# Georgian Bay / Key River Ontario report



## ohiojmj

I just returned from a stay at the Key Harbour Lodge at the mouth of the Key River near Britt, Ontario. The camp owners, Chris and Pete, were wonderful and helpful hosts. The cabins are decent and they have gas and some supplies available. 

With endless water to fish, we took the advice of the camp owners and headed up the long narrow bays running north/south between the Key and Pickerel Rivers. There is lots of water up there with few fish, so you need to find the shoals, weed beds, humps. dropoffs that actually hold the fish without busting a skeg or prop. 

The hot/sunny/flat water days made for tough fishing, but we got some chop, periodic rain, and usual weather changes to get the fishing biting. We were extremely successful with the walleye. We got our small daily limits (two fish, none between 16" and 22", only one greater than 22") except for one slow day with biggest at 27". We caught many 16-22 throw backs, and had a couple 24"ers to release each day. We ate a lot of 22"+ eyes up there. Didn't catch many in the less then 16" tiny eater size. We nailed them on trolled worm harnesses. We couldn't get much on cranks. We brought back the possession limit which equals two days catch. Catching too many walleye, now that's new to us, but so is using harnesses in Canada. We don't care for jigging.

The pike were not exactly cooperating like the walleye, but that was ok. We each caught a handful of eater sized ones each day, but nothing over 24". We used tried and proven Wabler spoons and cranks and caught only a few, but we focused on worm harnesses since the walleye were cooperating so well.

At times, the small smallmouth were pesty with many less the 12" reducing the worm inventory. We caught a few bigger ones, with one at about 20". Again, we were targeting eyes mostly.

The Pickerel and Key River didn't produce much for us. The Pickerel was warm, moving, no marks. The Key had boat traffic. The best location was in the East/west channel at the top of the long islands from Pickerel river to Dokis Island. Sandy Bay was nicely weeded and produced as well.

My advice to anyone going to Georgian Bay is to have detailed maps to avoid the shoals, go slow in unfamiliar and familiar waters, and find the weed beds near deep water. A camp owners help or your ability to stumble upon weed beds (often sparse, not on surface) can make or break a trip.

Some pictures will follow a little later.


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## buckeye024

Georgian Bay or Remigny...which will you be going back to?


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## ohiojmj

Buckeye024, good question. After some discussion with my son, who caught many good sized walleye in Georgian Bay, we agreed on Remigny next year. I would have considered it this year but feared towing new bigger boat with wife's minivan up/down hills to Remigny. We throughly enjoyed our 5 year in a row visit to Remigny with much pike success. Having refined our walleye fishing, we'd like to give that a try up there as well. Remigny has substantial weed beds for a very healthy fishery. We also enjoyed the town, the camp, the island swing on the high rock bluff, and familiarity with the water also has value.


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## triton175

We'll be a couple of hours north of there next month, in the Marten River area. I hope to have as much success as you did on the 'eyes. I tied up a bunch of crawler harnesses to take this year, never used them in Canada much but I will this year. What size blades were you using? Most of mine are #3 Colorados, in various colors.
Did they change the possession limits? I thought you were only allowed to bring back one day's worth of fish. If it's 2 days worth now, I may bring some back.
Glad to hear you had a good trip.
Brian


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## ohiojmj

#4 mostly, but some #5 from erie supplies.

The possesion limit is 2 day catch limit. It changed.

I had never tried worms much up north before and never set the world on fire catching walleyes either....

Good luck. I like the looks of Marten River from the road anyway.


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## buckeye024

JMJ, we've had this conversation before, but I love Remigny, although we stayed mid-lake at a different place than you. I haven't been up there in many years, but I'm dying to go back. My kids are about the age, that next year they may be ready to go. But I also keep an open mind for something better out there...


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