Did you know that there are more than 130 lakes in the Kawarthas? All we ever hear about are the lakes within the Trent-Severn Waterway like Pidgeon, Balsam, Stoney, Sturgeon, etc. Surprisingly, a lot of these lesser-known Kawartha lakes have produced some very big fish. For example, a record 9.84-pound Smallmouth Bass was taken from Birchbark lake, a small, unassuming lake in the Kawartha Highlands.

All you need to do is be willing to get out there and explore. With so many lakes and so many species to choose from, the Kawarthas offer up a smorgasbord of all the prime species Ontario is famous for. The lakes without the locks—but still interconnected with the Waterway—offer some of the best fishing in the province without having to drive for ten hours to get there.

Lakefront cottages are available all along the hundreds of kilometres of tree-shaded shorelines that make up this area of the Kawartha Lakes. Just remember to practice safe catch and release, and obey the rules and regs, and you’ll be fishing there for many years to come!

Just one more reason to Go Fish in Ontario!