Lake Ontario Ice Fishing Adventure
Picture this: you're sitting on a thick sheet of ice just outside Ottawa, watching your line disappear into the dark waters below while snow-capped shorelines stretch out around you. Our 4-hour private ice fishing trip on Lake Ontario gives you exactly that – a top-rated winter fishing experience that's close to the city but feels like you've escaped to another world. For $300, you and a buddy can spend half a day learning the ropes of ice fishing from our experienced guides, with all the gear and know-how included. Want to bring more folks? We've got room for one more at $100 for adults or $80 for kids under 18.
What to Expect on the Ice
When you arrive, our guides will already have the holes drilled and the shelter set up – no need to worry about the heavy lifting. We'll get you outfitted with the right gear and walk you through the basics of reading your line, setting the hook, and working a fish up through the ice. The beauty of ice fishing is in its simplicity, but there's still plenty of technique involved. You'll learn how to feel for those subtle bites that perch are famous for, and how to keep your hands warm while staying ready to react. The frozen lake creates this amazing quiet environment where you can actually hear the fish moving below – it's something you don't get during open water season. Our guides know these waters like the back of their hand and will position you over the most productive spots where the perch like to school up during winter months.
Gear Setup & Ice Techniques
We provide everything you need for a successful day on the ice – rods, reels, tackle, bait, and even the ice shelter to keep you comfortable. Ice fishing rods are shorter and more sensitive than what you'd use in summer, designed specifically for detecting light bites through the ice. We'll set you up with small jigs tipped with live bait or soft plastics that perch can't resist. The key technique here is subtle jigging – gentle lifts and drops that mimic injured baitfish. Our guides will show you how to read your sonar so you can actually watch the fish approach your bait on the screen. It's like having x-ray vision into the underwater world. We'll also teach you the proper way to land fish through an ice hole, which takes a bit more finesse than just reeling them to the boat. The ice thickness is constantly monitored for safety, and we provide ice picks and safety equipment as standard procedure.
Species You'll Want to Hook
American Yellow Perch are the stars of this show, and for good reason. These beautiful fish are absolutely prime during the ice fishing season, when they school up in large numbers and become much more predictable to target. Perch typically run 8 to 12 inches in Lake Ontario, with the occasional jumbo pushing 14 inches – those bigger ones are real trophy fish that'll have you grinning ear to ear. What makes perch so exciting to catch is their aggressive feeding behavior during winter. When you find a school, you can often catch multiple fish from the same hole before they move on. They hit hard for their size and put up a scrappy fight that's perfect for beginners but still fun for experienced anglers. The meat is absolutely phenomenal too – sweet, flaky white fillets that are considered some of the best eating fish in freshwater. Perch are most active during low light periods, so early morning and late afternoon tend to produce the best action, though they'll bite throughout the day when you find an active school.
Time to Book Your Spot
This customer favorite ice fishing trip fills up fast during Ottawa's winter season, especially on weekends when folks want to get out and try something different. At $300 for up to two people with all gear included, you're getting world-class guided instruction and prime fishing spots that most people never find on their own. Our guides have been working these waters for years and know exactly where to set up for the best action. Whether you've never held a fishing rod or you're looking to add ice fishing to your angling skills, this trip delivers the goods. The 4-hour timeframe gives you enough time to really get the hang of it without freezing your tail off, and being just outside Ottawa means you can easily make this part of a weekend getaway or day trip. Remember, deposits are non-refundable, so once you book, you're committed to getting out there and experiencing some of the best winter fishing that Ontario has to offer. Don't let another winter slip by without trying this – book your ice fishing adventure today.