The Petawawa area doesn't show up on most fishing destination lists, and that's a large part of why it's worth fishing. While Lake Ontario draws crowds for its salmon and the Bay of Quinte packs in walleye anglers every fall, the rivers and lakes around Petawawa hold excellent fish with almost nobody around. The Canadian Shield geology — granite, clear water, cold feeder creeks — creates the kind of habitat that produces healthy populations of brook trout, smallmouth bass, walleye, lake trout, and pike. You can fish a stretch of the Petawawa River for an entire afternoon and not see another angler.
That doesn't mean it's easy fishing. The brook trout in the upper river are small and spooky. The smallmouth won't hit unless you're casting tight to structure. The walleye in the area lakes have plenty of forage and can be maddeningly selective. But the trade-off is fishing water that feels genuinely wild, in a part of Ontario that hasn't been hammered by decades of heavy pressure.
Petawawa River Fishing
The Petawawa River flows from deep inside Algonquin Park to the Ottawa River, passing through rapids, deep pools, and long calm stretches on the way. It's a serious river — significant whitewater in the upper sections, and the kind of water that demands respect even in the lower reaches during spring runoff.
The upper river, in and near Algonquin Park above Booth Lake, is primarily brook trout water. The fish aren't large by southern Ontario standards — 8 to 12 inches is typical, with the occasional 14-inch fish that makes your day. But they're wild brook trout in wild water, and the colours on a male brookie in September are worth the hike to get there. Small Panther Martin or Blue Fox spinners work well, as do nymph patterns on a fly rod. The river is wadeable in many spots during summer, but the rocky bottom is slippery and the current is stronger than it looks near the rapids. Felt soles or studs are not optional.
The lower Petawawa, from Lake Travers downstream to the Ottawa River, shifts to smallmouth bass territory. Rocky substrate, clear water, moderate current — textbook smallmouth habitat. Fish in the 2 to 4 pound range are common, and there are bigger fish around the deeper pools. Best fishing is late June through September, after the bass have finished spawning and before the water cools in fall. Work the current seams, the rocky points, the eddies behind boulders. Tube jigs, crayfish-pattern soft plastics, and topwater on calm mornings all produce.
The Ottawa Valley rivers fish well all summer with a fraction of the pressure found further south.
Ottawa Valley Waters Beyond the Petawawa
The Bonnechere River runs from Algonquin Park through Renfrew County to the Ottawa River and fishes similarly to the Petawawa: brook trout up high, smallmouth bass downstream, the occasional walleye where the river widens into slow pools. It gets even less attention than the Petawawa, partly because access is trickier in spots.
The Madawaska River, south of Petawawa, is a bigger system with walleye, bass, and pike throughout. It's more of a multi-species river and the walleye fishing can be genuinely good, particularly below the dams where fish stack up. Worth a day trip if you're in the area and want to target walleye on moving water instead of a lake.
The Ottawa River itself is a world-class fishery that most people outside the region don't know about. Walleye and muskie are the headliners, but the smallmouth bass fishing on the Ottawa is outstanding. Fly fishing for Ottawa River smallmouth has become a thing in the last decade, and for good reason — the river is huge, the fish are plentiful, and there's enough water to absorb pressure without feeling crowded.
For lake fishing, the Shield lakes within an hour's drive of Petawawa hold walleye and lake trout. Many of these lakes are accessible via Crown land roads and have basic launch sites. The lake trout fishing is best in spring and fall when the fish are at accessible depths — they go deep in summer and become harder to reach without downriggers. Pike are everywhere and will hit anything that moves, which makes them a reliable option when the walleye aren't cooperating.
Access, Seasons, and Logistics
Much of the best fishing in the Ottawa Valley is on public water. Crown land surrounds many of the area's lakes, providing free camping and informal boat launches. Some launches are just cleared gravel at the end of a logging road — don't expect a paved ramp and a dock. A valid Ontario fishing licence is required, and regulations vary by zone. Seasons for walleye, bass, and trout have specific opening dates, and some waters have slot sizes or special restrictions. Check the current Ontario fishing regulations summary for the zone you're fishing before you go.
The general season runs from late April through September for most species. Ice fishing is popular on area lakes from January through March, mainly for walleye, lake trout, and pike. The ice fishing in this part of Ontario is good and largely overlooked — on a weekday you might have an entire lake to yourself.
Getting There and Local Information
Petawawa is about 90 minutes northwest of Ottawa on Highway 17. Tackle shops and outfitters in the area can point you toward current conditions and productive access points. For local access, seasonal events, and community information, this local Petawawa guide is a useful resource for planning a visit.
If you're in the area for a few days, mix it up. A morning on the Petawawa River for smallmouth, an afternoon on a Shield lake for walleye and pike, and a dawn session casting for brook trout in a tributary is a realistic three-day itinerary that covers a lot of water and a lot of species. The scenery alone is worth the trip even when the fishing is slow — which, to be clear, does happen. Not every day is a banner day, and the valley's fish don't owe you anything just because you drove up from the city.
For something completely different, a trip south to Lake Ontario for a charter fishing trip is about three hours from Petawawa. The salmon and trout fishing on the lake is a different world from anything available on the valley's rivers and lakes, and it's worth doing at least once.