with pictures of some of the fish that are caught by guests. The fly-in fishing resort will boast about their fishing by showing pictures of some of the monster northern pike. These are the places to stay. You will catch lots of northern pike as well as that fish of a lifetime that might push the 20 pound range.

For more information on Canada northern pike fishing, take a look at our Canada fishing page.
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Nowadays, it seems like every bass fishermen wants that brand new bass boat that can get them across the lake in a few minutes. I have to admit that I am guilty of this as well. With all of the great bass fishing tournaments on television showcasing some of the best bass fishing boats that money can buy, how could you not want to fish on one of those boats every time you go fishing. If you have ever been on a bass boat with a 250 horsepower motor, you know that by just taking off, you can get a rush of adrenaline. It is fun to go fast unless it is forty degrees outside.

This year, I am going to take more time out to go bass fishing in ponds than I did last year, especially on weekends when I know the nearby lake is going to get pounded by way too many fishermen. I have caught some enormous bass in ponds over the past few years and there are a few things that I do to find the best ones in my area. Depending on where you live, google may have a satelite image of your area that allows you to zoom in and find ponds. Go online and search google maps, then type in your zip code. In some areas, you may not find much, but if you do have a bunch of ponds nearby, check them out. You might be missing something.

So go ahead and take a look at the google map in your area. Select the satelite view so you can actually see the water. Find a few ponds that you would like to fish and I will show you how to weed out the bad ones. When spring hits, wait until you get a week or so of warmer weather. I’m talking about weather in the 60s and maybe even the low 70s. This will turn the bass on and they will move into the shallows to feed. Make sure to check out the ponds during good fishing conditions. I never try to find a new pond after a cold front or during the middle of the day during a 90 degree heat wave.

Fish the peak times. During the late spring, mid afternoon through the evening will be best because the water will have time to warm up. Now, if you’re fishing during the best times, you should catch fish. I don’t just try to catch fish though. I target big fish. I know that in the spring, smaller baits work best, but I am looking for ponds that have big bass. It’s not fun for me to catch 10 to 12 inch bass with no hope of catching a big bass. I am looking for ponds that have some bass in the 2 to 5 pound range, although, in my area, a 5 pound bass out of a pond is not common, so I would consider a pond that has 2 to 3 pound bass in it a good bass pond.

To target big fish, I use one bait: a live chub. I catch live chubs out of a nearby creek with a small hook and a kernel of corn. I will catch 12 to 18 chubs in the 5 to 7 inch range and head out to the pond. I will take the biggest chub I have and cast it out with just a big hook attached. These big chubs will swim all over the place if you don’t have a bobber or weight attached. Just let them swim freely and give them some slack line. Make sure to keep an eye on this rod or you can lose your fishing rod. With my other rod, I will take a smaller chub and cast it along the shorelines. I use the same setup as my other rod: a big hook and a chub with 12 to 17 pound test line. I will work this live chub along the shoreline just like I would use a plastic worm. A slow lift and fall retrieve works best. The live chub will only last about 10 or 12 casts if I am careful, then it will die. It will work just fine dead so keep working it like a plastic worm.

I will give each spot about 5 to 10 minutes and I will try to fish most, if not all of the pond in a couple of hours. If I catch one fish in the 2 to 3 pound range, it becomes one of my ponds to fish in the future. With big chubs, you won’t catch many small bass, but if I do catch a couple of smaller bass less than 2 pounds, I will come back and fish this pond. If I don’t get a single bite after 2 hours of prime time fishing with my favorite big fish bait, I will never go back. There isn’t enough time to mess around with average to below average ponds. After a couple years of this, I found 2 excellent ponds in my area and in one pond I have caught over 10 bass over 5 pounds with the biggest bass weighing in at 7 pounds. In the other pond, I catch mostly 2 to 3 pound bass and one at 5 pounds in 2 years.

With both of these ponds, I know that if I have an hour and a half to 2 hours, I will get 3 or 4 bites from fish in the 2 to 3 pound range every single time. (this is with live bait though, but it is consistent). I probably fished 7 or 8 ponds before I found these ponds, so make sure to do your research and do it during late spring. This is how I find big bass in ponds. If you enjoy using lures, that’s fine, but save yourself some time and get some big creek chubs. By the end of the spring, you should have at least one pond worth fishing throughout the rest of the year.

For more information on bass, take a look at our bass fishing page.
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Rainy Lake is one of the premiere lakes of Minnesota. The lake is actually located on the border of Minnesota and Canada near International Falls, Minnesota. This lake is a popular fishing and boating destination and the area is just beautiful. The lake is part of Voyageur’s National Park, which is Minnesota’s only national park.

Voyageur’s National Park is a huge park with 218,054 total acres. 134,265 acres are of land and 83,789 acres are of water. The park gives you an opportunity to see wolves, moose, black bear, white-tailed deer, bald eagles and loons. With all of the wildlife and the undeveloped shorelines, you will definitely feel like you are on a vacation. Rainy Lake and the Voyageurs National Park is a great vacation destination.

Let’s talk about the fishing on Rainy Lake. Thousands of anglers come here every year to fish for walleye and smallmouth bass. Rainy Lake has an outstanding walleye and smallmouth bass fishery. There are a lot of fish as well as many quality-sized fish. You can also catch northern pike and crappie on this lake. Fishermen have lots of success with jigs, crankbaits and minnow-shaped baits. In many areas, you will catch smallmouth bass and walleye in the same spots and lures that resemble a bait fish will give you the best chance of catching both species.

Because Rainy Lake is a popular vacation destination, you will have plenty of options for finding a place to stay on the lake. There are numerous cottages, motels and resorts that can accommodate you on your trip. Many of the resorts have boat rentals available for you or included in your lodging package. You can also find plenty of knowledgeable fishing guides that can help make your trip a memorable one.

For more information on the fishing resorts, guides and more, take a look at our Rainy Lake fishing page.
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Lac Seul is the second largest body of water located entirely within Ontario, Canada. Because this lake is shallower compared to some of the other lakes in Canada, many anglers find it easier to find some of the hot spots that hold walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, muskie and perch. It is one of the premier drive-in lakes in Canada for catching walleye and northern pike.

Northern pike in the 6 to 10 pound range are very common with many fish available in the 15 to 20 pound range. You should be able to catch walleye in the 2 to 4 pound range all day with many bigger fish being common. You will find many bays, islands and narrow channels where you can target smallmouth bass. Many fishermen also prefer fishing for lake trout and whitefish. There are plenty of options for fishermen on Lac Seul.

As far as lodging goes, you will find resorts, cabins and cottages in the towns of Ear Falls and Sioux Lookout. If you are interested in planning a fly-in trip, there are resorts on Lac Seul that also offer fly-in trips to some lakes where you can catch walleye and northern pike until you are too tired to fish anymore. If you are an experienced angler, you might not have to take a fly-in. If you need some help, some of the resorts and lodges do offer guided fishing trips and this might be a good idea for your first day or two up here.

To get some information on the resorts and lodges on Lac Seul, take a look at our Lac Seul visitor’s guide page.
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