Fishing lodges in Ontario Canada deliver unbeatable fishing experiences. No other place on earth does this better. In case anyone is not convinced, here are 9 facts about the remote fishing resorts in Ontario to prove they are in the best locations ever.

1. These fishing lodges are remote.

• Almost nobody lives in northwest Ontario. The population centers are in the southern 10 percent of the province along the shores of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence lowlands.

• There are not a lot of major roads through northwestern Ontario by American standards. There is 1 highway similar to a US interstate freeway in Kenora district, 2 in Thunder Bay District, and 2 in Rainy River District.

• Then there are secondary highways (mostly paved and less than 15 miles long) and a few tertiary highways that are all gravel and of poor standard.

• This is because over 97 percent of the land in these districts in northwestern Ontario is unincorporated and sparsely populated.

2. The lakes these fishing lodges are on are pristine.

• The undeveloped nature of most of the land in northwest Ontario has kept the lakes undeveloped as well, except for the fishing lodges themselves. This type of development is easy on the lake because it is there to support fishing.

• It is different than development for housing or light industry. Often the lodges are just fishing camps.

• The water quality and ecology of these lakes have been preserved.

3. These lakes generally enjoy a low fishing pressure.

• The low pressure on the fish populations of lakes in northwest Ontario is due partly to their remoteness.

• Another reason is that most of the fisheries in this area of Ontario are on crown land. Less than 25 percent of the land is privately owned.

• Additionally, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry manage fish populations through regulation and enforcement. Catch and retain limits for each species is set for each fisheries zone, and by extension, for each lake.

4. There are a huge number of lakes in Ontario.

• The state motto of Minnesota is “Land of 10,000 Lakes”, which makes that state a fine place to fish. There are actually 11,842 lakes in Minnesota.

• There are about 250,000 lakes in Ontario. Minnesota’s waterways look puny in comparison. What does that fact say about Ontario? That it is a fantastic place to fish.

5. Ontario actively and scientifically conserves its precious lakes and rivers.

• The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry conducts Broadscale Monitoring Programs on lakes and rivers. The Ministry’s Aquatic Science Specialist leads science crews with their equipment in collecting biologic information. This includes fish abundance and health, water samples, and invasive species.

• These crews pay special attention to the top predator fish species. This is because the health and abundance of top predators indicates the same for the fish they feed on.

• All this biological data is sent to MNRF biologists who use it to manage this resource. The goal is to maintain and preserve this precious resource for future generations to enjoy.

6. Ontario lakes make optimum oxygen and nutrientsavailable for fish.

• The lakes in Ontario are dimictic. This means the layers of water in the lake, warm on top to cool on the bottom, turn over (or mix) twice each year. In the spring and again in the fall.

• This is important because this process distributes dissolved gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) and nutrients for the fish and aquatic plants. The water is thoroughly mixed before it is stratified again.

• This is important to all fish, but it is especially so to cold loving fish, like lake trout, that hang out in the deep parts of the lake in the summer.

• At those depths, decaying organic matter depletes dissolved oxygen. Mixing twice a year helps these fish thrive.

• There are dimictic lakes elsewhere in the world. Any lake that cools to 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degree Celsius) at the surface, and is not too shallow, will turn over twice a year.

• But when this fact gets added to the other facts, it shows Ontario fishing lodges are in the best places because they are on the healthiest lakes.

7. The diversity of fish species makes great fishing.

• A good lake to fish in will support 2 or 3 great game fish. Like trout and bass. Most lakes do not support 3 great species.

• The lakes in Ontario support 158 fish species!“Big deal,” you say.You are only interested in 3 or 4 sport species? Good biodiversity is good for all species, especially the predators that anglers go after.

• And great biodiversity is better still.

• Here is a partial list of fish species you probably are interested in. Walleye, northern pike, muskie, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, brook trout, lake trout, salmon, carp, brown trout, catfish, rainbow trout, sturgeon, whitefish and panfish (sunfish, bluegill, bullheads, and rock bass).

8. Ontario is not so remote that you can’t enjoy the fishing.

• You can drive. Get an Ontario road map, details about border crossings, and find Ontario Tourism Information Centres at Ontario Canada’s website. See Sources below.

• You can fly. There are international airports in Hamilton, London, Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Toronto, and Windsor that you can fly into from the US or abroad. From these you can fly a domestic airline to airports in these cities: Thunder Bay, Sioux Lookout, North Bay, Timmins, Kingston, Sarnia, Kenora, and Muskoka.

• You can fly and then drive. You can rent a car at most airports.

9. Ontario loves recreational fishing and the anglers who come here to do it.

• Recreational fishing is important to Ontario because it is a big part of our heritage. It is also a huge part of our current culture and economy.

• Ontario has 1,320,000 licensed anglers. Recreational fishing tourism generates hundreds of millions of dollars.

• This drives our belief that Ontarians are stewards of the tremendous resource that are our fisheries. We also welcome all anglers including the rising generation to enjoy this experience and participate in preserving it.

Wildewood on Lake Savant is a fishing adventure resort located in remote wilderness of Ontario, Canada. Andy Kerecman manages their blog (https://wildewoodonlakesavant.com/about-resort/blog/) to celebrate the pristine landscape around the lake and the amazing trophy fishing that can be had.