Midwest Outdoors editor Dave Csanda reveals how to find fish in Canadian Lakes, even without electronics.

Years ago, I asked a guide at a well-known Canadian fishing lodge how he had learned the lake so well, given there were few depth finders at the time.

“I just read the water. Or, I suppose, the surrounding shoreline. Then I go from there.”

In today’s world of GPS navigation and onscreen mapping, old school navigation methods usually take a back seat to satellite technology. Even so, old school tactics never go out of style.

“See that long, sloping point?” he said. “Obviously, that runs out into the lake. You can expect it to be shallower there. I’d stop to look for walleyes there.

“How about those cliffs over against the far shoreline? They plunge into deep water. That’s a clue that lake trout might be around.

“Current draws fish in virtually all Canadian waters. Find incoming rivers and waterfalls, rapids and pools in rivers flowing between lakes, wind-generated current blowing between islands—anything with flowing water—and you’ll find fish.

“Notice how we always stand up when we’re running the boat? I know that looks unsafe. But it’s those shallow reefs that pop up out of nowhere that’ll do you in. On a sunny day, the brighter color of the sand and rocks stands out like a sore thumb from the surrounding dark, deeper water. On a cloudy day, you hope for a little wind sending waves rippling or breaking across anything shallow enough to hit with your outboard motor. Shallow rocks and boulders could mean smallmouths, walleyes or muskies.

“Weeds draw northern pike. Obviously, the back ends of shallow bays have good weed growth. Even before the weeds come up in spring, those areas are warmed by the sun and draw pike shallow. Out in the main lake, you can see the tips of weeds stalks sticking out of the water on a calm day. If it’s cloudy or windy, look into the water to find areas with weeds. Polarized sunglasses are a big help.

“We didn’t always have depth finders. In areas where we caught lake trout along shallow shorelines in spring, we’d drift offshore in summer, lowering weighted lines to get some idea of how deep the water was. Deep holes can be key trout spots. Mid-depth humps rising out of deep holes can be trout magnets.

“At first glance, everything kind of looks the same out here. Bays. Points. Islands galore. It takes a while to pick out all the little distinguishing features they have. Some are obvious; some are not.

“You get used to running in a certain direction, for a certain time, dodging between particular islands. If you keep a mental note of your surroundings, you can find your way home for supper.”

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