Ontario is the Great Lakes and the lakes of the Shield. The pages run from Lake Simcoe, as much an ice fishery as an open-water one, and Lake of the Woods to the Lake Erie ports of Long Point, Erieau, Port Glasgow and Wheatley. Lake Ontario and Lake Huron are trolled for salmon and trout, and the province stocked chinook in both in 2025. Lake St. Clair and the St. Lawrence are muskie and smallmouth water, the Bay of Quinte walleye water, and the Niagara, Detroit and Grand rivers each have their own runs. The pages are built from the weather over each water, with live Water Survey of Canada gauges where a water has one; Great Lakes levels are the Canadian Hydrographic Service’s and are not used.
Reports current for Monday, November 9
Every one of the 18 Ontario waters we cover has a live read this morning. None reaches 4 out of 5 and 7 are slow. Water runs 4 °C to 8 °C. Pressure is rising on most of them, which costs a point in our model when the sky is clear. 2 have a better-than-even chance of rain.
Best right now: Detroit River 3/5, Erieau 3/5, Grand River 3/5
Live verdicts from this morning's reports.
Lake Simcoe: lake trout, whitefish and perch through the ice until mid-March, and summer bass and perch, on a big lake between Toronto and Georgian Bay.
Lake of the Woods at Kenora: walleye, muskie, smallmouth and pike among the islands, with lake trout mostly catch-and-release and a live level gauge at Keewatin.
Long Point Bay on Lake Erie: perch, bass, pike and walleye in the shallow inner bay, with a spring sanctuary in its eastern half and a public ramp at Port Rowan.
The Niagara River: stocked rainbows, chinook and lake trout below the falls, bass and muskie above, with a live gauge at Fort Erie.
Erieau on Lake Erie: walleye trolled on the central basin and perch in spring and fall, from a harbour at the mouth of Rondeau Bay.
Port Glasgow in West Elgin: a Lake Erie marina with seasonal launches and a fish-cleaning station, for perch in spring and fall and walleye offshore in summer.
The Detroit River: a spring walleye run from Lake Erie, with muskie, bass and perch between Windsor and Amherstburg.
Wheatley on Lake Erie: perch and walleye out of a working commercial and sport harbour just east of Point Pelee.
Lake St. Clair: muskie, smallmouth bass and ice-fishing perch on a shallow lake between Windsor and the St. Clair River delta.
The Bay of Quinte: big walleye in fall and through the ice until 1 March, and summer bass, between Belleville, Trenton and Prince Edward County.
Lake Ontario’s Canadian shore: chinook, rainbow, brown and lake trout trolled out of the ports from Niagara to Kingston, with stocking by Ontario every year.
Rice Lake south of Peterborough: walleye, muskie, bass and panfish in open water, and crappie, perch and pike through the ice, on the Trent–Severn system.
The St. Lawrence in Ontario: muskie, smallmouth, walleye and pike from the Thousand Islands to Lake St. Francis.
Lake Huron’s Ontario shore: chinook, rainbow and lake trout trolled from Goderich, Kincardine and Southampton, stocked every year, with fall and spring runs up the rivers.
The Grand River: stocked brown trout in the tailwater below Shand Dam, smallmouth through the middle, and walleye and steelhead near Lake Erie, with a live gauge at Brantford.
Lake Superior’s Ontario shore: lake trout, salmon and big brook trout in the largest and coldest of the Great Lakes.
The Ottawa River at Britannia, on Lac Deschênes: a live Water Survey of Canada level and flow for the city’s stretch of river, with walleye, bass, pike and muskellunge fished under the Zone 12 rules.
Lake Muskoka, held by the ministry’s dams at Bala: a live level from the Beaumaris gauge, with the conversion to metres above sea level, and stocked lake trout, bass, walleye and pike under Zone 15 rules.
Species activity across the covered waters, written for the Canadian year. Peak of the year: January.
1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.
Seasonal surface curve for the dominant water type here, in degrees Celsius (estimated, not a reading).
Read from the agency page named on each row, on the date shown, and calculated for 2026 from the rule as written: a date written as a day of the week is computed, not copied. Species with no published closure are not listed, which is not the same as open.
| Fishery | 2026 | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Simcoe lake trout and whitefish (spring closure) | Closed 2026-03-16 to 2026-05-08 | On Lake Simcoe lake trout, lake whitefish and cisco are open 1 January to 15 March and from the second Saturday in May to 30 September. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 16, read 2026-09-27 |
| Lake Simcoe lake trout and whitefish (fall closure) | Closed 2026-10-01 to 2026-12-31 | On Lake Simcoe lake trout, lake whitefish and cisco are open 1 January to 15 March and from the second Saturday in May to 30 September. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 16, read 2026-09-27 |
| Bass, Zone 16 | Closed 2026-12-01 to 2027-06-25 | Largemouth and smallmouth bass are open from the fourth Saturday in June to 30 November. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 16, read 2026-09-27 |
| Northern pike, Zone 16 | Closed 2026-04-01 to 2026-05-08 | Northern pike are open 1 January to 31 March and from the second Saturday in May to 31 December. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 16, read 2026-09-27 |
| Walleye, Grand River (Zone 16) | Closed 2026-03-16 to 2026-05-08 | Walleye are open 1 January to 15 March and from the second Saturday in May on the Grand River at Brantford. Below the Onondaga–Tuscarora township line to Lake Erie, walleye and pike close earlier, from 1 March. Between Paris and Brantford every walleye, pike, bass and trout is released and the river is a sanctuary from 1 March to the Friday before the fourth Saturday in April. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 16, read 2026-09-27 |
| Brown and rainbow trout, Grand River below Paris (extended season) | Closed 2026-01-01 to 2026-04-24 | From Paris to Lake Erie, brown and rainbow trout (steelhead) are open from the fourth Saturday in April to 31 December; below Brantford only one may be kept from 1 October to 31 December. Upstream, around Fergus and Elora, trout must be released and the season ends on 30 September. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 16, read 2026-09-27 |
| Walleye, sauger and northern pike, Zone 12 | Closed 2026-04-01 to 2026-05-14 | Walleye and sauger combined, and northern pike, are open 1 January to 31 March and from the Friday before the third Saturday in May to 31 December. Walleye kept from 1 March to 15 June must be under 40 cm. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 12, read 2026-09-27 |
| Bass, Zone 12 | Closed 2026-12-01 to 2027-06-24 | Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined are open from the Friday before the fourth Saturday in June to 30 November. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 12, read 2026-09-27 |
| Muskellunge, Zone 12 | Closed 2026-12-16 to 2027-06-17 | Muskellunge are open from the Friday before the third Saturday in June to 15 December; one fish on a sport licence, which must be over 137 cm, and none on a conservation licence. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 12, read 2026-09-27 |
| Yellow perch, Zone 12 | Open all year | Yellow perch are open all year in Zone 12. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 12, read 2026-09-27 |
| Lake trout, Zone 15 | Closed 2026-10-01 to 2026-12-31 | Lake trout are open 1 January to 30 September in Zone 15; the summary lists no exception for Lake Muskoka. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 15, read 2026-09-27 |
| Bass, Zone 15 | Closed 2026-12-01 to 2027-06-25 | Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined are open from the fourth Saturday in June to 30 November. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 15, read 2026-09-27 |
| Walleye, Zone 15 | Closed 2026-03-16 to 2026-05-15 | Walleye and sauger combined are open 1 January to 15 March and from the third Saturday in May to 31 December; four on a sport licence and two on a conservation licence, not more than one over 46 cm. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 15, read 2026-09-27 |
| Northern pike, Zone 15 | Closed 2026-04-01 to 2026-05-15 | Northern pike are open 1 January to 31 March and from the third Saturday in May to 31 December. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 15, read 2026-09-27 |
| Yellow perch, Zone 15 | Open all year | Yellow perch are open all year in Zone 15. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 15, read 2026-09-27 |
| Muskoka River sanctuary | Closed 2026-04-01 to 2026-06-15 (part of the water) | No fishing 1 April to 15 June in the Muskoka River from Bracebridge Falls and South Falls down to its mouth at Lake Muskoka, including the main channel to the green lighted buoy E.E.1 and the Gap to the red lighted buoy E.C.2. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 15, read 2026-09-27 |
| Yellow perch, Zone 16 | Open all year | Yellow perch are open all year in Zone 16. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 16, read 2026-09-27 |
| Walleye and sauger, Zone 5 | Closed 2026-04-15 to 2026-05-15 | Walleye and sauger are open 1 January to 14 April and from the third Saturday in May to 31 December; on most of the lake lake trout must be released. Sabaskong Bay and the west branch of the Winnipeg River at Kenora are sanctuaries from 1 April to 14 June. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 5, read 2026-09-27 |
| Muskellunge, Zone 20 | Closed 2026-12-16 to 2027-06-18 | Muskellunge are open from the third Saturday in June to 15 December; minimum size 137 cm. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 20, read 2026-09-27 |
| Pike and perch, Zone 5 | Open all year | Northern pike and yellow perch are open all year in Zone 5. On most of Lake of the Woods largemouth and smallmouth bass are catch and release only from 1 January to 30 June. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 5, read 2026-09-27 |
| Bass, Zone 19 | Closed 2026-12-01 to 2027-06-25 | Largemouth and smallmouth bass are open from the fourth Saturday in June to 30 November. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 19, read 2026-09-27 |
| Muskellunge, Zone 19 | Closed 2026-12-16 to 2027-06-04 | Muskellunge are open from the first Saturday in June to 15 December; minimum size 112 cm. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 19, read 2026-09-27 |
| Walleye, perch and pike, Zone 19 | Open all year | Walleye and sauger, yellow perch and northern pike are open all year in Zone 19. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 19, read 2026-09-27 |
| Inner Long Point Bay sanctuary (eastern half) | Closed 2026-05-15 to 2026-06-26 (part of the water) | No fishing from 15 May to the Friday before the fourth Saturday in June in the eastern half of Inner Long Point Bay. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 19, read 2026-09-27 |
| Lake trout, Zone 13 (Lake Huron main basin) | Closed 2026-10-01 to 2026-11-30 | Lake trout are open 1 January to 30 September and 1 to 31 December in Zone 13; Georgian Bay and the North Channel are Zone 14. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 13, read 2026-09-27 |
| Lake trout, Zone 20 (and Zone 19 above the falls) | Closed 2026-10-01 to 2026-11-30 | Lake trout are open 1 January to 30 September and 1 to 31 December, in Zone 20 and in Zone 19 alike. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 20, read 2026-09-27 |
| Lake trout, Zone 9 | Closed 2026-10-01 to 2026-12-31 | Lake trout are open 1 January to 30 September in Zone 9. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 9, read 2026-09-27 |
| Pacific salmon and rainbow trout, Zone 20 (and Zone 19) | Open all year | Pacific salmon and rainbow trout (steelhead) are open all year in Zones 19 and 20; many tributaries have their own seasons and sanctuaries, such as the Ganaraska. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 20, read 2026-09-27 |
| Pacific salmon and rainbow trout, Zone 13 | Open all year | Pacific salmon and rainbow trout are open all year in Zone 13; tributaries in Zone 16, such as the Maitland, have sanctuaries. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 13, read 2026-09-27 |
| Pacific salmon and rainbow trout, Zone 9 | Open all year | Pacific salmon and rainbow trout are open all year in Zone 9; only one rainbow trout may be kept (sport licence). | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 9, read 2026-09-27 |
| Smallmouth bass, Niagara River (both zones) | Closed 2026-12-01 to 2027-07-02 | Above the falls (Zone 19) bass open on the fourth Saturday in June and close after 30 November. Below the falls (Zone 20) smallmouth are catch and release only from 1 January to 10 May and open for harvest on the first Saturday in July. This line shows the dates both zones share as closed or release-only. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 19, read 2026-09-27 |
| Walleye and sauger, Zone 20 | Closed 2026-03-02 to 2026-05-01 | Walleye and sauger are open 1 January to 1 March and from the first Saturday in May to 31 December. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 20, read 2026-09-27 |
| Northern pike, Zone 20 | Closed 2026-04-01 to 2026-05-01 | Northern pike are open 1 January to 31 March and from the first Saturday in May to 31 December. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 20, read 2026-09-27 |
| Largemouth bass, Zone 20 | Closed 2026-05-11 to 2026-06-19; catch and release only 2026-01-01 to 2026-05-10 | Largemouth bass: catch and release only from 1 January to 10 May; regular season from the third Saturday in June to 31 December. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 20, read 2026-09-27 |
| Smallmouth bass, Zone 20 | Closed 2026-05-11 to 2026-07-03; catch and release only 2026-01-01 to 2026-05-10 | Smallmouth bass: catch and release only from 1 January to 10 May; regular season from the first Saturday in July to 31 December. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 20, read 2026-09-27 |
| Yellow perch, Zone 20 | Open all year | Yellow perch are open all year in Zone 20, except Lake St. Francis and the St. Lawrence east of the Saunders generating station. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 20, read 2026-09-27 |
| Moira River and Belleville Harbour sanctuary | Closed 2026-04-01 to 2026-05-01 (part of the water) | No fishing from 1 April to the Friday before the first Saturday in May in the Moira River below the Lott Dam, including Belleville Harbour, in the lower Trent River at Quinte West and in the Napanee River at Springside Park. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 20, read 2026-09-27 |
| Walleye and sauger, Zone 17 | Closed 2026-11-16 to 2027-05-07 | Walleye and sauger are open from the second Saturday in May to 15 November, so there is no walleye season through the ice. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 17, read 2026-09-27 |
| Bass, Zone 17 | Closed 2026-12-16 to 2027-06-18 | Largemouth and smallmouth bass are open from the third Saturday in June to 15 December. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 17, read 2026-09-27 |
| Muskellunge, Zone 17 | Closed 2026-12-16 to 2027-06-04 | Muskellunge are open from the first Saturday in June to 15 December; minimum size 112 cm. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 17, read 2026-09-27 |
| Pike and perch, Zone 17 | Open all year | Northern pike and yellow perch are open all year in Zone 17. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 17, read 2026-09-27 |
| Otonabee River and Trent River at Hastings sanctuaries (spring) | Closed 2026-01-01 to 2026-05-15 (part of the water) | No fishing from 1 January to the Friday after the second Saturday in May, and from 16 November to 31 December, in the Otonabee River from Lock 19 to Bensfort Bridge and in the Trent River from 500 m above to 1 km below the Hastings dam. | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fishing Regulations Summary, Zone 17, read 2026-09-27 |
| Water | Type | Live data | Peak month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Simcoe fishing report | Lake | modelled | Jan |
| Lake of the Woods fishing report | Lake | Water Survey gauge | Jun |
| Long Point Bay, Lake Erie fishing report | Lake | modelled | Jan |
| Niagara River fishing report | River | Water Survey gauge | Jan |
| Erieau fishing report | Town | modelled | Jan |
| Port Glasgow fishing report | Town | modelled | Jan |
| Detroit River fishing report | River | modelled | Jul |
| Wheatley fishing report | Town | modelled | Jan |
| Lake St. Clair fishing report | Lake | modelled | Jul |
| Bay of Quinte fishing report | Lake | modelled | Jul |
| Lake Ontario fishing report | Lake | modelled | Jul |
| Rice Lake fishing report | Lake | modelled | Jul |
| St. Lawrence River fishing report | River | modelled | Jul |
| Lake Huron fishing report | Lake | modelled | Jul |
| Grand River Water Level and fishing report | River | Water Survey gauge | Jul |
| Lake Superior fishing report | Lake | modelled | Jul |
| Ottawa River Water Level and fishing report | River | Water Survey gauge | Jul |
| Lake Muskoka Water Level and fishing report | Lake | Water Survey gauge | Jan |
Southern Ontario fishes two ways: the big lakes, where salmon, trout and walleye are trolled and perch are jigged, and the inland lakes and bays, where bass, walleye, pike and muskie live in the weeds and on the rock. In winter, the ice turns the same lakes into hut villages, from Lake Simcoe to Lake of the Woods, wherever the ice allows.
Most anglers need an Outdoors Card and a sport or conservation licence, before 13% HST; Canadian residents under 18 or 65 and over, and Ontario residents who serve or served in the Canadian Armed Forces, can use listed ID instead. Seasons and limits are set by fisheries management zone in the annual regulations summary: in 2026 bass open on the third or fourth Saturday of June in the southern zones and all year in several northern ones, and walleye and ice seasons also differ by zone, so each water page names its rules and links the summary.
On the Great Lakes, wind decides the boat days and the fish follow the cold water offshore in summer; on the inland lakes, a falling barometer before a front is the classic bite, and in winter the water temperature estimate sits near freezing under the ice. No agency certifies the ice on any lake.
Most anglers need an Outdoors Card and a sport or conservation licence; Canadian residents under 18 or 65 and over can fish with government ID, and Ontario residents who are active members or veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces with their Forces ID. See our Ontario licence page.
No agency certifies it; check it yourself or use an operator, and follow local warnings.
Lake Simcoe, Lake of the Woods, Lake Erie at Long Point, Erieau, Port Glasgow and Wheatley, Lake St. Clair, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron, Lake Superior, the Bay of Quinte, Rice Lake, and the Niagara, Detroit, St. Lawrence and Grand rivers.
The facts on this page were checked against these pages, from the agencies, park services and operators that manage the water on September 27, 2026; anything we could not verify was taken out.