Fishing for Bass and Pike at Grand Tappattoo Resort

What can I say about Grand Tappattoo on Otter Lake? Location, location, location!
ontario pike fishing grand tappattoo resort

Located on Otter Lake, within a half-hour drive of Parry Sound and only a few hours north of the GTA, the Grand Tappattoo is a beautiful resort. Situated on a prime piece of land with plenty of lodging, an indoor pool, sauna, and gym, all beside a private sandy beach, this lodge is an angler's dream. The lodge also offers hiking and biking trails, and if you prefer a winter vacation, you can enjoy cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice skating. There are also snowmobile trails nearby that connect to the resort for more adventures. 

exterior grand tappattoo resort

Grand Tappattoo offers the fantastic Forest Restaurant for three meals a day. The chefs will prepare a meal you won’t soon forget! They offer a mix of casual and fine dining options, with a stunning view of Otter Lake to keep everyone well-fed and happy.

restaurant grand tappattoo resort

We were looking forward to having fun on the water, heading out on our Lund and trying to figure out Otter Lake. We came with limited knowledge of the lake but knew there were plenty of bass and pike to be had. One thing about this lake is that there are plenty of back bays and inlets to hide from the wind if you had to. Unfortunately, we couldn’t bring this lake up on our Lowrance charting. But we had a good base map showing the shoreline. So, we kept it simple and just started casting the shoreline close to Grand Tappattoo. We kept an open mind while fishing and were there just to have fun and see what we could catch, with no target species in mind. We noticed a lot of fallen trees in the water, which we just had to pitch and flip, hoping for a big largemouth. We also noticed there wasn’t a lot of weed in the lake, aside from thin beds of dollar pads along some shorelines and a few thicker lily pad beds and slop in the back bays. 

fish tv ontario bass fishing
ontario bass fishing grand tappattoo resort

I suggest that if you’re after largemouth, just fish all the visual cover you can find. You won’t be disappointed. We covered a lot of the shoreline, happening upon pike fairly frequently. We spotted a few giants following our baits more out of curiosity, not hunger. This trip, we had our best success catching smallmouth bass eager to attack our Mavrik jerkbait and quite easily caught follow-ups with the Ned BLT.  I’m estimating we caught over 40 smallmouth on one weed sand flat we found. We noticed bait busting the surface out from shore and instantly found the smallmouth underneath.

If you are new to the lake, I would suggest you do just as we did and just cast the shorelines with an open mind because you can catch largemouth, smallmouth and pike just about anywhere there.

Fish TV crew at Grand Tappatto Resort

When we headed back to the resort, everyone was out enjoying the sunshine with kids fishing from the dock, using kayaks and paddle boards and jumping on an awesome floating trampoline. Definitely a great spot to take your kids, fish and relax while they have fun.

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

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.

Killarney Mountain Lodge

Discover this newly renovated luxury resort and marina in Georgian Bay.

The 2022 Northern Ontario Fishing Survey and Contest

Enter to win $1,000 in fishing gear.

Keeping You In the Fishing Game

Tips For What To Have On Your Boat

Slate Falls Outposts: Arc Lake Outpost

Fly-in Adventure and First-class Service in Northern Ontario

Ice Fishing in Northeastern Ontario

Year-round lodges that offer everything from DIY to fully outfitted ice fishing operations.

What to Pack for a Fly-in Adventure

These items are sometimes overlooked but come in really handy on a remote fishing trip.

Eagle Lake Fall Muskies

Discover why in the late fall Eagle Lake is a prime location to catch giant muskies in Sunset Country.

Catching Bass Can Be Crystal Clear

Head to this Northwest Ontario resort for an opportunity to catch your personal best smallmouth bass.

Kesagami Lake

The tale of a Northern Ontario trophy fishery in surprising waters.

Smallmouth & Largemouth at Chaudière Lodge

A nostalgic fishing trip on the French River & Lake Nipissing.

Cast Away the Ordinary

Your Ultimate Fly-In, Boat-In, or Drive-In Fishing Adventure in Superior Country.

Trade the Signal for the Strike

Why Fly-In Walleye Trips are Ontario’s Ultimate Bucket List Adventure

Untouched Water And Total Freedom: The Flint Wilderness DIY Adventure

From trophy pike in expansive lakes to wild brook trout in hidden rivers, this Longlac destination is the ultimate base camp for the independent fly angler.

Beyond the Walleye: Cracking the Code on Timiskaming’s Coffee-Coloured Giants

High-tech sonar and pink lures uncover a world-class smallmouth fishery.

5 Travel Essentials When Fishing In Ontario

Packing up for your next Ontario fishing adventure starts with 5 easy tips and tricks.

Heat Wave? Cold Front? No Problem.

Learn how weather patterns can affect fishing techniques and strategies.