Editor's Note: This article was published in 2019.
Talon Lake on the Mattawa River in Bonfield, Ontario, is an overlooked musky water, located between the more famous waters of Lake Nipissing and the Ottawa River. However, this 3,500-acre lake holds trophy muskies and should not be ignored.
Talon Lake is only a three-and-a-half-hour drive north of Toronto, located just east of North Bay in Mattawa River Provincial Park. There are not many lodges on the lake, which cuts down the boat traffic. Combine this with the incredible scenic beauty of the Park, and Talon Lake is a musky hunter’s paradise. I was amazed at the number of potential musky spots, and this lake fished larger than expected. Yet, you don’t need a large boat like you do when fishing the nearby larger waters.
Camp Conewango is located on the north end of the lake and has both cottages and a campground, as well as a swimming beach and a great docking system. It has all the amenities a musky angler needs, including its own restaurant. If you can’t stay at Camp Conewango, there are other lodges nearby in Bonfield.
Talon Lake is full of incredible musky spots, many sitting adjacent to deep basins exceeding 100 feet of water. The giant weed beds, boulder points, and mid-lake humps provide a sense that every cast can produce a giant musky. The water has a slight stain, with weeds growing to 12 feet. During the summer, we located muskies on large weed flats, as well as a few rock points that had current. We had musky action on large in-line spinners such as Cowgirls, and Topraiders, as well as large soft plastics such as Bulldawgs and large 9-inch ShallowRaiders. Both perch patterns and peal patterns seemed to get action, but we did catch our largest musky on a black Cowgirl.
During our short trip, the weather conditions were great for enjoying the summer weather, but not ideal for muskies. We had sunny and calm conditions with no humidity. The one morning we did have cloud cover, we had musky action on our first five spots. So it’s clear the muskies are present in this lake, but like anywhere else, you need some favourable weather, particularly in summer. Low-light conditions are best during summer, and there’s no doubt this is an incredible fall fishery, as plenty of photographs of big Talon Lake muskies prove.
Talon Lake is an incredible musky fishery, and if you are looking for a beautiful and scenic musky fishing destination with little fishing pressure, Talon Lake is the place.
Camp Conewango
PH: 705-776-2320
https://campconewango.com/
