Out of all the amazing spots across Canada, two from Ontario made the 2024 Top 10 list for fishing destinations in Canada – including one right here in the northeast.
The French River, along with Lake Ontario, has been selected by FishingBooker -- a website that helps anglers plan their next fishing trip -- as one of the best in the country.
"Recognized as the first Canadian Heritage River, this locale blends historical, cultural, natural and recreational treasures in northeastern Ontario," FishingBooker said in a news release.
"Ideal for history and outdoor enthusiasts, the French River boasts lodges, creating a perfect base for angler families. French River Provincial Park offers many outdoor activities, including boating, canoeing, kayaking, whitewater paddling, sightseeing, hiking, hunting and fishing."
The French River is 110 kilometres (68 miles) long and connects Lake Nipissing to Georgian Bay in Lake Huron.
"With many bays, shoals and rich bio-diverse vegetation, they have made the river system a fisherman’s paradise. Having such a large body of water, many fish species have come to inhabit the French River," Bear's Den Lodge said on its website.
Pike, musky, walleye, and bass are just a few of the species found in the French River.
"The French River is famous as a trophy walleye river — and rated as one of the country’s top walleye streams," the Angler's Atlas said on its website.
"The French River is a fishing enclave, with more than 50 lodges and marinas along its length."
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The waterway has a rich history dating back hundreds of years.
"The best way to describe the French River is an 80-mile long series of island dotted lakes connected by rapids and falls that gently lower the river a total of 60 feet from Lake Nipissing to Georgian Bay," French River Resorts Association said on its website.
"Other than fast-moving water, there are fishing areas that include weedy bays, coves, flats, rocky pings, and mid-river shoals. A fisherman’s dream and photographer’s paradise."
The small community of just more than 2,600 people is located about 3.5 hours north of Toronto and just less than an hour south of Sudbury.
The other destinations that made the Top 10 for 2024 include:
- The Cowichan River, B.C.
- Bow River, Alta.
- Last Mountain Lake, Sask.
- Lake Dauphin, Man.
- Saguenay, Que.
- North Lake, P.E.I.
- Bras d'Or Lake, N.S.
- The Gander River, Nfld.
