Summertime is camping time

Go on a Camping Trip to Northwestern Ontario

With the height of summer it's time to get outdoors and go camping. Northwestern Ontario offers easily some of the most accessible campgrounds to people in Manitoba and the U.S. Midwest. These camping sites cozy right up to a wilderness lake and offer excellent fishing and watersports for the kids. Take in the fresh air experience we offer and enjoy the comfortable and well-serviced campgrounds you can stay at. Hook-ups for larger Recreational Vehicles (RVs) will be available at the majority of locations some capable of taking the biggest of rigs. You can also pitch a tent or use one of these campsites as a base from which you can canoe, boat or fish.

Provincial Parks

With Provincial Parks such as Quetico, Woodland Caribou and Wabakimi, Northwestern Ontario is truly a wilderness canoeists paradise. You can get full canoe outfitting from our members to safely access these wilderness gems. Route planning, canoe rentals and even guides are available. See wildlife such as moose or whitetail deer, bald eagles, great blue herons and much more. Access areas along the lake shoreline with native American rock paintings that are many centuries old. Imagine the stories they were trying to tell so many years ago. For family campers there's parks like Rushing River near Kenora, Blue Lake north of Vermilion Bay, Aaron near Dryden, Ojibway near Sioux Lookout and Pakwash near Red Lake. All these Parks have shower and toilet facilities and some even have interpetive programs and exhibits you can go see.

Please use this link for a complete list of Northwestern Ontario Campgrounds. With summer here now is the time to make the trip. Be sure to stop in town for shopping and to pick up needed supplies such as fishing tackle, groceries, camping supplies and souvenirs. Eat at local restaurant or come in for a full day of shopping. The people in Northwestern Ontario are very friendly folks so get to know us better! Create great vacation memories with your entire family this year. We're only a few hours drive so why not get in the car and come stay for awhile?

Ice-out trout fishing - a ritual of Spring in Northwestern Ontario

Get out and Spin Cast for Lakers

As the ice slowly melts away (and boy is it taking its time this year), the ritual known as ice-out trout fishing is set to commence. Arguably one of the seasons most enjoyable fishing pursuits, fishing for lake trout just after the ice goes out is a real treat. Normally, these fish are down deep below the first and often second thermocline any where from 50-100 feet below the surface. While you can still catch them fairly easily at these depths (with the right equipment and a little know-how), it is just not the same as spin casting for them in 10 feet of water.

The charm of this time of year is there is NO thermocline on the lake right after ice out - the temperature of the water is uniform throughout the water column and the lake trout can roam at any depth they choose. At this time of year you don't even need a boat to catch lakers, just cast your line from shore and you may have a 10-pounder bite your hook. While what lure to use is often a personal choice, we recommend you have lots of "flash" in your presentation - silver and gold are probably the best choices but bright yellow or black and silver combos also seem to work well. You may also want to rig up a spinner "train" and put a frozen cisco on the end of the line - the lake trout just can't seem to resist it!

Whatever rig you decide to use, the idea is to just get out on the lake for the first time after a long winter, enjoy the warmth of the sun and catch a big fish. These ice-out lakers have beautiful firm meat and they taste excellent when you have them for shore lunch. There are many great trout lakes in Ontario's Sunset Country so finding a place to go fishing will not be a problem. Many camp owners still have good cabin availability in the latter part of May so it is not too late to book your ice-out trip for 2008. If you want to access some great trout lakes then we recommend you check out this list of tourist outfitters who can set you up quickly so you can catch these critters.

Ice-out trout fishing is just one of the many reasons anglers from across North America and even Europe visit Sunset Country. We really are Canada's premier fishing destination when you consider the number of lakes we have (70,000+), the multiple species of fish you can catch here - trout, walleye, bass, muskie, pike, crappie, whitefish, sturgeon - and the natural beauty of the area. We are relatively close to home for all you fishermen from the U.S. Midwest so if yyou've got the time this spring we've got the fish - c'mon up!

Winter fun in Northwestern Ontario

March is a Great Time to Visit

It's early March and still no real signs of spring in Northwestern Ontario. Yes, the sun is warmer and the days longer which is great, but the temperatures have not been very spring like so far. February's average temperature was almost 3 degrees celsius colder than normal - which is what they said it would be. No matter, March is the best winter month to visit Ontario's Sunset Country. The weather is usually ideal for outdoor activities like ice fishing, snowmobiling skiing or just taking a winter hike. The white glitter of winter is still here, but it is actually nice and comfortable to be outside.

The fishing is really "hot" at this time of year and the cold water makes those walleye taste even better than usual. Get out on the ice, catch some fish and enjoy time with your friends or family. We have pretty good snow depths in most parts of the region - a little below normal but not too bad for the snowmobiler. You can run your machine for miles and miles on our great wilderness snowmobile trails. The cross-country ski trails are also in prime shape if you like to get out and see the wilderness in winter.