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

Top 5 Flies for Smallmouth Bass

The inside scoop on bass flies from the hosts of The New Fly Fisher.

Gourmet Dining

Fresh Fish Recipes Served on the Ice

Leuenberger Air Service Is Your Ticket to Ontario's Best Fishing

Discover remote outpost fishing for northern pike, walleye, and whitefish

Top 5 Tips To Fish Smallmouth Bass in Ontario

Ontario has some of the top smallmouth bass opportunities. in the world.

Wasi Lake Fishing

Fishing at Booth Landing Camping & Cottages

The Tigers of Sunset Country

The most picturesque of all freshwater fish.

Happy Days Full of Bass

Fishing for Smallmouth Bass at Happy Day Lodge

Summer Brook Trout

Expert Advice for Fishing Ontario Lakes

Top 10 Streamers for Ontario Brook Trout

Big Brook Trout get that way by eating lots of smaller fish which is why streamers work well.

Birch Bark Lodge

A Slice of Heaven on Wigwascence Lake

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.

Shallow Water Walleye

Learn Tips and Techniques From The Extreme Angler

The Spin on Early Season Walleye

Depending on where you are walleye fishing in Ontario, the conditions range from early spring to near summer-like.

Slow Death Revisited

This technique is used to slow down the walleye bite transitioning from spring to summer.

Talon Lake Lunge

This 3500-acre lake holds trophy muskies and should not be ignored!

River Bass Bonanza

Fishing Mistinikon for Smallmouth Bass

Sturgeon Lake Fishing

Walleye and smallmouth bonanza at Lumberjack Lodge in Northwest Ontario, Canada.

St. Francis Titans

Fishing the Original Muskie Capital of the World

Casting for Coasters

Fishing for Brook Trout at Bowman Island Lodge

Musky Mayhem in the Kawarthas

Top notch musky fishing on Buckhorn Lake can be found in the heart of the Kawarthas.