I know that threads have titles for a reason, so if this is disruptive or wrong or if I should take my questions elsewhere, I'm happy to delete the post.

On the other hand, where is a fairly clueless California going to find a group of people with more knowledge of Canadian non-motorized freshwater travel and fishing? So I'm going to try :-)

Just as I was starting to get properly excited for my June trip to Quetico, my company announced that we're going to have a small team Summit in August, nowhere other than Waterloo Ontario! I will almost certainly be taking my foldable Feathercraft kayak, renting a car, and going looking for some camping and fishing.

Would anybody be able to share any good ideas for that? Just looking at maps makes me look toward Algonquin Provincial Park. I see some big lakes there, and can find some websites and videos about fishing for bass and muskies and such. If anyone here has any pointers though, that would carry special weight, as we are all non-motorized people who probably enjoy the camping and the expedition almost as much as the fishing.

I think I would be able to put in one full day driving from Waterloo and then drive back to Ottawa airport on the way home. probably have four or five days to spend out if not more.

When wildfires shut down Quetico in 2021 a couple weeks before our permit's entry date, we quickly changed our destination to Algonquin. When making your reservations for an Algonquin permit, you'll need to specify each night's destination lake. This policy makes an Algonquin trip less flexible that a Quetico trip. In our case, we could have covered more distance (perhaps not an issue if your focus is fishing) had we not been restricted to a conservative route plan.

Check what it'll cost to fly your Feathercraft to/from Ottawa and consider renting a canoe or kayak near the park, instead.

TZ

Thanks Trailzen! That does definitely sound like a minor sacrifice in flexibility.

At 50-ish pounds in a backpack-sized bag, a feathercraft travels in an normal airplane hold -- that's what makes it so handy. I've grown fussily fond of the trolling and fly-casting setups I do from the kayak, so I generally prefer it. That said, if an outfitter had one of those super-light Northstar solo canoes, I'd try that in a heartbeat.

Minor mistake in my earlier post: I'll be flying back from Toronto not Ottawa.

Try to arrange your trip so that you are not returning to Toronto on a Sunday. The traffic can be murder.

Algonquin is more of a trout fishery. I wouldn't get excited about bass and muskies. The fishing is nothing like Quetico.

Some of the entry point lakes allow motors mostly 9.8 hp but you rarely come across them. Some of the larger lakes like Opeongo allow full power; however, these are mostly an occasional shuttle.

I've always liked Rain and Ralph Byce Lakes as entry points. A lot of nice loops. Portages are generally longer than in Quetico but they are much easier on your feet - flat and wide. The entry points along Hwy 60 will tend to be busier. And since you're not heading to Ottawa, I'd avoid the east side of the park as the return drive to Toronto will be considerably longer. Funny factoid...east of Algonquin there's a large armed forces base with an artillery range. You can definitely notice the activity. There can also be some noticeable military air traffic.

I gather you work in the tech sector?

Uh oh, what gave it away? :) I do technical writing for a large company that many people do not like very much. I'm not mad about it either, but after 25 years in the business, I doubt I'd find anything much better, at least in tech.

Thanks for the information Argo; it's a fact that I get get plenty of trout time out here, with nice rainbows in tailwater rivers and brookies and goldens in the sierras. When I go out your way, I'm chasing walleye, pike, and smallies! And muskies -- having never hooked one, that would be a real treat.

It's almost beginning to sound like the winning option would be to get on a plane from Toronto to Thunder Bay and rent a car there to throw the yak in the back . . . it would be the latest I've ever been to the Q. Back in Maine where I grew up we used to really like low-light hours for smallies in late summer.

Now having had a look at Algonquin, I can see why it is a second choice after Quetico: less water and more people, at least in the entry zones I managed to visit. Still, it is beautiful woodsy country and I was glad to get out and have a look. Got the best bass I've seen in a half dozen years (though most were small) and did indeed become acquainted with a couple of muskies. Are there any muskies anywhere in the Q? I'm ready to look for a big one now! :)

The big bass stars in a fishing video: https://youtu.be/x-MoYjtw85U

You might look at French River Provincial Park. Seems about same distance as Algonquin, first come first served campsites, and reportedly great fishing.

billconner: "You might look at French River Provincial Park. Seems about same distance as Algonquin, first come first served campsites, and reportedly great fishing."

Bill, FR is sort of a park but not really. Still lots of cottages and some boat traffic. Fishing can be good for muskie, pike, bass and walleye but still not on par with Quetico.

The upside is that it's Georgian Bay country which is my favourite terrain. Very rocky shores with lots of islands. I vaguely remember a couple of fellas from the old CCBB went there and were somewhat disillusioned. More civilization than they expected including two major rail lines. But they didn't select an optimal route as I recall.

I go there twice a year with a large group every spring and fall. The bushwhacking is really fun because there's so much exposed rock in places.

Luckee: "Now having had a look at Algonquin, I can see why it is a second choice after Quetico: less water and more people, at least in the entry zones I managed to visit. Still, it is beautiful woodsy country and I was glad to get out and have a look. Got the best bass I've seen in a half dozen years (though most were small) and did indeed become acquainted with a couple of muskies. Are there any muskies anywhere in the Q? I'm ready to look for a big one now! :)


The big bass stars in a fishing video: https://youtu.be/x-MoYjtw85U"

What entry point and lake?

When you look up French River on youtube, you definitely see some big muskies . . . if there are cottages and such, then maybe the right approach is to rent a cottage to fish out of! :) Though, I'd still want to paddle of course.

The Georgian Bay area is where my maternal grandfather used to go annually with a group of his friends back in the day. He used to show me black & white pictures of guys holding up long stringers of fish, from large to tiny because they kept everything they caught (a practice that may have been as wrongheaded back then as it is now, I'm not sure). It would be great to think the fishing is still good despite that kind of pressure.