Winnipeg River

Species: Bass, Catfish, Perch, Pike, Sturgeon, Walleye/Pickerel, Whitefish

Coordinates: 50°37′54″N 96°19′13″W

Location: Manitoba

Length: 235 km

Why we chose it

In 2012, ranked #13 in all-time hot spots

Winding its way from Kenora, Ontario, to Lake Winnipeg, and draining more than 100,000 square kilometres, this historic waterway now draws anglers instead of voyageurs. The Winnipeg offers a terrific mixed fishery, and some epic catfish toward its mouth, but over the years we’ve mostly recognized it as a walleye hot spot. While the river may have fewer trophies than some waters, there are loads of fish, and the local greenbacks are notoriously hard fighting.

In 2008, Walleye; Good numbers of easily accessible big fish

When to fish: September and October.

Where to fish: Current breaks, reefs, points, rock piles and large flats in the mouth and last few miles of river.

Tip: Troll crankbaits or vertically jig 3/8- to one-ounce jigs tipped with large minnows on bottom.

—Steve MacInnis, host of Adventures North