Another new guy

[beadhead]

I decided it's time to stop lurking in the shadows and join the living, so here's my question...

Moved to the Ottawa area about a year ago and don't have a boat (also a young child and a wife who wants more, so not likely to have a boat any time soon). Anyway, I'm on the lookout for productive, wadeable (and safe) water. Smallies are the primary target.

Any information would be appreciated.

I'm willing to drive an hour or two when I have time, but anything near the east end of Ottawa sure would be nice.

Thanks in advance for the advice. And thanks, guys, for the site. I don't think people realize what a valuable resource they have here.

[Seaweed]

The Ottawa River is a Smallmouth Jungle for anyone willing to wade and fish.

This used to be my main fishing technique prior to buying a boat.

I highly recommend the islands off the bridge to Quebec on Island Park Blvd.

I also recommend highly although be a little more cautious here is the Deschenes Rapids that you can access by wading in near the Brittania Water Works.... loads of nice smallmouth and walleye... you might even nab a brown.

Enjoy.

[Wall-I-Guy]

Welcome aboard Beadhead! Many spots along the Ottawa River to be sure. Even along Parkdale Ave, at either of the Filtration Plants. Lemieux Island or Britannia. Endless opportunities.

[mosquito]

Rideau River between Hogs Back and Billings Bridge is full of smallies and
is quite wadeable. For some reason people tend to fish mostly the pool
below the waterfall and very rare go downstream.

[gundog]

With the Ottawa River - just walk down to the shore and throw a line in.

I live a block from the river in Orleans and walk down to the shore in the evening with the kids to throw our lines in. Usually we just use jigs tipped with worms and lob them out there. Some nights its channel cats and bullheads , others it perch and in the fall we usually get into big smallmouths . And once in a while we get skunked .

While the lines are in water the kids scour the shorleline for fossils in the rocks.

If you want to get your child into some good panfish action try Petrie Island or the Rideau in New Edindurgh.


Marc