Lake Timiskaming Reloaded: Ontario Walleye and Smallmouth on a Giant Border Water

If you’ve followed The Fish’n Canada Show over the years, you might remember a 2018 episode where Pete Bowman ventured to Lake Timiskaming in Northeastern Ontario alongside John Blanchard. That trip delivered excellent walleye fishing, with the duo trolling breaklines and expansive flats in roughly 30 feet of water using small walleye-style crankbaits.

Fast forward to this episode, and Pete is back on this massive Ontario waterbody. This time, he’s joined by co-host Steve Niedzwiecki, a self-proclaimed walleye fanatic. But instead of repeating the open-water trolling pattern from years past, this shoot’s plan was different. The focus shifted to structure-oriented fishing on one of the province's largest and most unique lakes.

An Ontario Giant at the Headwaters of the Ottawa River

Lake Timiskaming is not your average Northern Ontario lake. Stretching over 100 kilometres in length, it forms part of the Ontario–Quebec border and serves as the headwaters of the Ottawa River. From Temiskaming Shores in the north to the Kipawa River in the south, the section Pete and Steve focused on spans roughly 60 kilometres. That is an enormous amount of fishable water.

And, with a lake of that size comes complexity. Points, shoals, current areas and subtle structure all come into play. On this return visit, electronics would be front and centre more than ever. Rather than combing featureless basins, the boys leaned heavily on forward-facing sonar to isolate fish both relating tightly to structure, as well as open water roamers.

A Tougher Walleye Bite Than Expected

The early program was dedicated to hunting down structure-hugging walleye. Although the guys knew the potential of tons of fish was there, along with the odd incidental smallmouth bass, something felt different. Pete is somewhat familiar with this lake. Compared to his previous trip, the walleye bite seemed off. The numbers and size just weren’t lining up with his memory.

That realization sent the crew back to the drawing board...

Thinking Back to 2018

On that 2018 trip, while targeting walleye, Pete and John connected with some impressive smallmouth bass. Those fish left an impression. And while Pete might joke about his memory being questionable at times, ask him about a big bass he has caught, and the details come back in vivid clarity.

With walleye not cooperating the way they had hoped, the idea of targeting smallmouth bass moved from backup plan to primary focus. On a lake as diverse as Temiskaming, having a second species option is not just smart, it is essential… especially when shooting a fishing show.

Coffee-Coloured Water and High-Tech Tools

One of the most surprising aspects of Lake Timiskaming is its water colour. Unlike many northern Ontario lakes that run gin-clear or lightly tea-stained, Timiskaming often resembles coffee with a splash of milk. That reduced visibility changes how fish position and feed.

It also makes forward-facing sonar a major advantage. With their LiveScope dialled in, Pete and Steve would be able to track fish movements in real time, watch bass react to presentations and fine-tune lure choice and retrieve speed accordingly. In stained water, being able to see fish react to your presentation brings a sense of confidence when you can't physically see what's going on below the surface.

Everything from larger hard baits (like the Yo-Zuri Twitchbaits pictured above) to the tiniest jigs and Ned rigs was about to be experimented with.

Dialling in the Smallmouth Pattern

The first key area was near the Montreal River Dam, where current and structure combine to create a natural feeding zone. It didn’t take long for the pattern to reveal itself. Rattlebaits and bottom baits started producing, and the smallmouth were aggressive.

This was the area of the lake that produced the biggest smallie of the shoot. While LiveScoping, the boys located a nice little pod of fish, which they assumed were smallmouth bass. Pete decided to fire out a silver/black Yo-Zuri Rattlin Vibe, and within a couple of cranks of his reel handle, a giant of a bronzeback annihilated his presentation. When all was said and done, Steve scooped the beast up in the net, and the boys proceeded to have a high-five moment (fishing guys seem to do that). Pete guessed the weight at well over 5lbs, Steve said closer to 6!

After boating a few more quality fish near the dam, Pete and Steve made a bold move. Instead of sitting in a productive area, they pushed further south to see if they could expand the smallmouth range. It was a gutsy decision, but it paid off.

In the new zone, it didn’t take long before fish after fish started coming to the net. Some crushed twitchbaits. Others reacted violently to jerkbaits. At one point, within two feet of their boat, about a 3-pound smallie even ate a regurgitated minnow from another fish that was fighting boatside, a perfect illustration of how competitive and keyed-in these smallmouth are.

Throughout it all, electronics remain central. Watching fish follow, commit or fade away provides instant feedback and helps refine each cast.

Ontario Multi-Species Potential

Although the walleye program did not fully fire on this trip, that was more about timing than potential. Our previous episode proved just how productive this lake can be for Ontario gold. What this return visit highlighted was something equally important: Lake Timiskaming is a true multi-species Ontario fishery.

On any given day, you can chase deep-water walleye along breaklines and humps, then pivot to hard-fighting smallmouth bass relating to current and structure. Some days, one might produce better than others. However, eventually, they’ll be firing on both cylinders. That’s true versatility across such an expansive system.

A Dream Scenario

As the episode wrapped up, one thought lingered. If both the walleye and the smallmouth had been fully dialled in at the same time, it would have been the ultimate Ontario fishing dream. Even without that perfect storm, the smallmouth action alone was spectacular.

Lake Timiskaming once again proved to us why it deserves a place among Ontario’s most intriguing and dynamic fisheries. Massive, complex and full of opportunity, it rewards anglers willing to adapt, trust their electronics and think beyond a single species.

Old Mission Resort, Lake Timiskaming

If you’re looking for a place that captures the true spirit of Northeastern Ontario, Old Mission Resort on Lake Timiskaming is about as authentic as it gets.

Located near North Cobalt in Ontario’s Timiskaming District, the resort sits on a beautiful stretch of shoreline overlooking one of the largest lakes in the province. Lake Timiskaming stretches more than 100 kilometres along the Ontario–Quebec border and forms part of the historic Ottawa River system. It is a massive body of water with steep shorelines, deep basins, rocky structure, and plenty of classic Northern Ontario fishing opportunities. The resort sits on Mission Point, one of the most historically significant locations in the region. In the mid-1800s, the site was home to the Timiskaming area’s first church, school, and hospital, serving settlers, missionaries, and travellers moving through the Ottawa River corridor. Long before European settlement, the area was an important gathering place for Indigenous communities who travelled these waterways for trade and transportation.

Across the lake in Quebec sits Fort Temiscamingue, once a major Hudson’s Bay Company trading post that played a key role in the fur trade. For centuries, this stretch of water served as a gateway between cultures, languages, and communities moving through Northern Canada.

Even the lake itself reflects that history. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, steamships travelled the waters of Lake Timiskaming carrying freight, supplies, and passengers between settlements along the lake. These boats were essential to opening up the region before modern roads connected Northern Ontario.

Today, Old Mission Resort embraces that heritage while offering visitors a classic Northern Ontario getaway. Guests stay in comfortable lakeside accommodations surrounded by forest, rocky shoreline, and expansive views across the lake. The property provides easy access to boating, hiking, wildlife viewing, and, of course, fishing.

But perhaps the biggest draw is simply the setting. Lake Timiskaming has a presence that’s hard to describe until you see it in person. In many places, the lake feels more like an inland sea than a typical Northern Ontario lake, with wide open water, dramatic cliffs, and long runs of untouched shoreline.

For anglers and travellers alike, Old Mission Resort offers a chance to experience that landscape while connecting with the deep history that shaped the Timiskaming region.

Whether you're chasing walleye along the breaklines, exploring the lake’s rocky structure for smallies, or simply watching the sun set across the water, it’s the kind of place that reminds you why Northern Ontario has been drawing people to its lakes for generations.

Gettin’ There

To get to Pete and Steve’s amazing Smallmouth Bass fishing, they first drove north on Highway 12 from the Fish’n Canada headquarters in the GTA.

• They then turned north on Highway 11 and stayed on 11 through North Bay.

• They next took Highway 11B northeast to King Street in the town of Haileybury.

• They next turned right on Lakeview Dr and then onto Silver Center Rd, which turns into 567.

• They finally turned left onto Old Mission Roadd which eventually takes you to the Old Mission Resort.

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