Quetico Park & White Otter Wilderness Canoe Based Fishing Outfitters

The Quetico Park / White Otter Wilderness is not only synonymous with beautiful, pristine Canadian wilderness and great canoeing, but also with some of the best sport fishing Canada has to offer.

Quetico Park is often listed as one of the top one or two locations in Canada for both walleye fishing and smallmouth bass fishing. The White Otter has made it to the top as a great destination for northern pike fishing and for walleye fishing.

These two incredible wilderness areas combine to offer literally hundreds of lakes and rivers, teeming with scrappy smallmouth bass, awesome northern pike, tasty walleye and lake trout.

But perhaps the biggest appeal of fishing in this remote Canadian wilderness – particularly Quetico – is that you have to have a taste for adventure to experience it.

Quetico Park is a "canoe only" wilderness. Your trips will be tent based and yes, you’ll have to work at it to get to those special spots.

Sometimes they’re not too bad to access – some of the best fishing can be found on entry waters such as Beaverhouse Lake, Quetico Lake, Cirrus Lake & Pickerel Lake (which has some of my favorite lake trout spots).

Other good water isn’t too far in either. Oriana Lake has always been one of my personal favorites, ditto Jean Lake & Sturgeon Lake.

But some of the real gems are also deep in the park’s interior . The Russsell / Chatterton Lakes offer some great opportunity for a base camping / daytrip fishing adventure, and the areas feature some great "no name" lakes that may be just the ticket for some awesome fishing.

With no method of refrigeration "catch and release" or "catch and consume" is the order of the day. The limited access and high release practice ensures that the Quetico fisheries will continue to be some of the best in Canada and the world.

The White Otter Wilderness doesn’t have the same restrictions as Quetico, as far as outboards go. You can even plan your trip with a square stern canoe and small size outboard, although most of our guests choose the traditional method of paddling.

There are some amazing lakes in the White Otter with fantastic fishing – again, walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and lake trout are the featured species.

Some of the our favorite spots include White Otter Lake, Clearwater West Lake, Irene Lake, Doan Lake and Bow Lake.

The Crowrock / Dashwa / Turtle Lake chain is known for some great fishing and is home to the annual "Atikokan Bass Classic" fishing tournament.

Check out some action on Pekagoning Lake, Eltrut Lake & Robinson Lake on your way down the Turtle River towards Little Turtle Lake and Mine Centre.

Fishing Out of A Canoe…

It may take a while to get used to, but once you’re comfortable with it can be really great.

You probably really haven’t lived until you’ve tried to land a 48" pike using a fly rod out of a 17’ canoe.

One thing I really notice when fishing with a canoe, is that it seems much easier to "read" the water when fishing. As you tend to slowly meander around the shorelines, you will notice things you would otherwise miss in an outboard driven boat. Those little hidden crops of weeds, that sunken tree, or the reef barely visible under the surface of the water. I often take a canoe out on traditional outboard lakes just to scout a shoreline.

It’s also away easier to work the shoreline when in a canoe. You can quietly creep up almost to the shore without worrying about spooking the fish or banging your prop.

That’s not to mention that most of these awesome lakes are only accessible by a canoe.

We gear our canoe based fishing packages so that the angler is first in mind. Our canoe based fishing packages include light, portable depth finders, leeches and a 7 day conservation fishing licence.

I also included rod holders for a couple of key reasons;

  • They allow you to "troll" while paddling.

  • 2. When I was in High School, I was notorious for losing my fishing rods out of canoes. For some reason I had a complete mental block when fishing in a canoe, and on several trips into Quetico as well as various area lakes, I was famous for getting so focused on fishing, I’d absentmindedly lay my rod across the thwarts, and "splash"! Another one bites the dust.

    We’ll work hard with you on all aspects of your trip. From providing you with top quality gear and a delicious menu selection, to marking maps with "hot spots". We monitor lake action all season long and try to provide you with the most current information on what’s hot.

    We’re always available to assist with tackle selection and love just talking shop when it comes to fishing & canoeing.

    Quetico Provincial Park & The White Otter Wilderness area offer some of the best fishing Ontario and Canada has to offer. Let us help you with your trip into this "angler’s paradise"

    For information on our cabin based / boat & motor or canoe fishing trips on The Seine Chain and other area lakes visit

    www.seineriverlodge.on.ca