Camping and Fishing in Canada

[Sportdog]

Do any of you guys just go up into Canada and travel around and fish lakes with public access? I thought that it would be fun to take my small boat and grandson camping, fishing, and just sight seeing and bumming around for a couple of weeks after he gets out of school next year. I saw a lot of public access signs along the highway on our way up to our fishing lodge this past June. If you have done this, how did the fishing stack up? Are there a lot of campgrounds available? I also plan on going to another lodge to get into some great brook trout but like the idea of seeing and experiencing more of that beautiful country with no real schedule to keep and not being pinned down to one spot. Any comments? Thank You.

[ohiojmj]

In Ontario, you need to purchase a permit for each person and day to camp on public (Crown) land as non-resident, although I've seen a number of provincial parks/camp grounds in my travels in Ontario, north of Toronto. Don't know where you are from so my travels to Ontario may not help. Any area of interest?

[Sportdog]

I live in SW Michigan and my only trip to Canada was this past June at Lake Savant in the western side of Ontario. Places straight north from Sault Ste Marie, MI would be nice and then maybe travel around the northern shore of Lake Superior. Are the provincial parks similar to the state parks in the US with camping available or are they more like nature preserves?

[dog2]

Some of the camp grounds along Superior are posted for residents only. what gives we don't restrict anyone in our parks????????
I dont mind the permit fee .Ihave to pay it here at state and federal campgrounds,I to would like to camp at some of the sites along Superior.
can someone from the'Great White North please clarifiy?

[guidedfishing]

I camp in Ontario all the time. You have to do a little home work to know if the area is open to non-resident camping or not. Most crown land is, some is restricted.

It is 10$ a night per person. If you have someone under 18 the fee does not apply to them. Not that its a big deal but if you camp you are restricted to the limits of a conservation license whether you purchased a sports license or not.

I usually camp in the spring and go to fish camps in the summer and fall. Honestly I love the camping experience but for the price its hard to beat a dry bed, warm shower, and a toilet. You can find some pretty reasonable camps in the savant lake area, many for less than 400 to 300 a week, If you get a stretch of fowl weather nice to have a roof over your head.

Good luck
GF

[Slushfish]

Sportdog,
I live in N. Mich. and camp a half dozen times per yr. north and east of the Soo. We usually camp in the bush but have stayed in provincial parks. They differ but, most that we have stayed at haven't had power, some had running water. If you camp in the bush, like stated before, $10 per adult per night. In 20 yrs. I've never heard of possession restrictions. Been checked by MNR at least once a yr with sportsman limit and never had an issue. There are lots of beautiful places between the Soo, Wawa. and Chapleau. Don't be afraid, just do it and have fun.
Slushfish

[Gibson]

Manitoba comes out with a master angler magazine every year or can be downloaded on line. Just pick a species and get some maps to find the lakes and go.

Here's a good start

http://www.travelmanitoba.com/master_angler_search.asp

Most of these lakes are drive to. I usually pick a big species(Lakers are my choice)and do a search of surrounding lakes for other species.

I enjoy my summers this way every year.

Originally Posted by Slushfish

Sportdog,
I live in N. Mich. and camp a half dozen times per yr. north and east of the Soo. We usually camp in the bush but have stayed in provincial parks. They differ but, most that we have stayed at haven't had power, some had running water. If you camp in the bush, like stated before, $10 per adult per night. In 20 yrs. I've never heard of possession restrictions. Been checked by MNR at least once a yr with sportsman limit and never had an issue. There are lots of beautiful places between the Soo, Wawa. and Chapleau. Don't be afraid, just do it and have fun.
Slushfish

Conservation limits when Crown Land Camping are in place in Fisheries Management Zones 2, 4, 6 and parts of FMZ 5. Zone 5 is split up because of the "border waters" regulation.

Although the original poster spoke specifically about wanting to go north of the Sault, I would personally suggest camping in the Ignace area. Tons of awesome camping opportunities and fishing that is second to none, in my opinion. Bit of a drive from MI but an extra day of driving will make it worth your while. Relatively few lodges in the Ignace area in comparison to other parts of NW Ontario and the fishing quality reflects that lack of pressure. There is a Provincial Park in Ignace (Sandbar) but many of the lakes north of town have campsites on Crown Land that are every bit as nice without the hassle of dealing with park rules. Bring a chain saw, cut your own firewood and have at it!

[Sportdog]

Where do you pay the camping fee for Crown Land camping? I must admit after doing a lot of reading on the Ontario parks website and reading some of the posts here, I'm a little confused. I could find no information on which parks do not allow non-residents. I must not be looking in the right place. Are there actual Crown Land camp sites or is it just camping wherever you want in the woods? Thanks.

[dog2]

Sport dog good question , as far as I can determine they have both. there are several along Lake Superior.that have signs posted for residents only does this mean Canadian citizens only or residents of the camp gro unds at that time? then I have seen sites that are open sites? I also would like to know a good site to answer these questions.There are several places along Lake Sup. that I would like to explore and fish for more than a couple of hours.