Walleye

Another popular species of fish in Ontario, walleye are well known for both its delicious taste and fickleness. It’s best to try and catch walleye in the early morning or the evening. As fishing technology has improved and made night fishing easier, Ontario is now known as a destination for walleye fishing later in the day.

Walleye feed at night, and have oversized eyes for this purpose. Feeding is also done traditionally in schools. Also known as pickerel, these fish can be found in clear, deep waters or stained, shallow waters. As they are a cool water species, walleye are found more often at the bottom of the lake. While usually falling from two to three pounds, the Ontario record for a walleye catch is 22.5 pounds.

Rigging and jigging, using live bait and popping plugs are the most popular ways to fish for walleye. However, like other fishing technology, soft plastics have made progress over the past few years to provide even more selection when it comes to lures.

Since walleye is one of the most heavily fished-for species, there are strict regulations in place, especially on Lake Nipissing. Help make sure the population continues to grow and be aware of restrictions before fishing. In particular, a grassroots movement towards catch and release walleye fishing has grown, aimed at increasing the population.