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

Wilderness WAlleye

Fishing Jumbo Perch, Walleye and Pike at Kanipahow Resort

Adventures on the Nipigon River

Anglers can target Chinook Salmon and Steelhead in this body of water—but most come for the trophy Brook Trout.

5 Canoe & Kayak Fishing Destinations

Where to go canoe and kayak fishing in Ontario.

Dream Fishing Trips

These two Ontario lodges, just across the border from Minnesota, offer anglers the chance to fish multiple species.

Fishing On The French

Fish TV Stay At Bears Den Lodge

The Right Tool for the Job

Check out this guide to gear up like a pro.

A Walleye Adventure at Anderson's Lodge

Father and son visit Sunset Country to begin a walleye tradition

Dropshot the Shallows

A Technique That Should Be in Your Fishing Arsenal

Magpie Reservoir

Excellent Drive-to Angling to Hook Big Walleye

French River Fever

This waterway is rich in lunge lore, having produced muskies in excess of 60 pounds.

Lake of Bays fishing

Smallmouth Bass Fishing in Muskoka

Fishful Dreams Do Come True

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

Sniping For Lake Trout

If you love fishing for Lake Trout in Ontario, you’d be wise to hone your sharpshooting skills.

Bob Izumi searches for bass and pike

Fishing unfamiliar territory, Bob Izumi lands monster smallies and Northern pike

Topwater Bass

Targeting Spring Bass at Dog Lake Resort

Wild Brook Trout

Remote Outpost Fishing on Pinei Lake

Catch, photo, release

Save Your Fishing Memories With These Photo Tips

Ontario Carp Championship

Is Ontario the Carp fishing capital of the world?

Birch Bark Lodge

A Slice of Heaven on Wigwascence Lake

Striker's Point Lodge

Hungry Walleyes and Big Pike on Whitewater Lake