The 3 Best Baits For Northern Ontario Walleye

Use these baits to help you catch Ontario's favourite fish species no matter the depth and time of year with open water.
angler fishing ontario walleye

So, you booked your angling vacation to a Northern Ontario fishing lodge and they have an abundance of walleye.

What baits should you consider essential? 

The following walleye bait recommendations will help you catch those golden bars at any depth and at any time of year there's open water.

anglers fishing ontario walleye

Northern Ontario walleye are not hard to catch, they really are easy especially when you have the guidance and experience of a lodge guide showing you the ropes and putting you on the walleye and offering you some intel on how to find them on your own the rest of your trip if that is your choice. Lodge guides are priceless and help you save a ton of time locating walleye. This is your vacation, right?

Treat yourself to the experience and knowledge of these guides, that is how they make a living and they will indeed put you on the fish.

angler fishing ontario walleye

1. Ball Head Jig

walleye jighead

Our number one bait for walleye is the simple yet effective ball head jig. Sizes from one-eighth to three eight ounces are standard depending on time of year, lake or rivers you are fishing and walleye location. Jig colour options are your choice but orange, chartreuse, pink and purple are hot almost everywhere across Ontario regardless of water clarity. Tip these jigs with a leech, nightcrawler or minnow and your set.

2. Curly-tailed Grub

walleye curly-tailed grub

Number two, a three to four-inch curly-tailed grub, simple yes, but deadly on walleye. You can vertically jig these baits, hop and crawl them off bottom or simply cast and slowly retrieve them and walleye will eat them. Again, colour options are your choice and what gives you confidence. Yellow, white, chartreuse and black tones are some of my favs. 

3. Crankbait Or Jerkbait

walleye crankbait

And lastly, a three-inch minnow-shaped hard crankbait or jerkbait will find walleye fast and make them bite. Depending on the depths the walleye are located, you can troll these baits, cast and twitch them or simply cast them and reel them back to the boat and walleye will find them. A great option when fishing new lakes or rivers and locating the most active walleye.

Remember, Northern Ontario walleye are NOT hard to catch.

Find them, catch them, and enjoy eating them.

About Karl Kalonka

It's possible Karl's love for fishing began as early as the age of five. His parents took the kids on weekend trips across Ontario fishing for panfish, catfish, and bass. "I started with a bobber and worm from the time I was five years old," says Karl. These days, he has the enviable task of doing what he loves for a living, travelling across Ontario fishing, filming and producing two outdoor series, Extreme Angler and Crappie Angler TV.

Recommended Articles

10 Facts About Lake of the Woods

10 facts amazing about this massive Northwest Ontario Lake!

Don’t Be Afraid Of Muskies

Muskies are fish of 10,000 casts and are found in large bodies of water in Northwestern Ontario.

Top 10 Ice Fishing Lakes

Every kind of fish and experience—Ontario ice fishing is some of the best in the world.

3 Great Ontario Walleye Destinations

Karl of Extreme Angler recommends must do walleye lakes in Ontario.

Don't Forget The Umbrella

It's raining smallmouth bass, walleye, and northern pike here in Northern Ontario

Ontario Brook Trout

Fish these 10 sweet spots.

Wind, Cloud & Walleye

How Weather is Important to Walleye Anglers

Ontario Experience

Drive-to Fishing at Waterfalls Lodge

Top 5 Musky Destinations in Ontario

The Musky Hunter shows you where to land the best musky in Ontario waters.

Summer Fishing Patterns for Multi-Species

Bob Izumi discusses tips for different species and how to catch them when summer temperatures soar.

Smoked Fish: A Do-It-Yourself Delicacy

Catching and eating fish from the cold, clear waters is one of the perks of living in Northern Ontario.

20 Years With Fish TV!

Fish TV discusses their favourite Ontario catches

Wasi Lake Fishing

Fishing at Booth Landing Camping & Cottages

Big Moose Camp

Big Moose Camp is a four-season resort on Lake Nosbonsing just 3 hours north of Toronto.

St. Francis Titans

Fishing the Original Muskie Capital of the World

Walleye on Lake Temiskaming

Fish'n Canada heads to Lake Temiskaming to tackle Ontario Walleye.

Best of The Musky West

Have you fished these top 3 musky lakes in Northwestern Ontario?

Predicting Lake Thickness

When Will Ontario Lakes Freeze Over This Winter?

Shoreline Strategies

Try These 2 Techniques For Targeting Winter Brook Trout

How to Get Into Fishing

You haven't gone fishing in years, how in the world would you get started?