Northwestern Ontario, Canada: Lakes and Rivers

Ontario, Canada is known for its vast number of freshwater lakes, rivers and streams. These waterways are set within huge expanses of boreal forest and together, they provide for some of the finest outdoor adventure opportunities in North America. The Sunset Country travel region, located in the Northwestern section of Ontario has more lakes than any other part of the Province. Fishing is excellent - this is a multi-species area with walleye, bass, northern pike, muskie and trout - truly an angler's paradise. For wilderness canoeists, famous parks such as Quetico, Woodland Caribou and Wabakimi provide you with some of Ontario's best flat-water and white-water paddling experiences. Canoe Outfitters in the area offer both partial and full outfitting. Wildlife is everywhere as Mother Nature has provided a bounty of food and shelter in the rich forest ecosystem. Scuba diving, hiking, biking and climbing are just a few of the adventure sports one can enjoy. In fact, there are more lakes than people in Sunset Country! If getting away for a while sounds like a good thing to do this summer, we recommend you check out some lake and river systems in Northwestern Ontario.

We are blessed with nearly 100,000 bodies of water, some the size of your backyard, all the way up to a lake with a surface area one million acres in size. This is a land with some of the most famous of all Canadian fishing lakes - Lac Seul, Lake of the Woods, Red, Eagle and Rainy Lake are all located in Ontario's Sunset Country. River systems such as the English, Sturgeon, Albany and the Bloodvein meander across the landscape. There's so much freshwater up here - a result of the Pleistocene glaciation more than 10,000 years ago. Retreating masses of ice carved their way through the bedrock of the Canadian Shield, leaving massive cliff faces above the waves. Melt-water filled the low-lying areas leaving a sheet of lakes stretching from the Minnesota border north to Hudson Bay. The fishing in our waterways is spectacular with a wide variety of species to go after. Wildlife viewing opportunities are second to none! This paradise is now yours to discover and enjoy. There is really no other place quite like Northwestern Ontario!

Located on these lakes are some of North America's finest wilderness fishing resorts, lodges and fly in outposts. American Plan and Housekeeping packages are available from our Members. Experience the thrill of flying in to your very own lake for a week with no neighbours! You could visit Sunset Country every summer for the rest of your life and never fish the same lake! The Sunset Country Travel Association has a number of members who rent houseboats. See the beauty of one of our lakes in the comfort of a houseboat - there are few experiences quite like it - a different view to enjoy each day! There are water-based recreation opportunities of every kind! Go windsurfing, cave diving, swimming, water-skiing or sailing. There's water everywhere and your choice of activities is limited only by your imagination. Keep checking back for new information about the thousands of freshwater lakes and rivers in Northwest Ontario's Sunset Country.

To get you started on a lake-based adventure trip to Northwestern Ontario, we have provided below, a list of over 900 lakes that our member lodges and outposts are located on, fly in to, or have access to. Just click on any lake or river name and a list of those members with operations on it will be displayed - with links to their websites. Once there, you can see the price of a cabin rental or a full meal plan package as well as finding out about the many amenities each resort and lodge has to offer. Our area is home to over 600 lodges spread out across a vast wilderness area. The members of our Travel Association are committed to providing you with Canada's premier outdoor vacation experience whatever activity it is that you want to do. Please visit their websites to find out more about the many vacation packages they have to offer. Our Travel Association staff are always available to speak with you in person if you have any specific questions you need answered. See the contact information below and give us a call!

Northwestern Ontario Travel Information Enquiries

If you want additional information, our Travel Association also produces a 84 page Travel Guide that includes a poster-sized fishing map of the area. Click here to order your FREE copy or call us toll free at 1-800-665-7567.

Canada is a vast and beautiful country and northwestern Ontario is a jewel in the heart of the nation. Come up and visit us this summer and experience all kinds of outdoor adventures.