Multi-Species Fishing in Northern Ontario: Pike, Brook Trout, and Unforgettable Memories

Written by: Bob Mahoney

There is something special about a Northern Ontario fishing trip. The scenery is incredible, the water is pristine, and the opportunity to target multiple species in one trip makes every day on the water feel like a new adventure.

While many anglers head north with one species in mind, I have always enjoyed the challenge of multi-species fishing. It forces you to adapt, change techniques, switch presentations, and think differently throughout the day. One moment you are hunting aggressive northern pike in shallow bays. The next, you are casting rocky shorelines for beautiful brook trout.

The species may change, but the goal stays the same: the bend in the rod, the smile on your face, and maybe even that perfect photo you will share with friends afterward.

Spring Northern Pike Fishing After Ice-Out

One of my favourite times to target northern pike is immediately after ice-out. As the water begins to warm, pike move into shallow, weedy bays with soft, muddy bottoms. The first areas I look for are bays with moving water nearby, especially where a creek, river, or inflowing stream enters the lake.

These areas warm quickly and attract baitfish, making them prime feeding locations for hungry spring pike. When conditions are right, you can often spot fish cruising the shallows. I spend a lot of time scanning the water and the bottom. Sometimes you see a pike before it sees you. Other times, you spook one and watch a cloud of mud erupt as it bolts away from the boat.

Do not get discouraged when that happens. Many of the biggest fish in the bay will not be visible. Fan casting through the area allows you to cover water and trigger aggressive fish hidden in weeds, stained water, or shade.

Best Pike Setup for Shallow Spring Bays

For this technique, I relied on a Shimano 7'5" medium-heavy Curado rod paired with a Curado Digital Control (DC) reel, 50-pound PowerPro braid, and a titanium leader. While the Curado is well known as a bass-fishing setup, it has become one of my favourite northern pike combinations.

The medium-heavy power handles large swimbaits with ease, while the titanium leader helps protect against sharp pike teeth. For spring pike fishing, that combination gives you the confidence to make long casts, drive hooks home, and control big fish around weeds and shallow cover.

A 5.8-inch Keitech swimbait is hard to beat during the spring. In my opinion, there is no better strike in freshwater fishing than a pike crushing a swimbait. The entire rod vibrates. You instantly reel down, lean into the fish, and drive the hook home before the chaos begins.

A 46-Inch Northern Pike I Will Never Forget

One of my most memorable pike came while I was slowly retrieving a swimbait across a shallow bay. As the bait approached the boat, it looked like a floating log was following behind it.

I turned to my fishing partner and said, "Look at the size of this one coming."

The fish continued to stalk the bait before suddenly flaring its gills, kicking its tail, and inhaling the entire swimbait. I drove the hook home with a hard sweep and immediately knew it was something special.

A few intense minutes later, we slid the net under a 46-inch giant. It is a moment I will never forget. Explore Long Lake in Longlac, ON to catch these giants.

Brook Trout Fishing in Northern Ontario

While northern pike provide explosive action, Northern Ontario brook trout offer an entirely different experience. Many northern lakes in the Longlac/Geraldton region are known for producing beautiful, trophy-class brook trout, and few freshwater fish are as stunning when they come to hand.

My approach starts early. As the sun begins to rise, I focus on transition areas where sand meets rock in approximately 8 to 10 feet of water. These zones often attract cruising brook trout looking for easy feeding opportunities.

As sunlight continues to warm the lake, those fish often move shallower and position themselves on rocky shoals and shoreline structure where the rocks absorb heat. At that point, I am casting parallel to shore and covering as much productive water as possible.

Brook Trout Rod, Reel, Line, and Leader

My brook trout setup consisted of a Shimano Compre Lite 7'6" medium-light rod paired with a Vanford MGL reel spooled PE1.2 (12-poun)d Shimano Aero Finesse braid and a 10-pound fluorocarbon leader. The setup offers excellent sensitivity while still providing enough strength to handle larger fish around rocks.

For anglers looking to fine-tune their Northern Ontario brook trout setup, sensitivity matters. Light bites, followers, and last-second strikes are easier to detect when your rod, braid, and leader work together.

Best Brook Trout Lures and Retrieve Tips

When it comes to lure selection, I like to keep things simple. A small gold spoon with orange accents remains a classic brook trout producer. A 3.3-inch Keitech swimbait in Fire Craw is another favourite that consistently produces fish. I also have tremendous confidence in an orange-and-black hair jig equipped with a small willow leaf blade under the jig head. The added flash often triggers strikes from fish following behind the bait.

The key is maintaining a slow, steady retrieve. You do not want the lure constantly contacting bottom. Instead, keep it swimming naturally through the strike zone while slowly rolling it back toward the boat.

One important tip is to always watch your lure as it approaches the boat. Brook trout are notorious followers. Many fish will track a bait for several feet before making a last-second decision to strike. Some of the most exciting bites happen within sight of the boat when a fish suddenly appears from nowhere and crushes the lure at the last moment.

Protecting Northern Ontario Brook Trout Fisheries

Northern Ontario fisheries are incredibly special, and it is important that we do our part to protect them.

When targeting brook trout, I strongly recommend pinching down your hook barbs whenever possible. This actually law on some lakes, so be sure to check the regs. Barbless hooks make releasing fish quicker and easier while reducing stress and injury. Practicing selective harvest and proper catch-and-release techniques helps ensure these fisheries remain healthy for future generations of anglers.

Why Multi-Species Fishing Is So Much Fun

One of the reasons I enjoy fishing in Northern Ontario so much is the opportunity to target multiple species , such as Pike, Brook Trout, Walleye, Whitefish and trophy Lake Trout, during the same trip. You are constantly adapting. Different species require different techniques, presentations, and equipment. Every day becomes a learning experience, and every bite feels unique.

One hour, you may be fan casting swimbaits for aggressive northern pike in shallow bays. The next, you may be quietly working a rocky shoreline for brook trout as the morning sun climbs higher in the sky.

The species may change, but the feeling never does: the bend in the rod, the smile on your face, and the excitement of landing a fish you will remember for years.

That is what keeps bringing me back to Northern Ontario.