In this Fish’n Canada Top 5, we are giving you our opinions as to 5 fantastic Northern Pike waters in the province of Ontario. We understand there are MANY more, however, are our choices for this piece based on accessibility (remote or easy to get to), diversity in water body types, and size of the fish.
They are listed in no particular order:
KESAGAGAMI LAKE
Kesagami (pronounced kess-ahh-ga-mi) Lake is a phenomenal Pike and Walleye Lake. It is in the Cochrane District of Northeastern Ontario. It is a shallow lake with a max depth of only 10m and an average depth of just over 2m. The Kesagami River is both its source as well as its outflow. The lake sits along the borders of the Kesagami Provincial Park.
The Northern Pike reigns king and or queen here. They grow big and there are lots of them. This incredible lake is home to numerous pike over 40 inches (20 lb) as well as world-class fish measuring 50 inches (30 lb). The reason big Pike keep getting recorded by anglers every season is the conservative size/possession regulations and the lodge’s strong live-release awards program.
If you are looking at taking a trip into a Northern Pike rip-fest, check out Kesagami Wilderness Lodge.
A trip to a fishing lodge can be a once in a lifetime experience. It is something we highly recommend.
ATTAWAPISKAT RIVER
What… a river you ask? Oh yeah, and a Pike producing machine of a river it is! The Attawapiskat River could well be Ontario’s top Pike river of all time. Due to the remoteness, and distance north of this great destination, it truly is a spectacle in both scenery and fishing.
The Attawapiskat travels 748 kilometers. The source of the river is Attawapiskat Lake at an elevation of 241 meters.
Ang and Pete have visited the Attawapiskat River in two distinctly different locations and they both produced big fish. Unfortunately, on one of those trips, the water levels rose to record heights and as well, the water temperatures plummeted. It produced extremely tough fishing conditions, yet our guys still came out smelling like roses with an excellent television episode.
On the second trip however, it was one of those “hang onto your rods boys” because the Pike fishing was on fire! On this shoot, Ang discovered the effectiveness of giant Tubes.
“I watched Ang fire out this gigantic, fat, white tube” says Pete “and then heard it crash a belly-flop onto the water’s surface. I thought… no way!”
Well Pete was wrong, yes way was the result… Ang caught fish after fish. Big ones!
If you are looking to book a trip on the Attawapiskat, then try reaching out to Hearst Air or Gray Wood Outfitters
WABIGOON LAKE
This is a lake that we have yet to shoot at and have been trying to get there for quite some time now. Wabigoon or “the Goon” as it is referred to by locals, is quite a different type of lake. Most lakes in the north country have pristine, clean water. Wabigoon has some of the murkiest water in the north.
Situated close to the town of Dryden, the lake has a max Depth of 14.4m, an average Depth of 6m, it is over 32km long and has almost 185km of shoreline.
Wabigoon is a multi-species lake with Northern Pike being one of the 2 top predators (Muskie being the other). We have been told on numerous occasions that early in the season, because of the murky water conditions, the Pike stay shallow longer and are somewhat less spooky than in clean water. Something many locals take advantage of. Looks like that big LOUD splash of Ang’s Attawapiskat tube will work wonders here.
If we could and would ever recommend a lake just by hearsay, Wabigoon is one of them.
LAC SEUL
Here is a location that Fish’n Canada has been to on more than one occasion. Each visit has been a total success. The first couple of trips were Walleye excursions which had the odd incidental Pike attack on the guy’s jigs. The last trip however was a multi species of Walleye, Smallmouth and of course Northern Pike. Although our team didn’t come out of there with any giants, trust us, they are there… because Ang, Pete and Steve N saw them.
“We found a couple of solid Pike patterns on our last trip to Seul” says Ang “Steve and I looked for isolated cabbage weed patches. The bigger the patch, the better the fishing”
“Pete, on the other hand” continues Ang “found his Pike on sandy shore areas. His pattern was opposite of ours in that the small, isolated sand bays had the best fishing”.
LAKE ONTARIO: EASTERN BASIN
This in one of Ontario’s best kept secrets, Northern Pike fishing in Lake Ontario’s eastern basin. With the amount of giant Walleye and Smallmouth Bass that reside in this area, the Northern Pike (Lake Trout too) is hardly a thought to the average angler. Those in the know however, have a relatively untouched fishery at their disposal.
Although this is no Attawapiskat or Kesagami trip, it does rival any other Pike fishery south of Hwy 17. So many fish between 8 – 15 pounds are caught each season. These may not sound like they would win any master angler awards however, a full day of pulling in a dozen of these beasts will put a smile on any predator angler’s face.
The big difference to this fishery vs. all the northern counterparts on this list is, most of this fishing is done with planer boards and crankbaits. The same technique used on the Walleye fishing that is done in the same area. Obviously, wind dictates as to when these fish are accessible but on a day with a light breeze and a bit of clouds, it can be lights out!
By the way, most of the fish here are caught out away from structure in deep water. The fish may not be deep, but the water sure is… can you say “suspended???”
CONCLUSION
So, there you go Fish’n Canada fans. A top 5 list of Ontario Northern Pike waters. Some of you may like this list, some may love it and other may… oh well. The fact is, any-and-all of these water bodies can produce trophy Pike as well as arm-wrenching non-stop action day in and day out.