Ontario's Rainy Lake is home to plate-sized black crappie
Ontario's Rainy Lake is home to plate-sized black crappie

Best Drive-to Hot Spots in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario

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Looking for some new spots to fish in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario? Our guide to the best angling destinations you can reach by road has got you covered.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan's Rafferty Dam Reservoir is known to give up some nice northerns
Saskatchewan’s Rafferty Dam Reservoir is known to give up some nice northerns

Boundary Dam Reservoir

  • GPS: 49.052, -103.007
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Largemouth bass
  • Why: With a car-topper, you can fish for huge bass that see little pressure.
  • When: April to October
  • Local Info: www.pokeystackle.ca

—T.J.S.

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Helene Lake

  • GPS: 53.535, -108.207
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Walleye
  • Why: A long, narrow lake with good numbers of extra-tasty walleye
  • When: May to September
  • Local Info: www.tourismsaskatchewan.com

—W.P.

Jan Lake

  • GPS: 54.922, -102.907
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Northern pike, walleye
  • Why: Incredible numbers of fish on a large, picturesque lake; great for kids
  • When: May to September
  • Local Info: www.threelakescamp.com

—W.P.

Lake Diefenbaker Tailwater

  • GPS: 51.291, -106.889
  • Camp, lodging
  • Fish: Northern pike, rainbow trout, walleye, whitefish
  • Why: Huge fish of all species gorge on stunned minnows below the Gardiner Dam
  • When: Summer and fall
  • Local Info: www.lakediefenbakertourism.com

—W.P.

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Last Mountain Lake

  • GPS: 51.123, -105.269
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Carp, northern pike, walleye
  • Why: Fly fishing for huge carp has really caught on; excellent bow fishing as well
  • When: Spring to early summer
  • Local Info: www.lmloutfitters.com

—G.N.

North Saskatchewan River

  • GPS: 53.209, -105.752
  •  Camp, lodging
  • Fish: Goldeye, northern pike, sturgeon, walleye
  • Why: Many good bank fishing spots, including Prince Albert and Borden Bridge
  • When: Year-round
  • Local Info: www.tourismsaskatchewan.com

—W.P.

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Otter Lake

  • GPS: 55.610, -104.714
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Northern pike, walleye
  • Why: Explore the dozens of islands and narrows below Otter Rapids
  • When: May to September
  • Local Info: www.churchillrivercanoe.com

—W.P.

Rafferty Dam Reservoir

  • GPS: 49.159, -103.115
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Northern pike
  • Why: A long, narrow reservoir that’s home to trophy northerns
  • When: Fall
  • Local Info: www.tourismestevan.com

—T.J.S.

Reindeer Lake

  • GPS: 57.523, -102.246
  • 4×4 truck
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Arctic grayling, northern pike, walleye
  • Why: Pike fishing at its best, especially for fly anglers
  • When: May to September
  • Local Info: www.lawrencebay.com

—W.P.

South Saskatchewan River

  • GPS: 52.094, -106.699
  • Camp, lodging
  • Fish: Goldeye, northern pike, sturgeon, walleye
  • Why: Good numbers and exciting shore fishing, right in Saskatoon
  • When: Year-round
  • Local Info: www.tourismsaskatchewan.com

—W.P.

Steiestol Lake

  • GPS: 52.513, -103.444
  • Camp, lodging
  • Fish: Rainbow trout
  • Why: Large, abundant trout, that strike hard and fight harder
  • When: May to October
  • Local Info: www.saskparks.net

—W.P.

Turtle Lake

  • GPS: 53.590, -108.634
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Northern pike, walleye
  • Why: A great pike lake that’s also home to large walleye
  • When: Summer
  • Local Info: www.tourismsaskatchewan.com

—W.P.

Manitoba

Manitoba's Vandekerckhove Lake has trophy pike and walleye
Manitoba’s Vandekerckhove Lake has trophy pike and walleye

Dauphin Lake

  • GPS: 51.209, -99.701
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Walleye, yellow perch
  • Why: Superb walleye water, and one of the best trophy perch spots in Manitoba
  • When: May and June
  • Local Info: www.tourismdauphin.ca

—Gord Pyzer

Dunphy Lake

  • GPS: 56.689, -101.603
  • Ramp, camp
  • Fish: Northern pike, walleye
  • Why: Numbers of walleye, and trophy pike, in a beautiful boreal forest setting
  • When: May to September
  • Local Info: www.lynnlake.ca

—Bob Sexton

Eden Lake

  • 56.743, -100.217
  • Ramp, camp
  • Fish: Northern pike, walleye
  • Why: Big pike, and on the right evening at “the narrows,” you can catch 100 walleye in an hour
  • When: May to September
  • Local Info: www.townofleafrapids.com

—B.S.

Falcon Lake

  • GPS: 49.702, -95.251
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Northern pike, walleye
  • Why: Walleye over 10 pounds abound, right along the Trans-Canada Highway
  • When: All summer
  • Local Info: www.falconlakemarina.ca

—G.P.

Lake of the Prairies

  • GPS: 50.990, -101.407
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Walleye, yellow perch
  • Why: A reservoir with fantastic fishing, and a variety of accommodations
  • When: June and July, September and October
  • Local Info: www.foryourwalleyesonly.com

—G.P.

Patterson Lake

  • GPS: 50.647, -100.585
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Brown trout, rainbow trout
  • Why: Natural pothole lake with abundant 18- to 24-inch trout, and plenty more lunkers
  • When: Spring to fall
  • Local Info: www.parklandtourism.com

—Jake MacDonald

Vandekerckhove Lake

  • GPS: 57.031, -101.418
  • Ramp, lodging, camp
  • Fish: Lake trout, northern pike, walleye
  • Why: Seriously remote drive-to fishing, with 40-inch-plus pike that will hit topwaters in June
  • When: May to September
  • Local Info: www.wolverinelodge.net

—B.S.

Winnipeg River

  • GPS: 50.3089, -95.542
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Northern pike, smallmouth bass, sturgeon, walleye
  • Why: Big bass, big pike and walleye aplenty in an unspoiled setting near the Ontario border
  • When: May to September
  • Local Info: www.eaglenest.ca

—Scott Gardner

Ontario

Ontario's Rainy Lake is home to plate-sized black crappie
Ontario’s Rainy Lake is home to plate-sized black crappie

Elephant Lake

  • GPS: 45.130, -78.133
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Largemouth bass, muskie, northern pike, smallmouth bass, tiger muskie, walleye
  • Why: Plentiful bass and pike, and the chance to catch a tiger muskie
  • When: Spring to fall
  • Local Info: www.bancroftontario.com

—Angelo Paino

Lovesick Lake

  • GPS: 44.562, -78.238
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Largemouth bass, muskie, smallmouth bass, walleye
  • Why: A top bet for numbers of muskies
  • When: Spring (walleye); summer and fall (bass and muskie)
  • Local Info: www.buckhorn.ca

—A.P.

Lake Nipigon

  • GPS: 49.708, -88.575
  • 4×4 truck
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Brook trout, lake trout, northern pike, walleye
  • Why: One of the best drive-to lake trout spots in the world
  • When: June to August
  • Local Info: www.nosta.on.ca

—G.P.

Nipigon Bay

  • GPS: 48.884, -88.058
  • 4×4 truck
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Brook trout, chinook salmon, lake trout, rainbow trout
  • Why: After ice out, double- and triple-headers are common when trolling for lakers
  • When: Spring
  • Local Info: www.superiorvisits.com

—G.N.

Nishin Lake

  • GPS: 48.906, -87.632
  • Camp, lodging
  • Fish: Smallmouth bass
  • Why: Excelling fishing and camping, just two minutes off the Trans-Canada
  • When: Summer
  • Local Info: www.hardcorefishing.org

—G.N.

Port Dalhousie

  • GPS: 43.203, -79.264
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Brown trout, rainbow trout
  • Why: 20-pound ’bows and 15-pound browns roam the eddies below the generating station
  • When: Mid-January to March
  • Local Info: www.peterstackle.com

—Jonathan LePera

Rainy Lake

  • GPS: 48.722, -93.272
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Black crappie, northern pike, walleye
  • Why: Easy access to huge crappies and vast numbers of chunky walleye
  • When: May and June; October
  • Local Info: www.campnarrows.com

—G.P.

St. Clair River

  • GPS: 42.873, -82.470
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Carp, chinook salmon, freshwater drum, largemouth bass, muskie, northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye, rainbow trout
  • Why: An unbelievably diverse fishery, accessible by both boat and from shore
  • When: Year-round
  • Local Info: www.mnr.gov.on.ca

—A.P.

Stoco Lake

  • GPS: 44.473, -77.291
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Largemouth bass, longnose gar, muskie, northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye
  • Why: The gar make a nice break from bass, and they’re a blast on fly tackle
  • When: Spring to fall
  • Local Info: www.beachwoodhollow.com

—A.P.

Stoney Lake

  • GPS: 44.554, -78.126
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Largemouth bass, muskie, smallmouth bass, walleye
  • Why: Scenery is second to none, and the many islands offer protection on windy days
  • When: Spring to fall
  • Local Info: www.irwininn.com

—A.P.

Thames River

  • GPS: 42.977, -81.277
  • Ramp, camp, lodging
  • Fish: Bullhead, carp, Largemouth bass, longnose gar, northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye
  • Why: Good fishery, overlooked due to its urban setting; fish with a canoe or cartopper, or wade
  • When: Spring to fall
  • Local Info: www.tourmiddlesex.ca

—A.P.