Fishing on Eagle Lake, Ontario is what a Canadian fishing trip should be all about. It is truly rare to find all five major species on the same lake, Eagle Lake has them all! Walleye, northern, musky, smallmouth bass, and lake trout are all within easy reach from the lodge.
With over 68,000 acres of clear Canadian Shield waters, more than 100 islands, and in excess of 400 miles of shoreline, Eagle Lake offers very good fishing.
Walleye fishing on a Canadian lake is what memories are made of. The Ministry of Natural Resources considers it to be one of the top walleye lakes in northwest Ontario.There are several good reasons for this assessment. Eagle Lake’s healthy walleye population has had the benefit of almost 20 years of innovative fisheries management practices. A slot size (all walleye between 18-23 inches must be released) implemented years back has resulted in a stable & robust spawning population. Combined with a restriction of only one fish over 23 inches in a “limit”, no night fishing, and a catch & release philosophy amongst many of today’s anglers, the result is a quality fishery here on Eagle Lake. Unlike some lakes where the fish seem to be from the same cookie cutter, on Eagle one never knows whether the next fish will be 17 inches or 27 inches!
For some great walleye fishing tips – click here
Northern Pike are abundant and offer the trophy hunter as well as the junior angler in the paddle boat a chance to feel the thrill of that bent rod and screaming drag! For anglers looking for fast action this is the species to target. Hard fighting and seemingly always eager to bite, pike are numerous in Eagle Lake. Pike in the 24-27 inch range are common, and are the best “eaters”, with bigger fish pushing 40 inches and over being caught throughout the season.
All lakes in northwest Ontario have a protected slot size for pike of 27 1⁄2 to 36 inches. These fish must be released. The result on Eagle has been impressive with the number of quality pike growing exponentially. Targeting these fish with surface baits, spinners and crankbaits has produced some very thrilling catches in recent years.
For some great northern pike tips – click here
Musky is the king of freshwater fish and are a fun challenge for both novice and pro alike. Eagle Lake is the only lake in N.W. Ontario to have two recorded musky over 60 pounds, one being caught right here in Vermilion Bay! A trophy hunter’s paradise! Eagle Lake has been the destination for generations of serious musky hunters. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has classified Eagle Lake as a “trophy musky fishery” and has enacted innovative fisheries management tools to protect, and enhance its musky population. A 54 inch minimum size limit, plus a well established catch & release philosophy, has ensured Eagle Lake’s future as a trophy musky destination. This is a totally natural fishery; no stocking of musky has ever taken place. Eagle Lake contains the spotted strain of musky with the occasional naturally occurring “tiger” hybrid. Over the past ten years, we have seen a significant increase in the number of immature musky roaming our waters, a sure sign that the management plan is working. Skillful anglers catch 40 to 50+ inch fish each year. Many serious musky anglers and fishery biologists believe that Eagle is home to monster fish in excess of fifty pounds.
For some great musky tips – click here
Smallmouth Bass are the ultimate scrappers on light tackle or fly rod. Try it once and you’ll understand why! For the smallmouth angler, this is an opportunity worth noting! Some of our guests travel from as far away as Kentucky to catch these lightly pressured fish. Eagle Lake is a quality bass fishery, with an average size of 2-3 pounds. However, 4 to 5 pound fish are available and these are the ones that make Eagle Lake smallmouth fishing very exciting. Fish of this size are very strong, powerful and often put on an acrobatic display after being hooked. The absolute best time of year to target these fish, and get into consistent action is during the spring spawn. This occurs in the late May to mid-June time frame and can offer some outstanding fishing with topwater lures and light tackle. Shallow bays where water temperatures begin to warm early in the season are prime locations. And for something truly special, the lodge keeps a boat & motor on High Rock Lake and Caribou Lake. These lakes are “off the beaten path” that you portage into for arm-tiring bass action that is nothing short of amazing!
For some great smallmouth bass tips – click here
Lake Trout on Eagle Lake offers the chance for a real trophy; 20 pound fish are not unheard of. Lake trout have been thriving in Eagle Lake for thousands of years. The population is well established, but considerably smaller in size than pike and walleye. But anglers who know what to do and where to do it have been catching them for generations. The lake trout in Eagle have seasonal movements. We have had great success fishing within site of camp on many occasions early in the season. Lake trout on Eagle average in the 4-8 pound range with individuals over 20 pounds being caught each year. They are great fighters, especially when caught on medium-power tackle. When Lake Trout Fishing jigging and trolling are the methods that produce best for our guests that actively pursue lake trout. An exciting addition to the Eagle Lake trout fishing is the opportunity to access Delano Lake (Clearwater) by half mile portage trail where we keep two boats & motors for exclusive use by VBL guests. This is a numbers lake for trout where the average size is 24-26 inches. Very tasty eaters and plenty of them!
For some lake trout tips – click here
Fish cleaning services are provided at no charge. Your catch will be professionally filleted, packaged and frozen. Your northern pike will even be de-boned, including those pesky y-bones!
Other services available at the dock to make your Canadian fishing trip a success include both straight and mixed gas, ice, bait and plenty of free fishing tips.
At the dock you will quickly realize why this is one of the most “worry free” dock areas around. Individual docks in our natural creek channel provide the ultimate protection to your equipment in even the most severe weather.
Complimentary launching and docking are included along with electrical hookups at the dock.
Our boats are 18 ft. Alumarine boats; one of the strongest and safest boats built in Canada, and are well suited to Eagle Lake. For your comfort they come fully equipped with net, safety gear, life jackets, cushions, minnow bucket, swivel seats, non-slip vinyl floors and a front casting deck. Matched with a 40hp Yamaha 4 stroke, electric start motor makes this a great fishing package – all gas included (up to one tank per day…a fuel surcharge may be applied in the event of a dramatic price fluctuation). Complete with fish locator and bow mounted Minnkota Terrova trolling motor with I-Pilot and hand held remote. In previous years these were our “upgrade” boats. Due to the popularity by our guests this model of boat is now what we exclusively offer…no need to look for upgrades!
Fishing “new” waters can be a challenging experience to both novice and seasoned anglers. Eagle Lake offers the chance for all 5 major freshwater species, but not all our guests may have had the opportunity before this to fish for them all! We can help!
In order to help introduce you to the some of the basic techniques we have put together some simple, and useful, tips that will help you catch fish!
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Use these fishing tips on a trip to Vermilion Bay Lodge, or in your own neck of the woods. It has proven effective for us and we hope it will work for you!
Good fishing, and don’t forget to “relax and unwind”!
On behalf of the Boyes Group, I would like to pass on our sincere thanks for hosting the Muskie Madness Week and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at VBL and had a great time!! This was our 7th year on Eagle Lake and we have stayed at a few other lodges but VBL takes the cake hands down! You can definitely count us in for next year. I’m happy to see you post some of my pics, they turned out well. Thanks again Gord for a wonderful week of fishing and your stellar hospitality, you run a first class operation, we look forward to seeing you next year!
