Well, things are looking more normal in this crazy world and the outdoors seems like the place to be! The Fish TV crew is lucky enough to have the best job in the world as we get to spend most of our time in the outdoors all across Ontario. Before I get into telling you some of the places we have got to visit in this past year (since things are slowly starting to open) I would like to say one thing…GET YOUR FAMILY OUTDOORS and travel to this beautiful province of Ontario! Your family and kids will have memories lasting forever and that is something no one can take away from you.
Let’s start by saying that it is very important to support our lodges and resorts here in Ontario as they have gone through some rough times in the last two years and trust me you won’t regret it. The first location that we had the opportunity to visit was Laurentian Lodge located about 5 to 6 hours north of Toronto in the Elliot Lake area. This place, with its gorgeous grounds, fantastic restaurant and unbelievable fishing, is a place every family has to visit at least once in their life.
We fished several lakes in the area and believe me if you like smallmouth fishing there is a chance to catch one (up to seven-pounder) on any given cast. The outstanding accommodations and friendly staff is something you have to experience. The beautiful waterfall that is on the property is a fantastic place to take family pictures or just listen to the water run over the rocks. From there you will want to book a reservation in the restaurant for a great dinner as the food is remarkable! When you’re finished with your dinner, just take a walk to the edge of the water and watch the sun go down over the lake -- it is something you will remember for the rest of your life.
From Laurentian Lake Lodge we loaded up the Toyota and Lund and headed over to Lang Lake Resort to meet some friendly people that treated us like family from the moment we arrived. Our cottage looked over the lake and we had our porch with a BBQ where we sat and watched the sun go down after dinner and it was breathtaking. The next morning with the mist coming off the water we headed out for some fishing. We targeted smallmouth and let me tell you it was well worth it as we landed over forty smallmouths in a very short time with fish weighing up to five pounds. Lang Lake is also known for its walleye, northern pike and lake trout. Though it does not offer a restaurant at the resort, you are a short drive to town with all kinds of places to grab dinner or you can just sit on your deck with the supplied BBQ and cook your catch. Lang Lake offers great swimming and fantastic docks to park your boat overnight so you can just walk down and jump right in to go fishing.
The next place we were fortunate to visit was a beautiful place in Crystal Falls, Ontario called Tomiko Lake Lodge where every cottage has a view of the lake and manicured grounds -- this lodge has everything a family could ask for in a vacation! The fishing here is like fishing in your own private pond -- we might have seen three boats all week. The amount of smallmouth and walleye in this small lake will blow your mind, fish after fish until you get tired of catching them and just want to relax on the lodge’s private beach. When we arrived Johnny, the owner, welcomed us with open arms. There was a family reunion happening when we were there and I have never seen so many families with their kids having so much fun, swimming, paddle boarding, waterskiing and just relaxing. This is one spot you should look into if you want a family vacation or if just you and some friends want to get away and catch a ton of fish.
Next time you are looking for a vacation don’t look south, look north and visit what beautiful Ontario has to offer at some of these lodges.
