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Outdoor Canada’s Fishing 2011 special annual edition has been out on the newsstands for several weeks now, but if you haven’t seen it yet, you should check it out. Why? To learn about the 30 very best places to go fishing in Canada.
Since this year mark’s the 30th anniversary of our Fishing annual, we decided to celebrate by choosing Canada’s 30 top fishing hot spots. You might just be surprised by some of our choices. In fact, I’d like to hear from you, whether you agree or disagree with our selections, or if you think your favourite body of water should have been included. Comment away on this page!
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Here are the 30 top waters, as decided by the Outdoor Canada brain trust, in alphabetical order (for full write-ups on each hot spot, complete with fishing tips, please see our Fishing 2011 issue).
Canada’s Top 30 Hot Spots
1. Annapolis River, Nova Scotia
Claim to Fame: best for American shad
2. Bay of Quinte, Ontario
Claim to Fame: best for numbers of largemouth bass
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3. Bow River, Alberta
Claim to Fame: best urban fly fishing
4. Fraser River, B.C.
Claim to Fame: best for giant white sturgeon
5. Grand Cascapedia River, Quebec
Claim to Fame: best for giant Atlantic salmon
6. Great Bear Lake, N.W.T.
Claim to Fame: best for trophy lake trout
7. Haida Gwaii, B.C.
Claim to Fame: best ocean fishing for chinook salmon
8. Kesagami Lake, Ontario
Claim to Fame: best for trophy northern pike
9. Kispiox River, B.C.
Claim to Fame: best for giant native steelhead
10. Lake Athabasca, Saskatchewan
Claim to Fame: best for numbers of big lake trout
11. Lake Diefenbaker, Saskatchewan
Claim to Fame: best for world-record rainbow trout
12. Lake Erie, Ontario
Claim to Fame: best for yellow perch
13. Lake of the Woods, Ontario
Claim to Fame: best for multiple species
14. Lake Simcoe, Ontario
Claim to Fame: best for smallmouth bass
15. Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba
Claim to Fame: best for walleye
16. Minipi Watershed, Newfoundland and Labrador
Claim to Fame: best for brook trout
17. Mistassini Lake, Quebec
Claim to Fame: best for big brook trout, along with lake trout, walleye and pike
18. Niagara River, Ontario
Claim to Fame: best for inland steelhead
19. North Lake, P.E.I.
Claim to Fame: best for giant bluefin tuna
20. Rainy Lake, Ontario
Claim to Fame: best for black crappie
21. Red River, Manitoba
Claim to Fame: best for channel catfish
22. Saint John River, New Brunswick
Claim to Fame: best for large striped bass
23. St. Lawrence River, Ontario & Quebec
Claim to Fame: best for trophy muskellunge
24. South Ram River, Alberta
Claim to Fame: best for westslope cutthroat trout
25. Stamp River, B.C.
Claim to Fame: Best river fishing for chinook salmon
26. Thousand Islands, Ontario
Claim to Fame: best for carp
27. Tobin Lake, Saskatchewan
Claim to Fame: best for reservoir walleye
28. Tree River, Nunavut
Claim to Fame: best for world-record Arctic char
29. Wolf River, Yukon
Claim to Fame: best for numbers of Arctic grayling
30. Witless Bay Lower Pond, Newfoundland and Labrador
Claim to Fame: best for big sea-run brown trout