With over 250,000 lakes and over 100,000 kilometres of rivers, it’s no wonder why some of the biggest fish in the world have been caught right here in Ontario.
The province’s vast aquatic ecosystem has been home to some monster-sized fish, including a 65-pound muskellunge, 63-pound lake trout, and a 34-pound lake trout.
Here is a list of some of the biggest fish ever caught in Ontario.
Largemouth bass (10, pounds, 4 ounces)
Exactly 48 years ago, 15-year-old Mario Chrysanthou caught a 10-pound largemouth bass when he was fishing at Preston Lake along with his parents and girlfriend. The group would often stop at the small fishing hole while driving from Willowdale to Lake Simcoe.
Once the largemouth bass hit the shallows, it began to thrash and roll. According to Destination Ontario, Mario put the fishing rod over his shoulder in response and walked away from the lake, which helped to drag the fish up on shore.
Brook trout (14 pounds, 8 ounces)
This particular brook trout is not only the biggest one ever caught in Ontario, but also holds the world record. On July 21, 1915, Dr. J.W. Cook of Fort William, Ont. set up camp at a large pool called Rabbit Rapids in the Nipigon River along with a large fishing party.
“I was fishing with a minnow,” Cook recalled in a 1950 interview. “When it had settled below the surface, the big fish took bite and was away.” Cook was forced to play the massive trout for a while before finally leading it to shore.
Giant brook trout can still be found in many parts of Ontario, including Algonquin Park, Lake Superior Park, and the Albany River.
Walleye (22.25 pounds)
Patrick Noon was rowing his boat 30 yards offshore on the Upper Niagara River near Fort Erie on May 26, 1943, when he encountered this enormous walleye.
The fish was 22 pounds, four ounces, with a length of 36.5 inches and a 21-inch girth.
Every season, giant walleye continue to be found in the Bay of Quinte on Lake Ontario as well as Lake Erie.
Coho salmon (29 pounds, 2 ounces)
On Sept. 24, 2013, Glen Hales caught a 29-pound Coho salmon in the Ganaraska River, which runs through Port Hope. According to Destination Ontario, a fish lunged and took the fly on Hales’ second cast, ran downstream, and then jumped out of the water.
“I saw everything,” Hales said. “The colours, the type and the size. It was not a Chinook; it was a giant coho salmon.”
At the end of summer and during fall, giant Coho salmon can still be found in streams like the Ganaraska River and Duffin’s Creek.
Brown trout (34 pounds, 6.1 ounces)
Mississauga resident Richard Matusiak was fishing with his 12-year-old son at the Lakeside Promenade Park on Sept. 9, 1994, when he caught this massive brown trout.
“I was sure I’d hooked a chinook until some 30 minutes later when another angler managed to stuff it in a small net and unceremoniously dump it onshore,” Matusiak told the Toronto Star in an interview. “That’s when I discovered it was a brown and my knees when to rubber.”
Today, big brown trout can still be found in Lake Ontario and in the lower Niagara River.
Rainbow trout (40 pounds, 6 ounces)
On Sept. 21, 2005, Joanne Vendramin caught a 40.68-pound trout off the shores of Little Current, which quickly became the official Ontario record. The trout easily surpassed the previous Ontario record by over 11 pounds.
While you’ll likely never encounter another 40-pound rainbow trout in Ontario, you can still spot massive ones in the waters around Little Current and Manitoulin Island.
Northern pike (42 pounds, 1 ounce)
Kentucky resident Harry Bell found an impressive souvenir when fishing in Ontario on July 14, 1946. The massive pike still remains the Ontario record even over 70 years later.
Many spots in Ontario are still home to huge pikes, including Lac Seul, Lake of the Woods, Rainy Lake and Lake Nipigon.
Chinook salmon (46 pounds, 3 ounces)
On the morning of Aug. 8, 2000, Harry Oosterveld caught Ontario’s largest Chinook salmon, which weighed a staggering 46 pounds. The fight with the fish took roughly 40 minutes, and Oosterveld subsequently weighed it on a boat scale.
After quickly powering to shore, Oosterveld weighed the fish again at Bronte Harbour. The official scale read 46.38 pounds, which was a new Ontario record.
Lake trout (63 pounds, 1 ounce)
While not much is known about how Hubert Hammers caught this 63-pound lake trout in Lake Superior on May 25, 1952, the fish holds a long-standing Ontario record.
Many waters throughout Ontario still have the potential for record-breaking lake trout, including the Great Lakes and Lake Nipigon.
Muskellunge (65 pounds)
On Oct. 16, 1998, Toronto resident Ken O’Brien caught this giant muskie while he was on a week-long fishing holiday in the Moon River basin on Lake Huron.
The Royal Ontario Museum officially aged the muskie at 29 years old. While no other fish caught in the province has been able to beat this impressive record, giant muskies continue to be found in Lac Seul, Eagle Lake, Lake of the Woods, Lake Nipissing, and the Ottawa River.
