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

Hearst Air Service

Remote trophy fishing for both walleye and pike.

Tournament Tips

5 Pro Tips to Use This Upcoming Season

Seeing is Believing

Ice fishing when they aren't biting but you can't stop catching fish.

Hello Summertime Crappies

Crappies have a reputation for being much harder to find and catch in the lazy hazy crazy days of summer

Lake of Bays fishing

Smallmouth Bass Fishing in Muskoka

Fly Fishing Basics

Learn Tips From An Avid Angler Towards Initial Fly FIshing Success

The Ultimate Winter Perch Trap

Ice-fishing tips for landing yellow perch

Whitefish Lake Walleye

An epic walleye fishing adventure in Superior Country.

Fishful Dreams Do Come True

Landing my favourite species on back-to-back casts at Cedar Lake Camp

Best Bass Baits for Lodge Trips

Sure-fire baits and techniques that have resulted in success at Northern Ontario fishing lodges

3 Must Fish Ontario Hotspots for Smallmouth Bass

Everyone has a bucket list for something. Die-hard bass anglers have many.

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

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

Four Fantastic Ontario Musky Waters

Discover 4 hotspots that any musky angler must add to their bucket list.

Top Flies for Northern Pike

Try These Go-to Flies and Tips on Your Next Trip

How To Stay Really Warm This Winter: the fingers, toes, ears, and nose edition

Must-wear items for staying warm—so you can enjoy your day on the ice!

Miles Bay Camp

Secluded fishing attracts anglers to Miles Bay on Lake of the Woods

Cat Island Lodge

Fly-in fishing for walleye and lake trout

Worm Your Way In

Try this go-to bait for bass on your next Northern Ontario angling adventure

Kicking It Old School

Dusting off the tin boat to fish less accessible waters

First Class Fishing Vacations

Northern Ontario boasts hundreds of lakes, rivers and streams.