5 Great Bass Fishing Hotspots in Northern Ontario

I have been asked over and over again by our followers and viewers, ‘where can I go to catch big bass in Northern Ontario’?

Here are five great options for the travelling angler.

Number Five: Marmion Lake, Ontario’s Sunset Country

Located in Northwest Ontario, from Crystal Beach Resort near Atikokan, the smallmouth bass fishing opportunities for some very big bass are available on a variety of lakes close to the resort and knowledge is assisted by the resort owner himself.

You can fish the main lake for numbers of bass up to four pounds, but if you really want an opportunity to catch some big, fat brown bass, the nearby lakes have some truly trophy-sized bass that are virtually untouched, as most local anglers target the popular walleye and big northern pike that inhabit the same nearby lakes. Perhaps the most widely known lake in the area is Marmion Lake, which produces the largest smallmouth bass on a regular basis. Bass in the four to six-pound range are not uncommon, with some having been caught up to seven pounds! Marmion Lake is approx. 24000 acres of water and is a backed-up floodwater system of the Seine River, which is one of the largest tributaries to Rainy Lake.

Number Four: Lake Lauzon, Ontario’s Algoma Country

From Ontario’s Algoma Country is Lake Lauzon in Ontario's Algoma Mills region is renowned for smallmouth bass up to seven pounds caught each year by visiting anglers.

We stayed with the nice folks at Lauzon East Cottages, with ownership that assists their guests with hands-on maps and shares known hotspots for bigger-than-average bass from spring to fall. Clear water conditions allow the bigger bass to see forage more easily and gorge themselves on easy meals. Loud topwater poppers and four-inch swimbaits caught a bunch of big bass on our trip. Lots of mid-lake rock reefs and shoals with countless island points to fish for big bass. Lauzon East is a four-cottage resort located halfway between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. With 43 acres of property, Lauzon East offers approximately 900 feet of waterfrontage onto Wettlaufer Bay, which is a part of Lake Lauzon. Lake Lauzon is approximately seven miles wide and is known for its great fishing. There is a public boat launch just 30 seconds up the road, and they provide docks for your boat.

Number Three: Lake Nipissing, Northeastern Ontario

From Northeastern Ontario, the big lake north of the GTA is Lake Nipissing.

Known for its huge northern pike, muskie and walleye, the smallmouth bass fishing is excellent from early season catch and release throughout the summer months into late fall, the bass fishing really is that good on Nip. We have visited Nipissing on many occasions from June to early September and visited with the knowledgeable owners from Bear Creek Cottages on the south shore of the big lake, Shawn and Terra have a very popular lodge and offer their guests guided opportunities for all species mentioned including the beautiful thick smallmouth bass that seem to inhabit every place that looks ‘fishy’, sand flats, rock shoals, you name it Lake Nipissing has it. Micro tube jigs and Ned Rigs are very popular baits on this lake, as are suspended jerk baits and loud rattle baits early in the season.

Number Two: Clearwater West Lake and White Otter Lake, Ontario's Sunset Country

Back to Northwest Ontario from Brown’s Clearwater West and White Otter Lakes, it was big brown bass, one after another, on our visit to this area near Atikokan. The smallmouth bass opportunities here are beyond great; they are world-class. 

We fished several back bays close to the main lake and experienced some truly amazing topwater action on back-to-back-to-back casts with bass in the four to five-pound class.

Fishing during the sunset periods is magical to say the least, beautiful sunsets combined with aggressively feeding schools of bass along shoreline flats with topwater baits have to be on any serious bass angler's bucket list. Lodge co-owner and lifelong resident, Brian Whalley, has called Browns’ home for over 43 years and is proud to carry on the traditions he experienced as a child and youth here at camp! Not only has he spent countless evenings in back bays casting for walleye at dusk, hammering topwater bass, and searching out monster pike and lunker trout, but he has also been teaching the next generation how to do the same since he was a young adult!

Number One: Whalesback Channel of Lake Huron, Ontario’s Algoma Country

From the now popular big bass highway of Algoma Country near Spanish, Ontario, being part of Lake Huron, the Whalesback Channel has a small lake feel with Great Lake-sized smallmouth bass. The Channel is fourteen miles long by about a mile to a mile and a half wide. It's well protected from the larger water by several large and small islands. Visiting anglers are often surprised that they can spend an entire day without seeing another boat.

We visited with the nice folks at Brennan Harbour Resort, stay at one of the nine Brennan Harbour Resort cabins, and you will be sure to enjoy an immaculately clean environment and a gorgeous view overlooking the bay through a large picture window. Various cabin sizes are available. The smallmouth bass here are big, very big and travel in wolf packs. When you catch one in the five-pound class, others either follow or can be caught on your next cast. We fished with soft minnow baits and small topwater poppers along massive weed beds, rock points and shore drop-offs with sand and weed.

Please remember that catch and release works and offers the next generation an opportunity to experience these world-class bass locations.

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