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Great Fishing in
a Great Lake
Weighty walleye, monster browns, trophy
salmon, feisty steelhead, bass, pike, perch
and other pan-fish - thanks to lamprey control
programs and aggressive government restocking,
the Lake Ontario fishery is back.
The Lake's fish population has come a long
way from the dark days of the 1950's, when
sea lamprey infestations threatened to eliminate
sport fish throughout the Great Lakes. Today,
although the full effect of new invasive
species has yet to be determined, Lake Ontario
sport fish species are thriving.
| Bay
of Quinte on Ice
When the mercury is low, the
winds are calm, and snow is
light, conditions are ideal
for ice fishing on the sheltered
Bay of Quinte, one of Ontario's
most popular winter fishing
spots. With the first solid
freeze, a village of as many
as a thousand ice huts, populated
by an international assortment
of ice fishers, appears on the
Bay in a 20 kilometre stretch
from Trenton, through Belleville,
to Deseronto. Walleye, pike
and perch are their cold water
catches. Want to join the fun?
Book a guided ice fishing package,
including shuttle service, hut
and shore accommodation, with
Quinte area operators. Before
you go, check for weather and
ice conditions.
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Winning Walleye:
Lake Ontario has them - a sports
fisher's most valued prize, and a diner's
most delectable dish. Fish for them in weedier
areas of eastern Ontario's Bay of Quinte,
or try some nighttime angling; walleye are
adverse to light. Check for slot limits:
Bay of Quinte fishers are taking a conservation
approach while trying to assess the effects
of zebra mussels and increased water clarity
on local walleye populations.
Betting on Browns:
A Lake Ontario brown trout can top 9 kilograms;
a catch of at least half that weight can
be expected. In spring and fall, the browns
prefer to stay in warmer water. Increase
your odds of hooking one by fishing harbour
outlets, breakwall points, and the river
mouths of known stocking sites. Your Lake
Ontario brown may look a lot like an Atlantic
salmon; for positive identification, look
f
or the squared-off tail.
Legendary Lakers:
Once the top-level predators in most of
the Great Lakes, and one of the most valuable
commercial species, lake trout once bore
the brunt of sea lamprey attacks and declining
water quality. For "lunker lovers,"
lamprey control, pollution control and stocking
programs in Lake Ontario are beginning to
pay off, with stocked fish growing large
enough to reproduce. In spring, lakers can
be found near the surface, and can be taken
with a fly rod, or with spinner, spoons
or plugs. But as the weather warms, they
head for cold water, and must be fished
with deep-water tackle.
Champion Chinooks:
In mid-Spring, troll the shores of Lake
Ontario, in mid-summer head to open waters,
and in early fall, back to river mouths
(such as the Niagara) for coho, steelhead
and chinook salmon. If you're dreaming of
a "king" just too big to fit in
your cooler, book a Lake Ontario fishing
charter. Well-equipped boats from Kingston,
Belleville, Wellington, Cobourg, Port Hope,
Toronto, Burlington, St. Catharines and
Niagara can provide all the gear you need.
Most charter companies operate from April
to October.
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