Fishing at Blue Heron Resort

Bass fishing at the only resort on the lower Spanish River.
blue heron resort spanish river bass fishing ontario

The Fish TV crew visited Ontario's Blue Heron Resort situated at an amazing location along the Spanish River, and the resort is very close to the town of Spanish itself. The lodging is exceptionally clean with a spacious kitchen, bathroom and common room with an additional screened-in porch that really gives you the true cottage experience! If you are travelling in an RV, premium site locations are available as well. There is a great central location, within the grounds, for hanging out with your family and friends, enjoying beach volleyball, horseshoes and a playground for the kids. There is also a slide and floating swim raft for the swimmers in the family. 

blue heron resort aerial blue heron playground
Photo credit: Lortz Photo

You can expect to find a boat launch on-site, and plenty of docking room with power available to charge your batteries while leaving your boat in the water.

There is a fish cleaning and deep fry station on-site, with a bonus service available…the resort owners, Patti and Mike, will cook your catch with a side order of onion rings and french fries! But the “you catch and clean” policy is in effect lol. You can also enjoy eating in a screened-in dining site overlooking the river. All in all, an amazing location to hang out and enjoy your holiday!

blue heron resort dinner blue heron resort food

Once you get out on the water, you are a short boat ride over to access the North Channel, if that’s your preferred destination. Our research told us that there was amazing walleye fishing to be had in the Spanish River/ North Channel area, but our mission was to unlock the seemingly forgotten or misunderstood smallmouth bass fishery that was available in the North Channel.

blue heron resort ontario bass fishing

Being new to the area, we looked over lake maps with Patti and Mike, as well as speaking to some amazing locals in the area, to safely navigate the waters. 

*A special note to mention here—this area borders 2 fishing zones so be sure to understand your fishing regulations in each zone (zone 10 and zone 14)!

We were quite confident to start our smallmouth quest fishing around the abundant islands in the North Channel. It didn’t take long at all to find aggressive smallmouth, exploding on top waters, and smashing jerk baits. We expanded our journey, targeting visible structure along the shoreline and bluff walls, which had visible chunk rock leading into the water. Although the North Channel is somewhat protected from the wind and elements, expect to be dealing with the wind at times. Don’t let the wind discourage you when fishing smallmouth bass, just pull out your spinner bait rods and keep the fish-catching bonanza going! We were amazed at both the number of sass available and the lack of fishing pressure from other anglers. 

blue heron resort ontario bass fishing

It truly was amazing, sharing space with otters, eagles and even a bear and her cub swimming across the Spanish River on our way back to Blue Heron Resort. Take it from me, you won’t be disappointed with the accommodations or the fishing when visiting Blue Heron Resort. It really is fun for the whole family!

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

The Ultimate Winter Perch Trap

Ice-fishing tips for landing yellow perch

Predicting Lake Thickness

When Will Ontario Lakes Freeze Over This Winter?

10 Facts About Lake of the Woods

10 facts amazing about this massive Northwest Ontario Lake!

Awesome Algonquin

World Class Brook Trout Fishing in Algonquin Park.

Ontario Brook Trout

Fish these 10 sweet spots.

5 Deadliest Fishing Lures

Use these lures when ice fishing for lake trout in Northern Ontario.

Don’t Be Afraid Of Muskies

Muskies are fish of 10,000 casts and are found in large bodies of water in Northwestern Ontario.

Top 5 Baits for Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass

What baits do you use to target bass? Find out why these 5 are the best!

How to: Target Black Crappies (Part 2)

More tricks, tips and advice to target Black Crappies in Ontario.

Top 5 Musky Destinations in Ontario

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

Reaching Deep For Walleye

Fishing for big Walleye in Ontario's Bay of Quinte.

Salmon Fishing

The Michipicoten River is a Sleeper for Chinook

5 Places to Shore Fish

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

Birch Bark Lodge

A Slice of Heaven on Wigwascence Lake

20 Years With Fish TV!

Fish TV discusses their favourite Ontario catches

Beaded Lures

Find out why these chintzy plastic beads are the perfect lure.

Pleasant Cove Resort

Setting sights on Georgian Bay Northern Pike

Best WhiteFish Tactics

In Part Two, Learn Best Rods, Reels and Lure Presentations for Whitefish

Basin-Shape Walleye

Learn this proven technique to catch more walleye when ice fishing in Northern Ontario.

Nipigon Brook Trout

Experience some high caliber Trout Fishing in Northwestern Ontario.