Cast Away Your Worries: Birchland Cottages, An Ontario Family Fishing Destination

Amazing fishing and non-stop family fun meet classic Northern Ontario cottage comfort, just west of Iron Bridge.
Birchland-Sunset

What a little gem this place is! Birchland Cottages is located just west of the town of Iron Bridge, located on Clear Lake, right off the Trans-Canada Highway. This place truly has it all for a young family to enjoy their stay. There is a beach for swimming where the kids can walk in to swim and have fun with inflatable water toys, including a water trampoline and launch pad! There is a great playground with a climbing wall to get to the fort, swings, slides, sandbox, etc., and if your family wants more, they have complimentary paddle boards, kayaks and a paddle boat. 

Cottage-Sign
Photo credit: Fish TV

Welcome to Birchland Cottages: A Hidden Fishing Gem on Clear Lake, Ontario

We can’t boast about the cottages enough to do them justice. All of the cottages are absolutely stunning with all the comforts of home, including WiFi, giving you everything you’d need for a fantastic stay. Furnished and finished in a 5-star manner, in my opinion. Lakefront views with your own dock to tie up your boat, or get one of the rentals they offer, and you’ll feel like you have your own piece of heaven.

Birchland-Dock Birchland
Photo credits: Fish TV

Fishing Clear Lake: Tips for Great Pike and Bass Action 

Don’t let the size of Clear Lake fool you into thinking the fishing is subpar, because it is absolutely the opposite. The deepest part of Clear Lake is 30 feet, and there are no dead-heads or reefs in the lake, so it is safe for all boaters. Pike and bass are what you’ll be targeting here. Due to the lake being on the smaller size, we decided to use our big motor and idle around the whole lake, just to see what we were dealing with. We found most of the vegetation was in the eastern half of the lake, and where you found weeds, you found pike, and lots of them. We didn’t catch any giants but did catch dozens of nice-sized ones. Spinnerbaits and bladed jigs caught almost all of them.

Jason-at-Birchland
Photo credit: Fish TV

On the western half of the lake, we relied on our electronics to find what depth the baitfish were at and where. Once we figured that out, we had some great smallmouth bass action, with the average being over 3 pounds. We caught most of them using a Crush City Freeloader or Mayor on a VMC Jig head…but don’t forget your favourite topwater!

Leo-and-Jason-at-Birchland Leo-at-Birchland
Photo credits: Fish TV

The beautiful thing about being a fisherman staying at Birchland Cottages is that they have their own boat launch, so if you want to spend a day exploring one of the other lakes nearby, as we did (that’s a story for another day), it’s easily done. If you’re in the area, or looking for a great Ontario cottage resort, you definitely owe it to yourself to check out what Birchland Cottages has to offer. 

You will not be disappointed!

About Jason Greentree

Jason is a multi-species angler with quite a vast resume of accomplishments in the fishing world. He is a multiple bass tournament winner, participated in many television and radio guest spots and a been on the cover of Outdoor Canada magazine. Currently, Jason continues to enjoy the outdoors and shares his fishing tips and tricks with viewers as a host of Fish TV.

Recommended Articles

Big Basswood Lake Resort

Fishing for Smallmouth Bass in Algoma's Trophy Alley

Smallmouth Bass in Sunset Country

It's great to be a smallmouth angler in Sunset Country because of the numbers and size of bass.

Small Lakes That Fish Big, Really Big Bass

Granary Lake Retreat is one of Ontario’s hidden gems.

Blue Heron Resort

Incredible smallmouth bass fishing on the lower Spanish River.

Eagle Lake Island Lodge: Your All-Inclusive Fishing Paradise

Nestled on a private island in the heart of Ontario's Sunset Country, Eagle Lake Island Lodge offers an unparalleled fishing experience.

Action-Packed Walleye, Bass, and Pike at Brennan Harbour Resort

Classic Canadian Fishing. Spectacular Lake Huron Views.

Cast Into the Heart of a Walleye Paradise

Experience world-class angling and remote island luxury at the only resort on the pristine waters of Route Lake.

3 Essentials for Success at Pine Sunset Lodge

Make sure your tackle box and your gear bag are ready for the unpredictable weather and hard-fighting fish of Dinorwic Lake.

Ice-out glory 

Fish you can target as soon as the ice leaves the launch

New Horizons

How Fly Fishing Tricked Anglers into Enjoying New Species

Predicting Lake Thickness

When Will Ontario Lakes Freeze Over This Winter?

Shoreline Strategies

Try These 2 Techniques For Targeting Winter Brook Trout

World Class Walleye

Fishing Day Trips on the Bay of Quinte

Spring Fishing Tips For Any Angler

Increase your chance of fishing success

7 Ways to Land Your Catch

With a little patience and a little know-how, landing fish doesn’t have to be a nail-biting experience.

Go Vertizontal in Northern Ontario

A World Class Ice Fishing Technique

Perfect Fall Fishing

Fishing Bass in Kawarthas & Northumberland

Fish Photos 2

Learn to take bolder photos with these tips!

Coffee, Fish, Repeat

Fishing for Smallmouth Bass and Muskie

Hawk Lake Lodge

Drive-in fishing with giant fish results