Best Brook Trout Fishing In Ontario: Southern Ontario
If you do not know by now, I’ve been one of the top river guides in Ontario for over 15 years, and I’m about to reveal some of my best tactics and secrets for brook trout fishing.
With hundreds of cold, clean creeks and rivers, Southern Ontario has some of the best brook trout fishing around, especially if you know where to go and how to catch them.
Although they may not all be big like the ones on some of the remote Northern Ontario rivers, brook trout are plentiful in Southern Ontari,o and you don’t have to drive far to find them.
Some good brook trout fishing can even be found within 20 minutes of Toronto.
But, there are some exceptional brook trout fishing spots, and in this article, I will share some of my favorite spots and the tactics I use as a guide to catch them.
The best brook trout fishing in Ontario can be found in the Saugeen River system, the Nottawasaga River System, the Credit River System, and the Humber River System. These are some of the best brook trout rivers, and they have many other smaller tributaries that have lots of brook trout in them.
I say system because rivers like the Saugeen River and the Nottawasaga River cover a huge area, and many other tributaries have brook trout in them.
There are many other great book trout waters as well that I will dive into soon.
Finding the best brook trout fishing in Ontario could be just a matter of using Google Maps to find out where these little streams are and then going for an exploratory drive to see if they are accessible for fishing.
I’ll reveal one tactic I’ve used to find some of these little gems.
Many of these rivers and creeks will have many small brook trout, but there are usually some big, old, weary brook trout in there too. You just need to know how to catch them.
How To Catch Brook Trout In Small Rivers
Many of the best brook trout rivers are less than 10 feet wide and are forested or have high grasses in the summer.
This means you need to adjust your fishing style. Whether you are fly fishing, spin fishing, float fishing, or bottom bouncing, you may need to plan your approach before you make your cast.
These tiny creeks often get missed by many anglers and can be full of brook trout.
Some of the best trout creeks in my area are less than 5 feet wide and almost hidden by the grasses and bushes in the summer, but they are loaded full of brook trout.
Often, you will need to cast upriver or downriver to be able to get your lure, bait, or fly to the fish. Just because you have found the best brook trout fishing in Ontario doesn’t mean you will catch any.
Brook trout, like other trout, can be finicky sometimes, and the big ones are very cautious, which is why not many guys in southern Ontario catch the big ones. You need to know how to fish for BIG TROUT.
I finally revealed my secrets that allow me to consistently catch more trout, so when you are done reading this article, I’ll leave a link below for that page…
Some of the best methods for brook trout fishing in small rivers are fly fishing and bottom bouncing using my advanced bottom bouncing methods.
Both of these methods are short-line methods that can be done in very tight cover, like in the two pictures above.
These rivers a not great for float fishing methods unless you find a bigger pool to fish.
If you are not sure what bottom bouncing is or how to do bottom bouncing well, check out my page Bottom Bouncing – 5 Proven Guide Tips For More Fish -see that at www.troutandsteelhead.net
Casting small spinners and spoons can be another great method for catching brook trout in Ontario. Small and shiny is the key when it comes to lure fishing; lures under 2 inches are best. If this is your preferred method, I highly recommend pinching the barbs on your hooks so you do not damage the trout’s mouth.
Another great lure to try, and one that works well in these small creeks is a jig. White and yellow jigs are hot for me, but black can be great at times too. A simple 1-inch twister tail jig is often all you need.
Fly fishing is often the best method for catching brook trout in Ontario. There are many great fly fishing guides in Ontario who can often put their clients onto 50+ brook trout.
Fly fishing also allows you to target brook trout that are feeding on bugs on the surface. Even the big brook trout will eat flies.
When I owned my tackle store, an older client came in and asked me to order in a fly called a Montreal Dark Wet Fly, which he claimed was his best brook trout fly.
Unfortunately, I could not find the exact pattern he uses in my fly catalogs, so instead of ordering the fly, I tied up a dozen to his exact specifications, and a week later, he was out fishing with them.
The next weekend, I found out that he had landed a 5-pound brook trout and a 4-pound brook trout on his first day out. This was on a creek less than 20 minutes from my store and about an hour’s drive from Toronto.
In case you are now wishing you knew where my tackle store was, it was in Orangeville, and there are about 15 to 20 little creeks in my area that have brook trout in them, and many have potential for big ones. NOTE: I am retired from guiding and have sold my tackle store.
How To Catch Brook Trout In Larger Rivers
Larger brook trout rivers are harder to find in southern Ontario because the bigger the river gets, the wider it gets, and the more sun shines on it, and this makes many larger rivers in Southern Ontario too warm for the brook trout.
You usually have to go far up those rivers to find colder water where the brook trout fishing is good.
However, the best brook trout fishing in Ontario can be on some select bigger rivers like the Saugeen River and some of its tributaries.
When I say big, I’m referring to rivers that are 15 to 30 feet wide. There are few, if any, good brook trout rivers over 30 feet wide.
These bigger rivers are great for spin fishing, fly fishing, bottom bouncing, and even for float fishing methods. The lures and flies that work in the smaller creeks will work in the bigger rivers. The only difference with bigger rivers is that they are easier to cast and fish.
If you fly fish, check out my page on the best trout flies. I have some of my favorite brook trout flies listed on there, including one I watch the most brook trout on.
Also, check my page for the best baits for trout.
Best Time To Catch Brook Trout In Ontario
Brook trout fishing is almost always during the normal trout season, which in Southern Ontario is from the fourth Saturday in April until September 30th.
The bugs start to show up, and the river is still nice and cool in the spring, which can be the best time to fish for brook trout in Ontario. Often, late April to mid-June is the best time to fish brook trout if you want to fish all day or in the afternoon.
I guide for brook trout all summer, and I’d say the best time to fish in the hot months of July, August, and September is very early in the mornings when the water is cold again.
They check the water temperatures throughout the day to ensure the safety of the trout and to ensure the fishing stays good.
It’s best to get yourself a stream thermometer and check the water temperatures.
Fishing above 66°F is often dangerous and stressful on brook trout. Fighting brook trout above 66°F can kill them, and often they won’t feed in this warm water anyway so you will be wasting your time, and you should go find colder water if you want to catch some brook trout.
A good stream thermometer is also a valuable tool to help you find some of the best brook trout fishing in Ontario. I will often go to a creek that I want to scope out in the middle of the summer on the hottest of days and test the water temperatures. If it’s very cold, there’s a great chance you just found a good brook trout creek.
You can see the stream thermometer and all the river gear that I use on my page River Fishing Gear: Everything You Need To Succeed In 2021 – see that at www.troutandsteelhead.net
Best Brook Trout Guides In Ontario
Guides like me know where the best brook trout fishing in Ontario is throughout the trout season.
They guide 13 of the best trout rivers and many other small tributary creeks for brook trout and brown trout. They are skilled in fly fishing, spin fishing, and float fishing, and are a wise choice if you want to learn how and where to catch more brook trout in Ontario.
For more on the best trout rivers, go to my page The Best Rivers In Ontario For Trout And Steelhead
I promised I’d reveal my secret to catching more big fish.. You can see it HERE.
Thank you for reading my page on the best brook trout fishing in Ontario, I hope it helps you find some great brook trout fishing this year.
Graham
