Some of the best lake smallmouth fishing in the world lies in northwest Ontario. This vast maze of woods and water just over the Minnesota border has hundreds of pristine lakes where both the numbers and sizes of smallmouth continue to expand. In some ways, we have the wimpy walleye to thank for this outstanding fishing. Because walleye mania is so powerful in northwest Ontario, most anglers who venture into the North Country fixate on 'eyes and ignore the smallies. Combine this low angling pressure with a longer growing season (a product of global warming) and you have smallies that are increasing in size. In fact, some Ontario lakes where fish in the past seldom exceeded 3 pounds, nowadays routinely produce 4-pounders. And 21-inch, 5-pound lunkers are turning up more and more in these northern waters.

   Plus, more lakes hold smallies than ever before. Though smallmouth aren't native to this part of Ontario, they continue to expand into new lakes every year. Lodge owners have discovered the species' potential so they spread them by unsanctioned stockings. And these northern bronzebacks also expand on their own by moving through streams and rivers into connected lakes.

Easy and Exciting
   While most Ontario smallmouthing is in lakes, it doesn't mean you have to dredge the 30-foot depths like you might in a deep, clear and heavily fished U.S. reservoir. Especially in lakes with only average clarity and lots of shoreline cover, good fishing can be found in water less than 10 feet deep, shallow enough for both easy fly and spin angling. Spring, of course, offers lots of shallow water smallies, but even during summer and early fall there are still plenty of bigger fish along wood-laden shorelines, weed beds and rocky points.

   In fact, I've had some of my most exciting Ontario smallmouth angling in early and mid-September. Weed growth is seldom very extensive in North Country lakes, but by this time of year there are often clumps and small weed beds visible and the smallies relate to them. Working topwaters and big streamers around the edges of this vegetation produces the fattest smallmouth of the year, and nice pike, too. A ten-pound pike on one cast and a 4-pound bronzeback on the next -- that's about as exciting as it gets. And when you combine this great fishing with the rugged beauty of these uncrowded North Woods lakes, I think you have an outdoor experience that's unsurpassed.

Quetico and BWCA
   Many smallmouth fans who don't mind paddling know about the fabulous fishing in the million-acre Quetico Wilderness Park next to Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area. I've spent almost 30 years exploring Quetico and, no question, it can offer some great smallmouthing. However, people should always keep in mind two points. First, many of the Boundary Waters lakes are extremely deep and infertile. Lakes with towering rock bluffs and deep plunging shorelines may offer a feast for the eyes, but are not good fish habitat. Instead, focus on shallower lakes with low shorelines. Secondly, easy-access lakes in canoe country get fished heavily. Some Quetico/Boundary Waters newbies assume that once they get 30 feet beyond a canoe launch they are in never-explored territory. In reality, entry point lakes get pounded by people looking for camp meals. Lakes at least a day's travel into the wilderness offer much better fishing.

More Great Canadian Lakes
   Another smallmouth destination (especially for those who don't like to paddle a canoe and sleep in a tent) is 950,000-acre Lake of the Woods. The gigantic 'Woods is better known for its walleye and muskie fishing, but parts of the lake also hold excellent smallmouth. And the 75 miles between the Quetico and Lake of the Woods holds many other lakes with high numbers of smallmouth. Two possibilities are huge Rainy and Eagle lakes, both popular walleye destinations even though they have good smallmouth angling, too. And scattered through the area are another 250 lesser-known lakes with superb smallmouth fishing. This is a tremendous amount of water. Many of these lakes are at least 3,000 acres and even the "small" ones are generally over 500 acres. All this water offers a person a lifetime of fishing and exploration.

   Many of these northwest Ontario smallmouth lakes have few boat landings, but there is often a resort on the lake or nearby. This in essence means the resort owners control angler harvest. Therefore, you should always find out if the resort operators allow harvest of smallmouth on the lakes they control. One Ontario lodge that I lead trips to every year is Slippery Winds Resort on Yoke Lake. A short float plane ride from International Falls, Minnesota, Slippery Winds has a strong release policy on the 6 lakes they fish. This not only keeps the smallmouth angling good, but it also protects the pike, largemouth, muskie and lake trout fisheries. Walleye shore lunches are allowed, but all the other 5 species are recycled. I've been going up to Slippery Winds twice a season the past 4 years and fishing has been excellent. A variety of guests have gone on these fly fishing trips -- males and females from 82 to 13 years old and ranging from very experienced to first-timers. Everyone has had a great time and caught fish. I hope my trip-hosting skills have something to do with these happy outcomes. But I think the biggest reasons are the lakes' productive fisheries and the enlightened release policies of the lodge owners. It's like I've long said, put a lot of big fish in great-looking waters and you're almost guaranteed a good time.

   Anyone interested in finding out more about the Slippery Winds trips should check the Ontario trip write-up on this website. The upcoming September trip still has a few openings.