Northern Ontario’s Fishing Derby Guide

Northern Ontario’s Superior Country is known to be a world-class fishing destination. Superior Country is located at the centre of Canada and along the world’s largest freshwater lake – Lake Superior.

What better way to celebrate and enjoy this amazing fishing location than having numerous fish derbies throughout the region! These events allow tourists and locals to participate with a healthy dose of competition and pride in the area’s quality angling. Fishing brings long lasting memories of quality time amongst family and friends. These memories are created in some of the most beautiful spots in Northern Ontario such as Nipigon, Lake Helen, Red Rock, Geraldton, Beardmore, Caramat, and Nakina.  

The following is your need to know for all of the Fish Derbies within Superior Country.

Lake Nipigon Trout Hunt

Where: Beardmore

When: July 5th – 7th 

The Lake Nipigon Trout Hunt takes place in Beardmore, Ontario. Beardmore is located on Highway 11 approximately 192 km northeast of Thunder Bay. Beardmore is another community that is apart of the Municipality of Greenstone. This years Trout Hunt takes place July 5th-7th. This tournament attracts fishermen/women from neighboring communities along the North-Shore all the way to Minnesota and Wisconsin in the United States.

For those who want to stay close by during the tournament there is a campground called Poplar Lodge Park which is only minutes from High Hill Harbour where boats are launched and the fishing begins.

The derby officially begins on Friday at noon and ends Sunday at 2 pm. There are no strict rules about registering before the beginning of the tournament and you can register Saturday or Sunday as well. The cost for this tournament is $80 a participant.

For more information on this fish derby you can visit their official website.

Caramat Fish Derby

Where: Caramat

When: July 12th – 14th 

This fish derby is a special one because it is the longest running fish derby in all of Ontario. This year will be their 62nd annual fish derby which continues to prove it’s one of the best. This year it will take place over the weekend of July 12th-14th. Caramat is another community apart of Greenstone and  located in the heart of natures hometown surrounded by boreal forest. You can find this small town down Highway 245, south of Highway 11, 45 km southeast of Longlac, Ontario.

This derby is not strict with it’s regulations and allows fishermen/women to fish on any lake for any species. The derby is not live release and the official weigh in takes place Sunday July 14th, during the afternoon. The weekend involves different festivities to celebrate which includes a baseball tournament, dance, dart tournament and local food vendors and artisans.

For more information on this Derby you can visit the town’s Facebook Page called “Caramat is the BEST town EVER!” where they continually post updates on the fishing derby and other local events.

Fore more information you can also visit Greenstone’s official website.

Walleye Masters

Where: Longlac

When: July 26th – 28th 

This tournament is one of the more recent additions to the fish derby’s in the Superior Country region, and an exciting one as this year they have a total of $30,000 in prizes. This year is the second annual Walleye Masters and is hosted by The Longlac Chamber of Commerce and The Longlac Walleye Masters committee. This is a two angler two day derby located in none other than the beautiful Greenstone. Approximately 192 km northeast of  Nipigon, Longlac sits past other communities mentioned such as Beardmore and Geraldton along highway 11.

“This tournament will have a maximum of 100 two-person teams vying for the top prize of $10,000.” – Longlac Walleye Masters Official Website 

The derby begins on Friday July 26th and the entry fee is $335.00 per team. The winners will be determined by the largest combined two (2) day weight.  The fishing hours for this tournament are July 27th from 7:30 am-4 pm and Sunday July 28th from 7:30 am – 3 pm. For more on information on the rules and registration regulations for this event please visit their official web page.  

The event also has a Facebook Page and website for more information on the overall event.

Bass Derby

Where: Nakina

When: August 2nd – 4th 

As you’ve probably caught on Greenstone is the home to many communities that take pride in and are responsible for the majority of the fish derbies in Northern Ontario’s Superior Country region.  The Nakina Bass Derby is a well respected and very popular derby. It continues to be successful every year and has a lot of dedicated volunteers. This years Bass Derby takes place over the weekend of August 2nd-4th. Nakina is located down Highway 11 in the Municipality Greenstone approximately 63 km north of Geraldton, Ontario. 

This derby is live release and the fishing officially commences on Saturday morning at 7 am when the first flight departure happens. Prior to Saturday, on Friday night the beer gardens is open and a rules and regulations meeting takes place. Fishing ends on Saturday at 4:15 pm when the last flight returns and an anglers dinner takes place that evening.  Sunday the first flight also takes off at 7 am but the last flight returns and fishing ends at 3:15 pm. The awards and draw to end the event happens at 4:30 pm that Sunday afternoon.

For more information on this fishing derby you can visit their official website.

Jr. Walleye Classic

Where: Gerladton

When: August 24th 

Another great family fun experience in the world of fishing is the Walleye Classic Jr. This takes place throughout the weekend of August 24th and for more information please visit their official wesbite as current updates will be posted closer to the day of the event. We look forward to giving you more information on this event when details are confirmed. 

The details for this event are TBA and will be updated soon. 

Fall Fishing Festival

Where: Nipigon

When: August 30th – September 2nd

The Nipigon Fall Fishing Festival (FFF) is the longest running annual event along the Northshore. This year will be the 55th annual FFF which takes place from August 30th-September 2nd. It is located in Nipigon, Ontario and the festival has multiple fish derbies that are great for the whole family. There is a Huck Finn Derby for children and a Derby for all fishermen/women. We look forward to giving you more information on this event when details are confirmed. 

The details for this event are TBA and will be updated soon. 

Red Rock Indian Band’s Salmon Derby

Where: Nipigon River 

When: Saturday September 7th, 2019 

This year will be the 12th annual Salmon Derby hosted by the Red Rock Indian Band (RRIB) which is an Ojibwe First Nation in Northwestern Ontario, located on the Lake Helen Reserve. It is approximately 4 km from Township of Nipigon and travelling to you cross the Nipigon River Bridge with beautiful views of the River. The Salmon Derby is an event that many look forward too every year and this years is no exception.

To enter you need a two-person team and entry costs $200.00 per team. The first 75 boats will be accepted and the Derby kicks off at 7 am that Saturday morning at the RRIB office parking lot where attendance is mandatory for captains and partners. The final weigh in will take place at the Chalet lodge at 4pm with a dinner (5pm) and a dance (8pm) to follow. There will also be a beer gardens open throughout the day at the Chalet lodge from 12pm – 8pm for a nice cold beer whether your a fishermen or not!

This Salmon Derby has amazing cash prizes to be won which are listed below…

1st place – $10,000

2nd place – $4,000

3rd place – $2,000

For More Information please contact Tina Wawia at 887-2510 or 889-0357

Completed

The Fish Derby’s that have already taken place in 2019

Lake Trout Fishing Derby

Where: Red Rock 

When: May 31st – June 2nd  

The first of the summer season to kick us off is the Lake Trout Fishing Derby in Red Rock. This Derby takes place from May 31st-June 2nd with early registration beginning 2 pm to 7 pm and a draw to follow on May 31, 2019. Red Rock is a beautiful town that sits on the shore of Lake Superior and for your downtime between fishing excursions has a lovely Boardwalk, Marina, and Interpretive Centre with great scenic views and information. Red Rock’s Fish and Game Club, located on the same grounds as the marina, opens a beer gardens throughout the weekend so when you get off the lake from an exciting day of wrangling in Lake Trout you can relax with an ice cold beer.

Saturday fishing times are from 8 am to 8 pm with 3 draws to take place on Saturday worth $500.00 each (plus prizes).  Sunday the fishing times are 8 am to 2 pm and again there will be 3 draws worth a total of $500.00 (with prizes). Sunday the final grand prize of $1000 will also be awarded after fishing closes and the other draws are finished.

The following was posted to the official Facebook event page for this Derby

“$1,000.00 For Largest Lake Trout Lake Trout must be a minimum of 32 Inches to be entered. All entries will be weighed at the Red Rock Marina with the heaviest Lake Trout taking the prize. All entries are also eligible for daily draws. In the event of a tie, the 1st Lake Trout entered shall be declared the winner.”

For more information on this Derby, or for contact information, you can visit their Facebook Event Page.

Family Fun Derby

Where: Nakina 

When: June 9th 

Nakina’s Fish and Game Club is hosting its 3rd annual Family Fun Derby. This derby is short and sweet and perfect for the kids (Grade 8 & under). There is no skills required and all prizes will be given through a random draw ensuring it is fair for all participants. Make sure to register as soon as possible to guarantee a prize. Nakina is located down Highway 11 in the Municipality Greenstone approximately 63 km north of Geraldton, Ontario. This specific Derby takes place on Cordingley Lake (Nakina, ON) and to enter it costs $10.00 per boat.  The fishing times for the Derby are 10 am – 2 pm and free hot dogs and hamburgers will provided for participants. 

For more information you can visit the official webpage

Kids Fishing Derby

Where: Red Rock

When: June 15th – 16th 

If you have children look no further, the Red Rock Kids Fishing Derby is perfect for the family! This derby is a two day event and takes place June 15th-16th. The admission to this derby is free and the species that is to be caught is Lake Trout, Northern Pike, Rainbow/Steelhead, Trout, Walleye, and Brook Trout. As a neighboring community to the home of the worlds largest Brook Trout this should not be a difficult task and prove to be quite an exciting activity for children and parents.

For more information on this event visit the official web-page.

Walleye Classic

Where: Geraldton

When: June 20th – 23rd

The Walleye Classic is a two-day live release Walleye Tournament hosted by Kenogamisis Fish & Game with 130 teams of two. The tournament is held in Geraldton, Ontario which is approximately 277 km east of Thunder Bay, North of Nipigon, along highway 11. Geraldton is one of the many communities that make up the Municipality of Greenstone known as “Nature’s Home Town.”

The Walleye classic is a very popular and successful fish derby that anglers love to take part in. This year’s classic is taking place the weekend of June 20th – 23rd. The festivities kick off Thursday evening with an angler meet and greet spaghetti dinner.  

The weekend includes a beer garden and canteen, angler interviews, parade of boats, shuttle bus services, and meals such as breakfasts and barbecues.

For those wanting to dive right into the fishing details registration opens on Friday June 21st at 6:30 pm where you can receive your tournament packages. Saturday at 6 am is the boat check in and inspection with the boat launch to follow at 7:30 am and weigh scales opening at 7:45 am. The tournament hours that day are 7:30 am to 4 pm where the Walleye wrangling begins.  The fishing day ends at 4 pm and weigh in happens at 5 pm. Sunday’s schedule is the same except that fishing ends an hour earlier at 3 pm and weigh in takes place at 4 pm. Between 4 to 8 pm the fishing day 2 results, overall final results, and presentations occur.

For the official schedule and more information you can visit their website.