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

Casting for Coasters

Fishing for Brook Trout at Bowman Island Lodge

Big Smallmouth Bass at Waterfalls Lodge

Waterfalls Lodge offers fishing on a chain of seven trophy lakes as well as remote lake fishing.

Rainy Lake Bass Blast

Camp Narrows Lodge

Escaping To Bass Wilderness

With Nestor Falls Fly-In Outposts

A Happy Fishing Place

Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Northern Skies Resort

Dive and Rise Muskies

Ontario offers the best muskie fishing anywhere—and fall is the prime time to catch your fish of a lifetime.

Hooked On Muskies

Ontario is blessed with the finest muskie fishing in North America.

Ontario’s Monster Northern Pike Fishing Adventures

Ontario is home to first-class accommodations and incredible fishing experiences.

Take an Ontario Vacation this Year

It's time to explore your own backyard.

Brook Trout: A Natural Work of Art

Ontario is one of the world's best brook trout fishing destinations.

Angling Escape to Edgewater

Just 3 hours north of Toronto, this amenity-packed resort has something for the whole family.

Expanding Your Horizons

A longtime angler shares why casting around in new waters is good practice

Mattawa River Resort

The perfect home base for not only anglers but couples and families.

Kesagami Wilderness Lodge

Kesagami Lake has just under a million acres of fishable water that is chock full of pike and walleye.

First Time Walleye Fishing for Beginners in Ontario

I was lucky to share that experience with first-time anglers twice last week. 

Pike and Walleye: Ontario’s One-Two Punch

Walleye and the northern pike reside in the same bodies of water. When one's not biting, the other might!

Kashabowie Bass Blast

Fishing for Walleye, Northern Pike and Bass in Ontario's Superior Country

Fishing On The French

Fish TV Stay At Bears Den Lodge

Outpost Walleye in Brook Trout Country

This is an outpost fishing adventure you won't want to miss.

5 Tips For How to Hire A Fishing Guide

Picking a guide is almost as fun as the actual fishing trip.