Talon Lake Lunge

This 3,500-acre lake holds trophy muskies and should not be ignored!

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.

Camp Conewango
Camp Conewango is the perfect destination when staying on Talon Lake.

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 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.

Sunset
Beautiful sunsets are the norm when fishing at Talon Lake.

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.

Talon Lake Lodging

Camp Conewango
PH: 705-776-2320
https://campconewango.com/

About Jim Saric

Jim owns Jim Saric Outdoors, Inc., which is dedicated to elevating the sport of musky fishing to new levels by educating anglers through print, web, and television. He is the publisher, editor and owner of Musky Hunter Magazine and the Executive Producer of The Musky Hunter television series. Jim has over twenty-five years experience fishing lakes, rivers, and reservoirs from Minnesota to New York and all across Canada. He has boated more than 100 muskies exceeding 50 inches in length, the largest weighing 53 pounds.

Recommended Articles

Dog Lake Walleye

This lake has it all, but the incredible walleye fishing is what brought us back

Dogtooth Lake Resort Smallmouth

A drive-in smallmouth bass trip to remember

Oles Adventure Resort

Quality smallmouth bass fishing on Whitefish Lake

Speed is Key When Fishing for Muskie in Northern Ontario

Anglers need to balance the size of their lure with the speed of their retrieve.

Bass Love the Grass

Northern Ontario is home to incredible fishing for both smallmouth and largemouth bass.

The Muskie: A Lean Mean Fighting Machine

Ontario is the number one Muskie destination on the planet.

The Best Brook Trout Fishing

Discover world class fishing in Northern Ontario—home of the world record brook trout!

Take Someone Fishing

Easy to learn, affordable, and fun: Fishing is a sport for everyone!

The Ontario Fall Crappie Hunt

Ontario's 400,000 lakes are home to a variety of fish species.

Top 10 Streamers for Ontario Brook Trout

Big Brook Trout get that way by eating lots of smaller fish which is why streamers work well.

Ontario Brown Trout Fishing

It may be the best fishing on earth.

Loch Ness Fishing

Loch Island Lodge is an Angler's Dream

4 Best Shore Lunches in Ontario

A shore lunch is a tasty meal that you won't soon forget. Here are the best most memorable meals we've had lakeside in Ontario!

3 Great Baits For Northern Bass

What should be In your tackle box on your next fishing trip.

Ten Mile Lake Lodge

Enjoy Northern hospitality fishing for splake, brook trout and lake trout

The Walking Dead

Learn some interesting Ontario bass fishing tips.

Grand Tappattoo Resort: Fishing Adventures Near the GTA

A half-hour drive from Parry Sound = excellent pike and bass fishing.

A Walleye Adventure at Anderson's Lodge

Father and son visit Sunset Country to begin a walleye tradition

Christmas Walleyes in Summer

Start your summer off right with these techniques and tips for walleye.

Lac Seul Lunkers

Non-Stop Walleye Fishing Action