Drive to Canada fishing/ tent camping.

Really looking for ideas places and lakes that are drive to lakes I can pull my boat and get in to some great Canadian fishing. I would rather go and tent camp it for 4 to 5 days over staying in a cabin or what not just to keep the cost down. I didn’t grow up with parents who did these things so I’m really unaware of good options or lakes or places. I would love to start doing this with my son and would really like to do a fall and spring time trip. Obviously this June won’t work but is it to late to plan for September?
Any and all information is very much appreciated. And thank you in advance

How far are you willing to drive? Out of curiosity I googled camping sites around Lac Seul, about a dozen places popped up. Catching walleyes on that lake is like catching blue gills off the dock. Also some amazing smallmouth and musky fishing. I would doubt you could pick a lake across the border and have a bad experience.

Until covid hit we did an annual trip and drove to Kenora and launched the boat and drove to an island that we have a friend that owns part of it. Stayed in one of the cabins on it. That part doesn’t help other than there are tons of islands out there, no clue on the logistics of just driving up to an island and setting up camp but there are plenty up that way. The boat ride was maybe an half hour if you could keep some speed, I want to say the island we stayed on was close to the French narrows. Fishing was awesome. I could reach out to him and ask if he knows if it is legal to stay on any of them. He and his wife both had strokes this last year so not sure if and when we will get back up there.

Sorry this was on LOTW.

Alex Fox wrote:

How far are you willing to drive? Out of curiosity I googled camping sites around Lac Seul, about a dozen places popped up. Catching walleyes on that lake is like catching blue gills off the dock. Also some amazing smallmouth and musky fishing. I would doubt you could pick a lake across the border and have a bad experience.

I guess 12ish hours from home. I’m 4 hours from international falls. Obviously the less of a drive the better. But I have no issue with a longer trip. should have mentioned that my main goal is some top notch fishing for the kid and I. Something that will be a awesome adventure for both of us and Something we can continue to do year after year. Walleye and pike will be our number 1 fishing of choice.

Lac Seul. As good as it gets without flying.

The_Bladepuller wrote:

Lac Seul. As good as it gets without flying.

Agreed. It’s not a matter of will you catch walleyes on a spot, it’s what size.

Awesome thank you guys. That helps with a place to start googling. I’ll look later after work. But how far of a drive is that from the metro or from international falls.

Never mind. That was a easy Google. Any one have any specific places they go camp there. If I can put a trip together for this fall I will be doing that

I’d say 5 hrs north east of I-Falls. There is a fork in the road before you get to Sioux Lookout. West End is where the English River leaves and flows down to Kenora / LotW.

Our church youth group used to go up to Mckenzie island on Red Lake in Ontario. There’s actually a small little village on the that island from the gold mining days, but one year we boated way out to a small remote island and camped out for a couple nights. I have no clue on the legality of what we did, but that lake had incredible walleye, pike, and musky fishing. Look up Woodland Caribou park in Ontario. They talk about camp sites inside the park. If you had time to go for a walk Mckenzie island had many old mine sites right off the roads, and you could collect old core samples some of which actually had visible gold in them. I still have some of those along with some old artifacts like a hard hat with lamp, a pick, and brass fire extinguisher. Another perk is seeing moose and one year we even watched a cow caribou with it’s two babies swim accross some narrows while we were fishing.

This site looks interesting.

https://freecampsites.net/#!(48.93152,+-93.03772)

I am fairly certain that camping on Lac Seul is not allowed if you are not Canadian. Weird…… but pretty sure… check if that’s your plan…. If it is legal you can PM me and I can point out places to go on the East side…

years ago we would just grab a room at the Best Western in Sioux Lookout. They had breakfast there. each morning drive to bait shop, grab minnows, head to public landing, boat in about 45 minute ride, fish all day, shore lunch tote full of necessities, pull up to an island and eat, get back to hotel at sunset…. 3-4 guys shared 1 room, car pooled with 1 pickup and fished out of 1 boat… Cheap as it could get. slow day was 100 per boat…. day of all days was 426 fish. use to go a couple times a year.

11 hours from St Peter, mn

Joe that sounds like the fishing I need.
I’ll happily camp at a resort if they have tent sites. My main goal is to keep the trip cheap and simple.

I remember a guide telling us on Lac Seul about a guy getting lost, so he spent the night in his boat until someone came along and could guide him back. The Canadian “DNR” fined him for illegal camping. I’m sure you can go to a campground with no issues, just not on any random island.

If you are at all interested in catching some big catfish, a short drive to Selkirk MB will leave you with sore arms and big smiles. Best of all there is a nice public campground right at the public launch and if you need or forget anything there is a Walmart and Canadian Tire just a few miles away.

Endless 20+lb catfish

http://www.myselkirk.ca/parksandpathways/selkirk-park/noopt-selkirk-park-campground/

Endless 20+lb catfish

Oh man now that sounds fun

Alex Fox wrote:

I remember a guide telling us on Lac Seul about a guy getting lost, so he spent the night in his boat until someone came along and could guide him back. The Canadian “DNR” fined him for illegal camping. I’m sure you can go to a campground with no issues, just not on any random island.

Yes a camp ground is what I’m looking for. Doesn’t have to be secluded by our selves. Just a camp site

Other’s have mentioned, but I have heard that camping by aliens is restricted to actual parks with campgrounds. Canadians can camp about anywhere on “Queens land”.

BC there’s Rushing River Provincial Park campground on the south end of Dog Lake that is an easy drive to destination. Dog lake resort is a relatively inexpensive option too if I remember correctly. They may have sites.

I know several groups that island camp on LOW canada side. Land in Morson. Been doing it for 40 years. I know they also have houseboat companies out of there, so camping must be legal there.

I know several groups that island camp on LOW on islands. Land in . Been doing it for 40 years.

I have tent camped at Red Wing Lodge near Morson on Lake of the Woods. Sites were okay but could stand a little work. I tried to get the site furthest from the lodge – it tends to have a bit better drainage and has more shade. Docks are good and mostly protected from big winds. Good fishing for walleye, pike, smallies and muskies nearby. Buenavista (also near Morson) has camp sites listed on their webpage. I have not stayed at that resort so cannot comment on details.

Most of NW Ontario is Crownland and open to camping by anyone – free to Canadian residents and non-canadians need to purchase a nightly permit. There are a bunch of reserves or “green areas” where the Crownland is only open to Canadians. Lac Seul is the best example – US residents cannot camp on Crownland there. Doesn’t sound like that’s what BC is even looking for but I linked the regs and scroll to the bottom for gis the map. Won’t let me link to the map on here.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/non-resident-crown-land-camping-and-green-zones

LOTW is going to be the easiest option. There’s resorts in Morson that allow camping – super simple and easy to get to. Young’s Bay in the NW Angle is another super convenient one. That one is camping in MN but fishing in Ontario.

I’ve stayed at the Rushing River campground mentioned and it’s exactly like a MN State Park campground. Nice sites and pretty cheap, but Dogpaw isn’t great fishing by Canada Standards.

I’ve never fished Lac Seul in the summer but sounds like a great place to catch walleyes. It’s another huge body of water so do some research on which end you want to stay on.

Crownland camping Nipigon is on my bucket-list.

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Styler/index.html?appid=ed591cced630472e8fc735099a5a594c

@bearcat89 I have personally stayed at a cabin and tented at the following place. Its an easy drive from our area and the owners are amazing!

https://finlaysonfishingresort.com/

We stayed at a campground in souix narrows one year. Pitched a tent. Had a black bear come through camp cause our dumbasses left garbage out. That got the blood pumping.

We caught a lot of nice fish – mostly walleyes and pike and you’re a much more accomplished angler than I so I imagine you would do quite well there.

Was a fun trip but some of the other mentions in here sound more enticing to me

Thank you guys for all the info and advice. Especially where non residents can’t camp.

I walked over and talked to my neighbor, who runs a veteran guide service and he invited me as a guide to some where near the soiux narrows this September 15th to the 23rd. It’ll be a fully paid way for bringing a vet out in my boat. They stay at there vets resort he has up there. It’s a start for sure. And better that it won’t cost me anything, and I’ll be able to take a couple vets out. Buy I’m very interested in camp staying in a non resort. I enjoy roughing it.

About a dozen of us camp on an island on a lake north of Ignace for past 7 years (minus covid years). It’s roughing it with a 5 gallon bucket for a bathroom. We get the camping permits in Ignace, I think we pay around 11.50 per person per night. Buy the 8 day conservation license (conservation license is required if you’re a non resident camping on Crown land). It’s a fun, inexpensive trip with great fishing!

Hydro wrote:

About a dozen of us camp on an island on a lake north of Ignace for past 7 years (minus covid years). It’s roughing it with a 5 gallon bucket for a bathroom. We get the camping permits in Ignace, I think we pay around 11.50 per person per night. Buy the 8 day conservation license (conservation license is required if you’re a non resident camping on Crown land). It’s a fun, inexpensive trip with great fishing!

Sounds like what we are looking for.

I obviously have a lot of research to do. I’m not familiar with what’s crownland or not. But you need a daily permit for crownland being a non resident correct, but some crownland is a no go no matter what ? So lac seul I have to be at a resort or hotel to stay the night. Tenting is allowed no where there

about 4hrs from I-Falls – English River at Grassy Narrows Reservation used to have 2 places people would camp at, 1 is the marina at the end of Tommy’s Road (there is a launch there too), also there is another access point at the end of the road after driving thru the reservation where I have seen tents.

I dont know of any websites for either place, but there might be something on Facebook? (I dont do Facebook)

we have been going to this area and staying in cabins for 20yrs, and I dont know of many places where getting less than 100 walleye/day is considered just an “OK” day between 2 guys in a boat. I have also seen pictures of 50″ Northern here too. We dont target them but have seen monsters latching on to 20in walleyes.

bigstorm wrote:

about 4hrs from I-Falls – English River at Grassy Narrows Reservation used to have 2 places people would camp at, 1 is the marina at the end of Tommy’s Road (there is a launch there too), also there is another access point at the end of the road after driving thru the reservation where I have seen tents.

I dont know of any websites for either place, but there might be something on Facebook? (I dont do Facebook)

we have been going to this area and staying in cabins for 20yrs, and I dont know of many places where getting less than 100 walleye/day is considered just an “OK” day between 2 guys in a boat. I have also seen pictures of 50″ Northern here too. We dont target them but have seen monsters latching on to 20in walleyes.

13 of us just got back from English River / Grassy Narrows on sunday, fishing was fantastic. We unload off the rock at end of Tommys road, 30 minute boat ride to an island off of Indian to set up our tents. Fish mainly Maynard Falls an Wabigoon. Had 2 bears roaming camp whole week we were there.