Elora Gorge Fishing – A Guides Advice And Tips
I have been a fishing guide in this section of the Grand River area for over 20 years, so in this article, I’m going to reveal some of the tips and advice I share with my clients about Elora Gorge Fishing.
In fact, I’m going to let you in on some secrets you have never heard about but should know if you plan on fishing the Elora Gorge. These are things many local guides don’t want you to know about, but there are plenty of them throughout the article.
Some of the tips I’ll share with you are used by top river guides to help their clients catch even more fish, and they will help you catch more fish too..
The Elora Gorge is well known for its brown trout fishery but there are other species like pike, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, walleye, catfish, and carp that inhabit the waters of the Elora Gorge.
One tip not many anglers realize is there are also some rainbow trout in this section, and they don’t leave because the migration upriver is blocked by a 50-foot waterfall, and the lower sections below the gorge get too warm in the summer.
There are other areas of the Grand River that have resident and migratory rainbows which I discuss in my article, Fishing The Grand River.
Yes, the rainbows are rare, but there are some there and I and my clients have caught them over 20 inches.
The Elora Gorge is as scenic as it gets for rivers in Southern Ontario and it can fish well from the opening day of trout which is the 4th Saturday in April until September 30th.
If you are a pike or bass angler you should check the fishing regulations as these species open to fishing later and might close later in the year.
Brown Trout Fishing The Elora Gorge
The Grand River is stocked annually with about 20 to 30 thousand brown trout that are around 6 to 8 inches long. The stocking takes place in a 30-kilometer stretch of river from Belwood Lake in Fergus to Westmontrose which is downriver from the Elora Gorge.
The Elora Gorge is usually stocked with a couple of thousand brown trout which are put in at the top of the gorge, in the middle, and near the bottom of the Gorge so there is plenty of trout spread out throughout the gorge.
There are times when catching over 20 trout a day is possible and there are many big brown trout around.
The river in the Elora Gorge can be deep and fast in some sections which allows those brown trout to reach sizes of up to 30 inches or 10 pounds.
One thing many anglers do not realize is how many big brown trout inhabit some of these deep holes.
I’ve snorkeled through some of the less deep spots, spots under 10 feet, and I have counted over 15 trout that exceeded twenty inches.
But, fishing the Gorge can be very dangerous.
Anglers should be very cautious wading in the Gorge since the water can be fast and there are fast drop-offs that can go from a couple of feet deep to well over your head.
The best time to fish the Elora Gorge is usually around the 2nd week of May which is when they stock the brown trout and the 2nd week of July which is about when the river in that area starts to become too warm for trout fishing.
Water temperatures over 68F / 18C are when trout become inactive and it’s also when the trout can be stressed out when hooked and they can even die.
Anglers fishing the Elora Gorge will find fast water stretches, shallow water, and some big deep pools and the brown trout will be in all of those spots.
Even some of the biggest brown trout can be caught in water less than knee-deep. In fact, one of my guide tips is that many of the big brown trout that hold deep (when they are not feeding) will move in the ripples and shallower sections and sit and feed in water less than 2 feet deep.
They do this the most when there is a bug hatch going on.
Another guide tip is that when these hatches do occur, many of the bigger trout will move to the head of the pool to get in front of the smaller trout so they can take advantage of the most food.
Some of the biggest pools in the entire brown trout section of the Grand River are in the Elora Gorge and those giant deep pools (maybe over 20 feet deep )are home to some of the biggest brown trout in the river.
The best methods for Brown trout fishing in the Elora Gorge are Float fishing, Fly fishing, and spin fishing with lures.
Fly fishing is often the most popular method for fishing the Grand River. Flies like nymphs and streamers are great to get down to the big brown trout. I like Pheasant tail nymphs, Caddis Patterns, Isopods, and cranefly nymphs like the Walts worm.
Streamers are great for getting those really big fish that want a big meal. Streamers like Muddler Minnows, Zoo Cougars, and Bunny Leaches are all good choices.
The Elora Gorge has a lot of aquatic insects so dry fly fishing on the surface can be great at times. Flies Like the Elk Hair caddis, the Usual, the Mark Brown, and the Adams are good choices, but for the more serious anglers, it’s best to match the hatch and use a grand river hatch chart.
If you are interested in fly fishing make sure you have the right fly fishing gear for this area which you can see at Fly Fishing Gear For Beginners: Everything You Need.
Float fishing with a spinning reel or even a Centerpin reel can produce lots of brown trout and some big ones. I have had plenty of days float fishing in this section where I’ve hooked and landed 5 or 6 brown trout over 20 inches.
For more on float fishing methods check my page Float Fishing In Ontario – When, Where, And How.
There is a local fly fishing store in town and a Canadian Tire store for anglers to buy fishing gear.
Lures can be very effective at catching the brown trout in the Elora Gorge and using the right gear can make a big difference.
If you want to fish the Elora Gorge with lures, check out my page best lures for river fishing.
If you want to learn how to catch the most and biggest fish in the Grand River check my page Grand River Fishing Guides – Ontario’s Best.
There are special fishing regulation zones on the Grand River near the Elora Gorge so if you are going to be fishing the Elora Gorge I recommend you check the fishing regulations first.
At this time (2021) there are no special fishing regulations in the actual Gorge, however, there is what is known as the low-level bridge downriver of the Elora Gorge, and downriver of that bridge has special regulations which are – single barbless hook only and a no-kill zone on trout.
Elora Gorge Fishing For Bass
There are some big smallmouth bass in the Elora Gorge and anglers fishing the Elora Gorge will fish them in the bigger pools and in the slower sections of the river or anywhere that there is little to no current.
You could float fish for them but lure fishing with spinners, crankbaits, and jigs are a great way to catch them.
It’s best to fish for the bass later in June through to the end of September.
Fishing The Elora Gorge For Pike
Pike is not a species that angler fishing the Elora Gorge target often but there are some really big pike in the Elora Gorge.
I have seen pike in this section that are over 15 pounds. The pike often reside in the deepest pools and are found in sections with little to no current.
When fishing for pike in the Elora Gorge try spoons, spinners, and crankbaits, and pay close attention to the edges of the river near deep water.
Pike fishing can be good from late May to the end of September.
Fishing The Elora Gorge For Walleye
Walleye is somewhat of a new species for this section of the Grand River but after about 10 years of stocking near the Elora Gorge, there is now a decent population of Walleye.
Some anglers are reporting a dozen walleye a day and some are now over 5 pounds.
Anglers fishing the Elora Gorge will find the walleye and the deeper holes and they will stay close to the bottom and under the current.
Anglers are doing well with jigs and deep-diving crankbaits.
Walleye fishing is best from mid-May until the end of September.
Rainbow Trout Fishing In The Elora Gorge
There are some rainbow trout in the Elora gorge but the numbers of them are very low. I believe the rainbow trout are coming from Irvine Creek which enters at the top of the Elora Gorge.
Anglers can catch these rainbow trout using the same methods used for brown trout.
Recreation and Camping
The Gorge is located in a provincial park that offers overnight camping and day passes. They also offer tubing and tube rental, and there are Kyaking clubs/businesses in the area that teach kayaking here in the summer.
Tubers usually start in late June and can be a problem for anglers. The tubers put in at the upper steps sections, so I fish above them, and they take out at the low-level bridge, so fishing below the bridge is recommended if there are a lot of tubers out.
Fishing The Elora Gorge
There are days when you will be able to catch many big fish when fishing the Elora Gorge but the key is knowing where to go and what to use.
If you bring the right equipment and the right bait, and you stick to fishing the deeper pools and the fast water runs at the right time of year you will greatly improve your chances for success.
If you want to catch the most fish in the Elora Gorge or in other rivers around Southern Ontario, consider hiring one of the local guides.
Tight Lines
Graham
