North Ontario Fishing
Walleye
Do you love the smell of pan-fried Walleye over an open shore-lunch fire? That's part of life in the far north. Very few people will disagree that Walleye are the best tasting fish in the world. Here at Chapleau Lodge, we have a great population of Walleye with lots of small eating sizes right up to big trophies in the 8 pound range. Being the only lodge on spring-fed Borden Lake, our conservation attitude has helped maintain a great Walleye fishery, which is the main attraction of Chapleau Lodge.
Northern Pike Fishing
Borden Lake has a big population of small Walleye and Whitefish, which is the main diet of big trophy Northern Pike. Pike ambush their prey and can be found in narrows where Walleyes migrate, off rocky points, at the mouth of a stream or a shallow weedy bay that has a drop-off structure. In a lake where there are Whitefish, many of the big 20+ pound pike go deep to where the feeder fish are. Most pike are caught shallow.
Whitefish Fishing
Eating Whitefish is getting more and more popular every day. Traditionally, people only smoked them, which is why their popularity has faded since the 50s. Today, people are starting to re-discover Whitefish with new and exciting ways to cook them like steamed Whitefish with Mandarin Duck Sauce or poached Whitefish with a cream and white wine sauce. The limit for Whitefish is 25 and they get big so its a great way to bring a mess of fish home. They also fight like Hell and are tons-of-fun to catch.
Smallmouth Bass Fishing
Borden Lake was formed by glaciers scraping the Earth and exposing rock, which is over 540 million year old (Precambrian Age). The exposed rock is called the Canadian Shield. This rocky structure is perfect habitat for Smallmouth Bass. Smallmouth Bass are very common in the lake and can be found close to large stones, rocks and crumbling points. Their main food source is crayfish and minnows, which seem to hide in these environments.
Brook Trout Fishing
In the surrounding rivers and lakes, big populations of Brook Trout (Speckled Trout) and Splake can be found. Nothing says fishing in Canada more than walking along a beautiful northern river on a sunny day and catching these beautiful trout. Most of these rivers and lakes can produce trout over 3 pounds, which is a trophy size Brook Trout. The best time for Brook Trout is on a bright sunny day when the weather has been stable for a few days. Fresh Brook Trout is by far the best tasting of the trout family.
If you intend to Brook Trout fish, some of the rivers are very challenging and you must use canoes and portage. The lakes also require you to use canoes or you can bring your own lightweight 10-12' boat, use may also require 4 wheel drive to get back into some of the lakes.
Lake Trout Fishing
There are many lakes surrounding the lodge that have fantastic Lake Trout fishing. Lake Trout can be caught in many different sizes from small pan-fryers to big trophies. You don't need steel wire line or baitwalkers to catch them. There are some simple techniques, which are very effective, and all you need is your Walleye stick and a couple of good size sinkers.
