Discovery a muskie gem in Algoma Country

The Goulais River is an overlooked gem that you might want to check out during spring or fall.

There are lots of muskie destinations throughout Ontario, Canada, however, one of the most overlooked is Lake Superior. Certainly with its vast size trying to locate muskies within giant Lake Superior itself can be difficult. However, there is a muskie gem waiting for you that can offer to make catching Lake Superior muskies much easier.

The location is the Goulais River located in the Algoma Region of Ontario Canada. This is the largest tributary on the eastern side of Lake Superior, located approximately 20 miles north of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Canada. The Goulais River originates in the Algoma Highlands and flows westerly winding its way through a valley, ultimately discharging into Lake Superior. The view of this area is simply breathtaking.

The Goulais River is host to a localized population of muskies that use the Goulais River to spawn. There are always some muskies located in the Goulais River, but the majority of the muskies use the Goulais early and late in the year. After the spawn, the muskies will remain in the River, but ultimately they make their way into Lake Superior to spend the summer. In the fall, the muskies will return to the Goulais and stage outside the mouth and move back into the Goulais River. Therefore, there are some tremendous opportunities at catching Lake Superior muskies that exist both in spring and late fall. Just imagine the potential of contacting a giant muskie in a small river, which spends the entire summer in Lake Superior.

The best fishing in the Goulais River exists within a two-mile stretch near the mouth of Lake Superior. The Goulais River actually forms three different branches as it enters Lake Superior and all can hold muskies. In addition, just outside the mouth of the Goulais River is a large weed bed and a break line that forms at the mouth of Lake Superior, which holds muskies both spring and fall before they suspend into the abyss of Lake Superior. The Goulais River and the mouth of Lake Superior offer a tremendous opportunity for a trophy muskies.

Some of the key areas within the Goulais River include isolated weed beds, fallen trees, docks, and the area where the Goulais River divides into three branches, and the mouth of the Goulais River as it enters Lake Superior. It’s important to locate areas with reduced current. Key lures include smaller bucktails, particularly early in the season, topwater lures and crankbaits.

Jim Saric with a hybrid tiger muskie caught from the Goulais River in spring.

The Goulais River also hosts some giant hybrid, tiger muskies as well. I caught a beauty while filming an episode of The Musky Hunter Television Show last spring while fishing with my friend Rob Cadeau.

The Goulais River is an overlooked gem that you might want to check out during spring or fall. There are great places to stay in the area that is not far from the river.

`
About Jim Saric

Jim owns Jim Saric Outdoors, Inc., which is dedicated to elevating the sport of musky fishing to new levels by educating anglers through print, web, and television. He is the publisher, editor and owner of Musky Hunter Magazine and the Executive Producer of The Musky Hunter television series. Jim has over twenty-five years experience fishing lakes, rivers, and reservoirs from Minnesota to New York and all across Canada. He has boated more than 100 muskies exceeding 50 inches in length, the largest weighing 53 pounds.

Recommended Articles

5 Places to Shore Fish

Fish’n Canada shows you where to go shore fishing in Ontario.

3 Great Ontario Walleye Destinations

Karl of Extreme Angler recommends must do walleye lakes in Ontario.

Top 5 Musky Destinations in Ontario

The Musky Hunter shows you where to land the best musky in Ontario waters.

Lake of the Woods

10 Facts You Didn't Know

Eating Northern Pike

The Best Recipe to Cook This Fish

Top 10 Ice Fishing Lakes

Every kind of fish and experience—Ontario ice fishing is some of the best in the world.

Top 5 Flies for Smallmouth Bass

The inside scoop on bass flies from the hosts of The New Fly Fisher.

Top Three Ontario Musky Waters

Where to catch the fish of 10,000 casts.

Four Seasons of Bass in Ontario

Northern Ontario is home to year-round bass.

Don't Forget The Umbrella

It's raining smallmouth bass, walleye, and northern pike here in Northern Ontario

Ontario Brook Trout

Fish these 10 sweet spots.

The Best of Both Worlds

From spring right through to late fall there are species that you can target close to the home base in the Spanish River

St. Francis Titans

Fishing the Original Muskie Capital of the World

The Ontario Fall Crappie Hunt

Ontario's 400,000 lakes are home to a variety of fish species.

Top Drive-To Walleyes

5 Northern Ontario Drive-to Walleye Lakes

Five Brook Trout Flies

What flies to bring when fishing for brook trout.

Exclusive Video

How To Zero In On Lake Trout

HIdden Bay Lodge

Fly-in to Armit Lake for Epic Walleye Fishing

Hit The Hard Rock Cafe for Perch & Crappies

Get the most out of your next ice fishing adventure for perch and crappies.

Lake of the Muskies: An Angler's Paradise in Northwest Ontario

It’s not a question of will you catch a musky, but of how many.