Our primary species of fish are the tasty Walleye and ferocious Northern Pike. Walleye average in the pound and a half to two pound range, the best eating size there is. Our clean, northern Ontario water not only adds to the flavor but also eases the mind as to its absence of harmful contaminants.

Fish fillets from Wabatongushi Lake are as clean and fresh as it gets!

There are many different techniques for Walleye fishing. In our area, it really depends on the time of year you are fishing. The most common question we get is what is the best time to come up fishing? Well, that depends! If you like shallow water fishing, then May and June are the times for you. That time of year we use a lot of jigs with live bait, mostly minnows and leeches. Chartreuse or Orange color in the 1/4 oz. range works well. During May and June, casting or "twitching" with Rapalas is also productive. Most of the fishing that time of year is done in 5-10 feet of water. Walleye are numerous and easy to catch. It is a very popular time with fishermen of all levels.

For Northern Pike, the season is pretty consistent. These monsters have been referred to as assimilation machines. They will devour anything that crosses their path—when they feel like eating. At other times, they just lay in the shallow water and "sun" themselves. They are at the top of the fish food chain in our waters, and anything else near them is fair game for a meal. They average 4-5 lbs. and go up to over twenty pounds. Their long, powerful body is a naturally designed aquatic missile perfectly adapted for quick attacks on their prey. We have cut open Pike in the past and found whole Chipmunks inside!

Pike are plentiful in Wabatongushi Lake and are also present in a number of our portage lakes. Crankbaits, big spinners with our without bucktails, or large "Suicks" work well. Another easy way to catch Pike is a big sucker minnow on a bobber. It's a bit lazy, but what the heck!

In addition to Walleye and Northern Pike, we offer exceptional Whitefish fishing in June. During June, usually when the mayflies hatch, Whitefish which are normally a deepwater fish, come to the surface to feed. It is that time that they can be caught on a fly rod or light spinning rod with artificial flies or a dead mayfly from the surface of the lake. They have very delicate mouths, so you have to be very careful not to set the hook too hard! Whitefish, when properly cooked, are fantastic eating. They are also wonderful smoked.

Speckled Trout, also known as Brook Trout, are found in several portage lakes and steams, they average 10" - 12" in the streams and larger in the lakes. We've had Specks caught up to 7 lbs in some of our outpost lakes. They are extremely aggressive and pound per pound will outfight anything else in the area, including the Northern Pike. Well known for their delicious fillets, they are well worth spending a day or more pursuing. Perch...what more can you say? Perch are some of the best eating fish available anywhere. They are abundant in Wabatongushi, yet underfished. Their size is what limits most fishermen from pursuing them. Most Perch average in the 8-12 inch range, although some get to be much larger. The small size requires more to make a meal. Generally found in shallow, weedy bays and easily caught on spreader rigs with worms, the larger ones sometimes forget their families and school with Walleye. Those fish can be much bigger. The largest we've had in our fish shack was a whopping 17".

Another species of aggressive fish located in two of our portage lakes is the Smallmouth Bass. Similar to their southern cousins, the Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth tend to congregate around rocky points and will favor more flowing waters. They are an aggressive fish and can be caught with the same techniques used for Northern Pike. Spinners, Rapalas, and small spoons work well. We do have a two-fish limit on Smallmouth Bass, but you can catch and release all day!

With all the water we have in our area, it would take years to explore and fish. It would be easy to spend an entire week just fishing our portage lakes, then years to tackle Wabatongushi. All of this is yours to explore for three days, four days, a week or more. Use of any of our portage lakes and equipment is free of charge, so get out there and explore!

Welcome to Loch Island Lodge and Camp Lochalsh!