Canada Freshwater Fishing

Fishing in the Great Lakes includes a mix of native and introduced species, some of which are regularly restocked. Common catches include lake trout, salmon, walleye and whitefish.

In recent years a major resurgence in the popularity of Great Lakes fishing as species such as walleye and whitefish have recovered in Lake Erie and new salmon fisheries have flourished in Lake Ontario.

The muskellunge, also known as muskie is typically found in clear lakes and large rivers from the St. Lawrence River to The Great Lakes and from Hudson Bay down to the Mississippi River basin. Areas such as the Great Lakes, Ontario and Manitoba are all famous for outstanding muskie fishing.

Wild salmon begin life in freshwater rivers, after growing for a number of months, they eventually migrate to sea where they live as adults. Eventually, then return to their stream of birth to spawn. Wild Pacific salmon spawn once and die afterward.

Canada is known for it's salmon. Several species of wild salmon are found in the lakes, streams and rivers of Canada. The 5 species of Pacific salmon include Sockeye or Red(Oncorhynchus nerka), Chinook or King(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Coho or Silver(Oncorhynchus kisutch), Keta or Chum (Oncorhynchus keta), and Pink or Humpy (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha).

The Atlantic salmon is another another Canadian salmon. The historical range of this species included the Great Lakes and East Coast. Canada's overall population of this valuable salmon dropped from 1.8 million in 1973 to a low of 418,000 in 2001. Although Atlantic salmon in Canada have declined, a few wild populations still remain. The Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program, launched in Ontario in 2006 is one of the largest freshwater conservation programs in North America.

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's second largest country by total area and its common border with the United States to the south and northwest is the longest in the world (source: Wikipedia).

Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) is a member of the Salmonidae family which includes salmon and trout. Arctic char are found in both freshwater and saltwater in Arctic, sub-Arctic and alpine lakes and coastal waters.

The Arctic char is closely related to both salmon and trout and has many characteristics of both. Char can weigh 20 lb or more. Many of the largest fish have been landed in Northern Canada, where they are known as iqaluk or tariungmiutaq.

photo credit: USFWS