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Family Fishing

Teach your child to fish, or introduce a friend to fishing during Ontario Family Fishing Events.

Fishing teaches children a new skill, gives them knowledge of safe boating and conservation practices.

During Family Fishing events Canadian residents have the chance to get out on the water and experience fishing in without purchasing the mandatory fishing version of the outdoors card.

Ice fishing is a thrilling sport, whereby a hole is drilled through the ice to fish. Some anglers bring huts out on the ice for warmth and comfort. Outfitters who specialize in Ice Fishing can rent equipment and give advice to help you get started.

Loring-Restoule has many lakes and rivers for your fishing enjoyment. Boat rentals are available through local operators. Children also love fishing off the dock…and can be entertained for hours on end, simply by dropping a line in the water with bobber attached.

Want to know more about teaching someone to fish? Download the Learn to Fish Booklet, or reserve a vacation at one of our many resorts and lodges, where our local operators would be happy to assist you in learning to fish. We have a variety of hardware stores, specialty stores as well as bait & tackle supply for the new or avid angler. Some operators also offer specialty fishing packages, geared to those who want the angling experience.

Fishing for Pickerel

The opening of Pickerel Season in the Loring-Restoule region is a much anticipated event. The region has been involved in an active restocking program for over 20 years with the Argyle Fish Hatchery. The Argyle Fish Hatchery runs an annual Poker run at the start of every summer to benefit their restocking efforts.

This popular sport fish, also known as walleye is a favorite of anglers everywhere. Prized for its great taste and feisty behaviour, it is the most popular gamefish in Ontario. The name walleye comes from the fact that their eyes reflect light and shine back at you. This unique quality allows Pickerel/walleye to easily see in low-light and areas of murky poor visibility, for ease of capturing their prey. The pickerel is also able to see well in rough water, on overcast days and at deep depths. Often the best days to catch pickerel are when the water is choppy and the sky cloudy. In the warmer months, walleye seek cool deep water, while in the spring they can often be found in more shallow murky spots. Dawn and dusk are active feeding times for pickerel. These fish have a mouth full of sharp teeth, and spiny dorsal fins.

If fishing during the day in deeper water, live minnows or lures such as spinners, crankbaits and jigs work well. The same can be used in the evenings, however they often congregate in shallower water in the evening.

The Pickerel River is named after this popular fish, but the majority of our surrounding lakes and rivers have not only Pickerel, but pike, bass and panfish.

Ice Fishing-Getting Hooked on Frozen Lakes

Experience the thrill of ice fishing on our frozen lakes and rivers. This winter sport is both, fun, social and entertaining for all ages. Fishing enthusiasts love the Loring-Restoule region for outdoor adventure and angling. Combine a stay at one of our Resorts & Lodges with a snowmobile ride out to your own hut on the frozen lake. Share fish stories, while you enjoy a cookout of the days catch.

Fish for walleye/pickerel, lake trout, pike and more!

Local bait & tackle shops are always happy to outfit you with gear, a fishing license, and share fishing tips and stories of our region. Our many lakes and rivers are pure paradise for the fishing enthusiast looking for rugged, scenic wilderness, and the thrill of the catch!

Introduce a friend or child to ice fishing during the Ontario’s Family Fishing weekend February 14-16; this is a great way for people new to the sport to experience what fishing is all about.

For the traditionalist who does not mind the cold, simply head out on the ice, drill a hole and get fishing. For those who prefer some heat and respite from the elements…why not try an ice hut. These run from basic, to comfy, some even have heat and padded seats! However you choose to ice fish, we know you will have an experience to remember in Loring-Restoule. Don’t forget your camera; we love to see photos of your fun day of fishing.

Check out these great links to accommodation, gear, and people “in the know” to make your ice fishing trip memorable.

Matthews Little Portage Camp Buchanan Ace Hardware

Parolins Cottages First Choice Bait & Tackle

Wright Point Resort Gohms Bait & Tackle

Tornado’s Resort

Commanda Lake Resort

The Iconic Canadian Cottage Experience

For over a century, folks have looked to Ontario’s wilderness to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and to find the perfect cottage to be their vacation headquarters.

While some parts of cottage country and its lakes have become over-populated and over-priced, Loring-Restoule is still home to family-owned cottage resorts that offer an intimate and relaxing vacation experience, one that comes from being a bit more removed from this busy world.

Think of this as home away from home…

Family and friends can stay together in the comfort of a cottage or a cabin nestled on the shores of a sparkling blue lake. Start your days with a morning dip and a coffee on the dock, spend afternoons swimming, paddling or just floating around. Build a crackling bonfire at night to cook the fish you caught, or to toast some mandatory marshmallows. Spend evenings gazing at the bright carpet of stars above – or the northern lights – as the silence of the night settles in.

Some cottage resorts provide everything you need for your stay, including dining. Others give you the option to bring your own food favourites from home. Many spots have social activities to entertain and introduce you to fellow guests, and gear and equipment for you to use during your stay, such as canoes and kayaks or ATVs. (And if you’ve never tried it, we’ll teach you how to bait your own hook.)

Whatever your preference and whichever the season, a cottage resort or cottage rental in Loring-Restoule is the perfect place to call home while you visit Ontario’s most beautiful wilderness destination.

For a list of cottage resort and cottage rentals in the region, click here.

To plan your stay, click here.

A Fisher’s Paradise

Loring-Restoule is home to the iconic Pickerel River system, over 40 kilometres of navigable waterways that connect many of the beautiful lakes in the area, making this one of the top destinations for recreational and avid fishing in the province.

A Fisher’s Paradise

There are many opportunities for every level of angler to fish here, from beginners to seasoned veterans. Enjoy fishing off the dock, drive in to fishing lodges, or boat in to lakes more off the beaten path. Serious anglers can also fly-in to our most remote fishing hot spots to enjoy our waters and the rewards of a fantastic fishing adventure.

Lakes, Lakes and More Lakes

Try your luck on any number of places you’ll have mostly to yourself, including Wilson Lake, Commanda Lake, and Lake Restoule, as well as back lakes such as Smoky Lake, Arthur Lake, Loon Lake, Bass Lake, Balsam Lake, Windy Lake, Sand Lake, Shoal Lake, Burnt Lake, Clear Lake, and Lemon Lake, which run into the French River closer to Georgian Bay. The water is calm with no swells, so fishing every day is almost guaranteed. From fly fishing to ice fishing – however you like to catch your fish – you’ll find it here.

The fish habit is diverse along miles of water, with ideal pooling features like sand, rocks, deadwood and weeds – everything that supports different fish species.

Popular fish species of the Pickerel River system include small mouth bass, large mouth bass, perch, pike and pickerel (walleye).

Loring-Restoule attracts pickerel (or walleye as our American friends say) fans in particular, thanks to the Argyle Fish Enhancement Program and its re-stocking efforts. (Port Loring was home to the first restocking program in the province, ensuring that the Pickerel River lives up to its name.)

And fishing is a popular and inexpensive activity for families that visit, one where you can create memories to last a lifetime. Being out on the water with your nearest and dearest gives you time to connect in between bites on the line, while giving everyone an appreciation for the natural world around you.

Need help finding a spot to fish or looking for some tackle? Ask your local accommodations provider for tips or visit a bait shop in the region. To plan your stay, click here.