Your fishing in Prince Edward Island guide

Recreational fishing on Prince Edward Island, both in freshwater and saltwater, is one of the best kept fishing secrets in the world. While the number of sport fish species on Prince Edward Island may be limited, the quality of the fishing is exceptional.

Prince Edward Island offers 1,100 miles of coastline, deeply indented with many estuaries and bays. Other than barrier beach ponds, which can be found at the mouth of many streams, there are few natural lakes. However, there are more than 800 artificial ponds, many originally constructed as mill ponds. The streams themselves are short and spring fed and less dependent upon surface run-off to maintain good flows, even in summer.

The five principal streams where Atlantic salmon can be angled are the Morell, Valleyfield, West, Dunk, and Trout Rivers. Most are taken in the Morell River, on the north-eastern side of the Island. This is the only river on Prince Edward Island that is a scheduled river, and its main branch can be fished only by fly after June 1. On the Morell River, many anglers enjoy trolling flies for salmon in Leards Pond where a small boat is required. However, most angling for salmon is done by wading the main river.

A selection of great PEI fishing info is available for your trip preparation.

Prince Edward Island is one of the few places in North America where the brook trout or speckled trout, is still king. Brook trout can be found in virtually every stream on the Island, with sea run trout, the fish most sought after by anglers, ranging from ½ lb to 6 lbs. Within 10 to 20 km of Charlottetown anglers can fish for brook trout at numerous locations as well as in the middle of the province between North Granville and South Granville, off Hwy. 254, or about 8 mi. S. of Cavendish (nearby camping at Brackley Beach, Cavendish, Kensington) is great for brook trout.

Salt water angling continues to be a lesser recognized component of the PEI recreational fishery. Some of the species commonly caught are: mackerel tuna and dogfish. Various deep sea charters are available from mid-summer to early autumn. North Lake, in eastern Prince Edward Island, boasts of being the "Tuna Capital of the World," with many bluefin tuna caught weighing in excess of 1000 lbs.

Prince Edward Island, the smallest province in Canada, is just 220 kilometres long and 6-60 kilometres wide. It is connected to the mainland by the 14-kilometre Confederation bridge and a summer ferry service. This island is the most densely settled province in Canada, with 130,000 residents, most of whom are dependent upon renewable resources for their livelihoods.