Fishing in Ontario’s provincial and national parks

Northwest Ontario

Aaron Provincial Park

Just off the Trans-Canada Highway, the campground at Aaron Park offers easy access to fishing for lake trout, bass and pike in Thunder Lake. This small park is also conveniently located near the legendary walleye and muskie fishing of giant Wabigoon Lake.

Location: Kenora

Blue Lake Provincial Park

Bass and pike are popular catches from the waters of Blue Lake. The park also borders on Corner Lake and the Indian Lakes Chain, which are known for excellent walleye and muskie fishing.

Location: 1722 ON-647, Vermilion Bay

Caliper Lake Provincial Park

Caliper Lake’s clean, warm waters are home to pike, walleye, crappie and bass. Located along Highway 71, you’ll have easy access to the muskie, lake trout and walleye of giant Lake of the Woods.

Location: ON-71, Nestor Falls

Ojibway Provincial Park

With a campground on Little Vermilion Lake, anglers enjoy easy access to lake trout and pike, and bass can be caught right from the dock. This mid-sized park stretches along the entire southeastern shore of Little Vermilion Lake. 

Anglers also fish the excellent walleye, bass and muskie waters in the surrounding area between the communities of Dryden and Sioux Lookout.

Location: Sioux Lookout

Pakwash Provincial Park

This park is central to excellent fishing in the waters of the Red Lake area along Highway 105, but anglers may not need to leave the campground.

At almost 10,000 hectares, Pakwash Lake is large enough to keep anglers busy fishing for pike, muskie and bass. In spring, catch walleye from the shoreline of waterfront campsites.

Location: 79 Government Street, Dryden

Quetico Provincial Park

Chippewa and Ojibway campgrounds on French Lake give anglers easy access to great lake trout, bass, pike and walleye fishing. At more than 450,000 hectares, Quetico has a wealth of lakes and rivers teeming with a wide range of game fish. 

Interior and backcountry campsites accessible by hiking, paddling and snowshoeing along the numerous hiking trails and canoe routes offer exceptional fishing opportunities.

Note, to help maintain the pristine nature of this park, all cans and glass bottles are banned and motorized vehicles and equipment are not permitted. And for the health of Quetico’s lakes, the use of artificial bait and barbless hooks is required.

Location: ON-11, Atikokan

Rushing River Provincial Park

A large campground stretches along both sides of a bay at the southwest corner of Dogtooth Lake. Fish for walleye, pike, bass and lake trout. The park is also a gateway to several canoe routes in adjoining Eagle-Dogtooth Provincial Park.

Location: Kenora

Sioux Narrows Provincial Park

With a small campground of just over 50 sites situated along the shores of the giant Lake of the Woods, this park is popular among anglers who fish waters renowned for walleye, muskie, lake trout, pike and bass.

Location: ON-71, Sioux Narrows

Sandbar Provincial Park

Fish for pike, walleye and bass in and around the waters of Sandbar Lake. In addition, anglers staying at this campground north of Ignace have their choice of the excellent fisheries spread along the Highway 599 corridor. 

Location: ON-599, Ignace

MacCleod Provincial Park

Kenogamisis Lake sprawls on both sides of Highway 11 near the town of Geraldton.

The campground on the south side of the highway provides access to the shallow, weedy and fertile waters that provide excellent catches of walleye and pike.

Location: ON-11, Geraldton

Pukaskwa National Park

Pukaskwa is a large chunk of the rugged topography stretching along the coast of Lake Superior. 

Remote canoe routes penetrate the interior where good fishing is found for brook trout, walleye and pike along the park's major rivers. The Hattie Cove campground offers access to the coastal waters of Lake Superior, where a diverse range of trout and salmon species can be caught. Lake Superior is prone to sudden storms and rough weather and boaters must use extreme caution.

Location: ON-627, Heron Bay

Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma

Lake Superior Provincial Park

This park protects a long stretch of rugged Lake Superior shoreline as well as hundreds of small to mid-sized inland lakes. Stay at one of two campgrounds and access Lake Superior with power boats at Sinclair Cove.

Use extreme caution when fishing for lake trout and salmon on Superior. Many of the waters along Highway 17 are stocked with brook trout or splake. Interior lakes, holding native brook and lake trout, are accessed by paddle and portage trails.

Location: Algoma

Mississagi Provincial Park

Spring and early summer are the best times to launch powerboats into Semiwite Lake to fish for lake trout. Other smaller lakes in the park are accessible by portage trail and offer opportunities for catching brook trout.

Location: Highway 639, Elliot Lake

Nagagamisis Provincial Park

This large northern lake is along a remote stretch of Highway 631 between the communities of White River and Hornepayne. The campground located at the southwest end of the lake is a popular spot for fishing walleye, pike and perch.

Location: Algoma

Neys Provincial Park

Situated on the northern coast of the world’s largest lake, anglers need to be wary of rough conditions that can blow up quickly on Lake Superior. When conditions allow, this rugged stretch of coastline can provide steelhead, lake trout, salmon and coaster brook trout.

Location: 1004 ON-17, Neys

White Lake Provincial Park

Anglers are rarely disappointed when visiting this popular lake that stretches north and south of TransCanada Highway 17. Three campgrounds provide ample accommodations for those hoping to connect with White Lake’s abundant walleye, pike and perch populations.

Location: Trans-Canada Highway, Mobert

Northeastern Ontario

Esker Lakes Provincial Park

Cold water species like brook trout, rainbow trout and splake are found in the park’s dozens of kettle lakes. 

Formed when glaciers retreated 10,000 years ago, many of these small lakes are accessible by hiking and portage trails. The campground is spread along the shores of Panagapka Lake, which is stocked with brook trout.

Location: Highway 672, Kirkland Lake

Finlayson Point Provincial Park

Located at the eastern tip of an elongated bay on Lake Temagami, the campground serves as a gateway to the vast wilderness areas of Temagami and Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park. Giant Lake Temagami holds a lifetime of angling for lake trout, whitefish, pike, walleye and bass.

Location: 24 Finlayson Park Road, Temagami

Fushimi Provincial Park

This remote northern lake within the thick boreal forests off Highway 11 promises good fishing for walleye, pike and perch. Anglers can stick to Fushimi Lake or explore the Valentine River. The campground offers a boat launch, a fish cleaning station and roofed accommodation.

Location: North Cochrane District

Halfway Lake Provincial Park

Halfway Lake may be small, but anglers enjoy good fishing for walleye, bass, pike and lake trout via the boat launch at the campground. Paddlers enjoy good fishing within the park's remote lakes accessible by portage trail.

Location: Old Cartier Road, Levack

Ivanhoe Lake Provincial Park

The lake is actually a widening of the slow-moving and fertile waters of the Ivanhoe River, offering good fishing for walleye and pike. Many of the small kettle lakes within the park are stocked with brook trout.

Location: 170 Ivanhoe Lake Road, Foleyet

Missinaibi Provincial Park

A 90-kilometre-long gravel road at the town of Chapleau provides access to this remote northern park. It’s worth the drive to the headwaters of the mighty Missinaibi River, where lake trout inhabit the cold depths, and walleye and pike are abundant in the shallows. 

The First Nations pictographs at Fairy Point complement the fishing for paddlers and boaters. Use caution in rough weather.

Location: Missinaibi, Park Road, Sudbury

Wakami Provincial Park

Located along remote Highway 667 south of Chapleau, the campground at the north end of Wakami Lake provides access to excellent walleye and whitefish fishing. 

Pike and perch also inhabit Wakami and brook trout are stocked in nearby waters.

Location: ON-667, Sudbury

René Brunelle Provincial Park

The south end of Remi Lake is lined with homes and cottages, but the north end is a remote boreal forest. 

Use the boat launch just south of the campground to access weedy waters holding good populations of walleye, pike and bass.

Location: North Cochrane

Algonquin Park, Muskoka and Parry Sound

Algonquin Provincial Park

There are eight campgrounds along the Highway 60 corridor where anglers enjoy great fishing for splake and bass.

Algonquin is one of the largest parks in the province and a well-known stronghold for native populations of lake trout and brook trout.

There are literally hundreds of native trout lakes offering great fishing opportunities through spring and early summer. They are only accessible by hiking or paddling, but penetrating the interior is well worth the effort.

Location: ON-60, Algonquin

Georgian Bay Islands National Park

Fishing is not permitted in any in-land lakes on Beausoleil Island but the boat accessed campgrounds on the island provide access to the wide variety of game fish that inhabit Georgian Bay of Lake Huron. A seemingly endless procession of islands, bays, narrows and inlets hold muskie, perch, pike and bass.

Location: 2611 Honey Harbour Road, Honey Harbour

Bruce, Grey and Simcoe

Bruce Peninsula National Park

The large campground on Cyprus Lake provides easy access to great walleye and bass fishing in Cyprus and nearby Cameron Lake.

The Bruce Peninsula juts into Lake Huron and Georgian Bay but anglers wishing to try for the salmon, muskie, bass of these waters must be suitably equipped for big water fishing.

Location: Tobermory

Southeastern Ontario

Frontenac Provincial Park

More than 50 interior campsites are located along 120 kilometres of backpacking trails winding past a multitude of small and medium-sized lakes. Hiking and paddling anglers can catch lake trout, bass, crappie, pike and even brook trout.

Location: 6700 Salmon Lake Road, Sydenham

Charleston Lake Provincial Park

This large and diverse southern lake is a popular angling destination with three separate campgrounds.

Charleston Lake has a wide range of species, including lake trout, bass, pike, black crappie, perch and various species of panfish.

Location: 148 Woodvale Road, Lansdowne

Thousand Island National Park

The campground at Mallorytown Landing is a stone’s throw from the St. Lawrence River’s Thousand Islands area.

Fish for bass and panfish from the docks off the park’s 21 islands or expand your fishing  horizons from a boat with great muskie, bass and pike throughout the St Lawrence River.

Location: 1121 Thousand Islands Parkway, Mallorytown Landing

Southwestern Ontario

Long Point Provincial Park

Two campgrounds along this elongated point jutting into Lake Erie look over the multitude of islands dispersed along the north shore of Long Point.

There are many species of warm-water fish. The coastal waters are particularly good for big Lake Erie bass.

Location: 350 Erie Boulevard, Port Rowan

York, Durham and Headwaters

Sibbald Point Provincial Park

This large campground on the shores of Lake Simcoe is a great base for anglers vying for the lake trout, bass, whitefish, pike and perch in this large and productive southern Ontario lake.

Location: 26071 Park Road, Jacksons Point

Sauble Falls Provincial Park

East and West campgrounds along the Sauble River provide opportunities to catch the steelhead and salmon that visit the river spring and fall.

Location: 1400 Sauble Falls Road, Wiarton

Greater Toronto Area

Rouge Urban National Park

This large urban park in the Greater Toronto Area boasts a surprising amount of forests, creeks and marshland.

Currently, the Glenn Rouge campground is closed for infrastructure upgrades. You can still access the mouth of the Rouge River and the surrounding marsh areas that hold fishing opportunities for carp, bass, pike and salmon, as well as rainbow and brown trout during their late summer spawning run.

Location: 25 Zoo Road, Toronto

Pack your rods and reels and include a day of fishing in your next camping trip to these top Ontario parks.