Species Bass, Muskellunge, Perch, Pike, Walleye/Pickerel, Whitefish Location: OntarioSurface area: 873.3 km² In 2012, ranked #32 in all-time hot spots Named Gichn-bee, or “big water,” by the Ojibway, Nipissing has long been a top Ontario walleye lake. But from 1999 on, we’ve also been touting its incredible population of bass, with abundant three- to...

Species Bass, Muskellunge Location: OntarioSurface area: 1,100 km² In 2012, ranked #28 in all-time hot spots Unlike the classic Canadian smallmouth lake, southwestern Ontario’s Lake St. Clair is flat, shallow and largely featureless. Even though it’s regularly dredged to accommodate Great Lakes shipping traffic, the lake is only 10 feet deep on average. Nonetheless...

Species Bass, Catfish, Pike, Salmon, Trout Coordinates 44°59′N 79°49′W Location: OntarioSurface area: 535.48 km² In 2012, ranked #20 in all-time hot spots Covering 15,000 square kilometres, Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay is almost as big as Lake Ontario, and the fishery is nearly as varied. Over the years, we’ve suggested trolling off Owen Sound for salmon...

Species Salmon, Steelhead Location: British ColumbiaLength: 570 km In 2012, ranked #39 in all-time hot spots Salmon or steelhead? Take your pick on northern B.C.’s mighty Skeena. This broad, powerful river has it all: bar fishing, deep pools and pockets to dredge with lures and flies, plus summer-run steelhead up to 25 pounds. And...

Species Bass, Carp, Catfish, Crappie, Perch, Pike, Sturgeon, Walleye/Pickerel Location: Manitoba In 2012, ranked #5 in all-time hot spots When it comes to channel cats, there’s the Red, then everywhere else. This muddy, unhurried river is renowned for its giants, including the Canadian record: a 44½-pound tiger. But it’s also among the country’s best...

Species Bass, Carp, Catfish, Crappie, Perch, Pike, Salmon, Steelhead, Trout, Walleye/Pickerel Location: Ontario In 2012, ranked #6 in all-time hot spots Surprised to see this Great Lake rank so high? Don’t be. It’s full of big, healthy fish. For starters, the 450-kilometre Canadian shoreline has tremendous trout and salmon fishing, both offshore and in...

Species Bass, Crappie, Walleye/Pickerel Location: Ontario In 2012, ranked #37 in all-time hot spots In the heart of Ontario’s popular Kawartha Lakes, Rice is shallow, fertile, weedy and a three-season, multi-species hot spot. In the spring, the north shore gives up good numbers of slab crappies, while summer means largemouth; although the wild rice...

Species Mackerel, Salmon, Trout Location: Newfoundland & Labrador In 2012, ranked #23 in all-time hot spots Originating in western Newfoundland’s Long Range Mountains, the Humber flows southeast, then jogs southwest through Deer Lake, past Corner Brook and out to the Bay of Islands. While several species can be found between the remote headwaters and...

Species Salmon, Trout Location: Nova Scotia In 2012, ranked #35 in all-time hot spots The Margaree River on the west coast of Cape Breton Island ranks among the country’s best salmon waters, and while the Atlantics can be elusive, virtually all of them are big. Really big. The Margaree is also fully public water...

Species Bass, Perch, Salmon, Trout, Walleye/Pickerel Coordinates 45°05′N 72°17′W Location: QuebecSurface area: 102 km² In 2012, ranked #25 in all-time hot spots Long, narrow and deep, Memphrémagog straddles the U.S. border, with three-quarters of the lake in Quebec and the southern tip in Vermont. You have to feel some l’amour for a lake that promises a...