Ontario fishing rules start with your zone — not your fish
Ontario has 20 Fisheries Management Zones, separate Sport and Conservation limits, hundreds of waterbody exceptions, fish sanctuaries, Bait Management Zones and Great Lakes rules. Find the exact water first, then check the species, season, size and licence limit.
What is current in Ontario right now?
Effective January 1, 2026
Ontario’s 2026 Fishing Regulations Summary is the current annual recreational regulation guide.
FMZ determines the baseline
Species seasons and limits are customized by Fisheries Management Zone.
2026 licence-free dates finished
Ontario’s final 2026 Family Fishing Week ended July 5. Normal licensing rules now apply.
Black Bay + muskellunge
FMZ 9 received new Black Bay walleye/pike rules and a new 137 cm zone-wide muskellunge minimum.
Five checks before you decide a fish is legal to keep
Find the water
Search the lake, river or Great Lakes area in Fish ON-Line.
Find the FMZ
Ontario is divided into 20 Fisheries Management Zones.
Read species row
Check season, Sport limit, Conservation limit and size rule.
Check exceptions
Species exception, named-water exception and fish sanctuary can override the zone row.
Check bait & gear
BMZ movement, hook/line rules and special tackle restrictions can apply even when the fish itself is in season.
Sport and Conservation licences follow the same seasons — but not the same limits
Full catch & possession privilege
Ontario’s regulation tables use S for the Sport Fishing Licence limit.
Example: S-4 means a Sport licence holder may catch and possess up to four fish under that regulation, subject to size and other restrictions.
Reduced catch & possession privilege
Ontario’s regulation tables use C for the Conservation Fishing Licence limit.
Conservation licences cost less but commonly reduce the number of fish that may be retained or possessed.
Ontario fishing licence, Outdoors Card & current fees
Valid for three calendar years; HST applies.
No Outdoors Card required.
Canadian resident prices
Non-Canadian resident prices
2026 Ontario fishing products with fees are subject to 13% HST. Annual licences expire December 31 of the year printed on the licence; a three-year licence expires December 31 of its third year.
Who can fish without purchasing an Ontario fishing licence?
Carry qualifying government-issued identification. Sport Fishing Licence limits apply.
Carry government-issued identification showing name and date of birth. Sport limits apply.
Qualifying Canadian Forces or veteran identification may be used instead of buying the normal licence.
“Ontario resident” has a specific licensing definition
Primary residence in Ontario and at least six consecutive months living in Ontario during the 12 months immediately before applying, subject to specified military/RCMP provisions.
Primary residence elsewhere in Canada and at least six consecutive months living in Canada during the preceding 12 months.
Anyone who does not meet either Ontario-resident or Canadian-resident definitions.
All four Ontario free-fishing periods have passed for 2026
Family Fishing Weekend.
Mother’s Day Weekend.
Father’s Day Weekend.
Ontario Family Fishing Week.
Ontario has 20 Fisheries Management Zones — use the exact one
FMZs such as 4 and 5 include Lake of the Woods, Rainy Lake, remote walleye waters and strong Bait Management Zone restrictions.
FMZs 10, 11 and 15 contain major lake trout, walleye, brook trout and muskellunge fisheries with many named-water exceptions.
FMZs 16, 17 and 18 include much of southern, Kawartha and eastern Ontario.
FMZs 9, 13, 14, 19 and 20 cover major Great Lakes and connecting-water fisheries.
How dramatically Ontario limits can change by FMZ
| Zone / fishery | Season example | Sport / Conservation | Important size or rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| FMZ 10 — bass | Third Saturday in June–Nov. 30 | S-6 / C-3 | Named-water exceptions can override the zone row. |
| FMZ 10 — muskellunge | Third Saturday in June–Dec. 15 | S-1 / C-0 | Fish must be greater than 122 cm. |
| FMZ 17 — bass | Third Saturday in June–Dec. 15 | S-6 / C-2 | Largemouth and smallmouth count together. |
| FMZ 18 — walleye + sauger | Jan. 1–Mar. 1 and second Saturday in May–Dec. 31 | S-4 / C-2 | Fish must be between 40 and 50 cm under the zone-wide rule. |
| FMZ 19 — walleye + sauger | Open all year | S-6 / C-2 | Detroit River and St. Clair River are in FMZ 19. |
| FMZ 19 — yellow perch | Open all year | S-50 / C-25 | FMZ 19 also lists possession limits of 100 under Sport and 50 under Conservation. |
| FMZ 20 — walleye + sauger | Jan. 1–Mar. 1 and first Saturday in May–Dec. 31 | S-4 / C-2 | Not more than one fish may be greater than 63 cm, except where a species exception applies. |
| FMZ 20 — largemouth bass | Early C&R Jan. 1–May 10; regular third Saturday in June–Dec. 31 | Regular S-6 / C-2 | Early season has S-0 / C-0: catch-and-release only. |
| FMZ 20 — smallmouth bass | Early C&R Jan. 1–May 10; regular first Saturday in July–Dec. 31 | Regular S-6 / C-2 | Smallmouth regular opener is later than largemouth in FMZ 20. |
| FMZ 20 — muskellunge | Third Saturday in June–Dec. 15 | S-1 / C-0 | Must be greater than 137 cm. |
| FMZ 20 — lake sturgeon | Closed all year | No recreational harvest | Do not treat an incidental sturgeon catch as a keeper opportunity. |
Largemouth and smallmouth do not share the same regular opener
FMZ 20 allows an early catch-and-release period from January 1 through May 10 for both bass species. The regular largemouth season opens the third Saturday in June, while regular smallmouth possession begins the first Saturday in July.
What S-0 / C-0 means
During the early catch-and-release season, the possession limit is zero.
Ontario fishing-regulation changes worth knowing this year
Muskellunge minimum
The zone-wide muskellunge minimum size is now 137 cm.
New walleye rule
In the defined Lake Superior Black Bay area, walleye and sauger are open July 1–Dec. 31; S-2 / C-1 and fish must be 40–50 cm.
Northern pike
Open all year. Sport limit 2 with no more than one over 70 cm and none over 90 cm; Conservation limit 1 with none over 90 cm.
Aurora trout rotation
Borealis Lake is closed as part of Ontario’s three-year aurora trout rotational cycle.
Trout opportunities
Two lakes were added to brook trout additional-fishing opportunities; Lake 57 and Pack Can Lake entered the aurora trout closure cycle.
Aurora trout waters
Carol Lake, Lake 21 and Sorley Lake opened in the three-year aurora trout rotational fishery.
Sanctuary changes
Temporary fish sanctuaries were removed from Charleston and Opinicon lakes.
New 2026 Lake Superior Black Bay rule in one screen
Walleye + sauger
40–50 cmSeason: July 1–December 31.
Sport: 2
Conservation: 1
Northern pike
Max 90 cmSeason: open all year.
Sport: 2, only one over 70 cm, none over 90 cm.
Conservation: 1, none over 90 cm.
“Fish sanctuary” means no fishing — not catch-and-release
A sanctuary can close a whole waterbody or a precisely described section of river/lake.
Many sanctuaries protect spawning areas only during part of the year.
Dams, bridges, lot lines and coordinates are commonly used to define sanctuary boundaries.
Ontario aggregate limits stop you from stacking separate species limits
Province-wide standard aggregate for trout and salmon, including splake, unless a more restrictive regulation applies.
If the zone says “walleye and sauger combined,” you cannot keep the full limit of each species.
Largemouth and smallmouth commonly share one aggregate limit.
Where your bait came from can matter as much as what species it is
Much of Ontario is divided into Bait Management Zones that restrict movement of baitfish and leeches.
Live/dead unpreserved bait is regulated differently from bait that is both dead and preserved.
Live or dead baitfish or leeches generally may not be moved into or out of a BMZ unless an exception applies.
The 30-metre bait-disposal rule
Ontario prohibits depositing or releasing live or dead bait, baitfish, fish eggs, gametes or fish parts into the water or within 30 metres of any waterbody.
Rainbow smelt
Live rainbow smelt may not be bought or used as bait. Dead rainbow smelt can be used in some Ontario waters, but additional restrictions prohibit their use or possession as bait in FMZs 2, 4, 5 and 6 except for specifically listed waters.
How many fishing lines and hooks can you use in Ontario?
Ontario’s province-wide baseline allows one fishing line.
Up to four hooks may be attached to the fishing line.
Two lines may be used from a boat in Great Lakes waters where the zone/waterbody rule permits it.
On most waters, two ice-fishing lines are allowed when the angler remains within 60 metres and has a clear, unobstructed view of them.
FMZ 20 allows two boat lines — but not everywhere
Two lines may generally be used while angling from a boat in open water in FMZ 20, but Ontario lists important exclusions.
Hamilton Harbour, Toronto Harbour and Frenchman’s Bay are excluded from the two-line open-water provision.
Murray Canal, Presqu’ile Bay, Weller’s Bay, East Lake, West Lake and the Bay of Quinte west of the Glenora Ferry are listed exclusions.
The specified eastern St. Lawrence waters and other Lake Ontario tributaries are also excluded.
Keep transported fish countable and identifiable
Packaging
Ontario requires fish to be packaged so conservation officers can easily determine the number and species of fish.
Packaging separate fish or arranging fillets so individual fish can still be counted avoids turning a legal catch into an identification problem.
Size-restricted fish
When a size limit applies, preserve enough identifying/measuring features to demonstrate that the fish complied with the legal size requirement during transport.
Non-Canadian anglers camping on Crown land can face lower limits
In specified parts of northwestern Ontario, non-Canadian residents camping on Crown land must follow Conservation Fishing Licence limits even when holding a Sport licence.
Some Ontario species are not recreational keeper fish at all
Listed as a specially protected species and may not be caught or possessed under a recreational fishing licence in applicable zones.
Ontario lists warmouth as endangered; it may not be caught or possessed under a recreational fishing licence.
Some zone tables list species as not present and closed all year.
Ontario pre-trip regulation pack
- Exact waterbody name. Save the exact lake, bay, river reach or Great Lakes area.
- FMZ number. Confirm it through Fish ON-Line rather than guessing.
- Licence type. Know whether your limit is Sport or Conservation.
- Species season. Check opening and closing dates for the exact FMZ.
- Size rule. Save minimum, maximum, protected-slot and oversized-fish sublimits.
- Species exception. Check whether that species has a special rule in the zone.
- Named-water exception. Search the exact lake/river name in the regulation summary.
- Fish sanctuary. Verify that the launch, creek mouth, dam or spawning area is not closed.
- Bait Management Zone. Do not transport live/dead baitfish or leeches across BMZ boundaries unless an explicit rule allows it.
- Line count. Confirm whether one-line, Great Lakes two-line or ice-fishing rules apply.
- Licence proof. Carry the valid Outdoors Card/Licence Summary or qualifying deemed-licence ID.
- Keep today’s limit in mind. Returning to the dock does not create a new daily catch limit.
Twelve ways anglers misread Ontario fishing regulations
The FMZ comes before the walleye, bass or pike limit.
S and C are separate legal catch/possession limits.
Named lakes can override the entire zone-wide row.
Sanctuary means no fishing during the stated closure.
The two-line exception has named exclusions.
Bait origin and destination can determine legality.
Bait may not be deposited within 30 metres of a waterbody.
Live rainbow smelt may not be used as bait.
Ontario free-fishing periods use Conservation limits.
Non-Canadian residents age 65+ generally still require a licence.
Ontario requires the official digital PDF, not a photo/screenshot.
Daily catch limits apply to the day, not each launch.
Ontario fishing licence & regulation support
Available for qualifying card/licence transactions.
Use exact waterbody + FMZ before calling.
“I’m fishing [exact Ontario waterbody] in FMZ [number] on [date], using a [Sport/Conservation] licence and targeting [species]. Can you confirm the season, catch and possession limit, size rule, waterbody exception and any sanctuary or bait restriction?”
Ontario sources used for the final live check
The practical rules are explained above first. Use these official resources when you need to locate your exact FMZ, verify a named-water exception or complete a licence transaction.
Quick answers before you fish Ontario
What is the Ontario walleye limit in 2026?
Ontario does not have one province-wide walleye limit. Walleye seasons, Sport and Conservation limits, size restrictions and protected slots differ by Fisheries Management Zone and individual waterbody exceptions. Find your FMZ first.
What do S and C mean in Ontario fishing regulations?
S means Sport Fishing Licence and C means Conservation Fishing Licence. Sport licences generally have higher catch and possession limits. Conservation licences have reduced limits.
How many Fisheries Management Zones are in Ontario?
Ontario is divided into 20 Fisheries Management Zones. Seasons, limits and other fishing regulations are customized by zone, with additional species and waterbody exceptions.
How much is an Ontario fishing licence in 2026?
An Ontario resident one-year Sport Fishing Licence is $26.57 before HST, while the resident one-year Conservation licence is $15.07. An Outdoors Card costs $8.57 and is required for most licences other than the one-day Sport licence.
Do Ontario seniors need a fishing licence?
Ontario and Canadian residents age 65 or older generally do not need to purchase an Outdoors Card or fishing licence and may use qualifying government-issued identification as a deemed licence. Sport limits apply. Non-Canadian residents age 65 or older generally still require a licence.
Do children need an Ontario fishing licence?
Ontario and Canadian residents under 18 can fish without purchasing the normal licence and use Sport limits. Different rules apply to non-Canadian youth: when fishing without their own licence while accompanied by a licensed adult, fish they keep count against the licensed person’s limit.
Can I use two fishing rods in Ontario?
The general Ontario open-water rule allows one line. Two lines may be used from a boat in Great Lakes waters where permitted, but zone and waterbody exclusions apply. Most ice-fishing waters allow two lines when the angler remains within 60 metres and maintains a clear unobstructed view.
How many hooks can I use on one Ontario fishing line?
The province-wide baseline allows up to four hooks attached to a fishing line, subject to special zone or waterbody tackle restrictions.
Can I move live bait between Ontario fishing zones?
Bait Management Zones restrict movement of live or dead baitfish and leeches. In general they may not be transported into or out of a BMZ unless an applicable exception applies. Bait that is both dead and preserved is treated differently under the movement rules.
Can I dump leftover minnows into an Ontario lake?
No. Ontario prohibits depositing or releasing bait or baitfish, including dead bait and fish parts, into or within 30 metres of a waterbody.
Can I fish inside an Ontario fish sanctuary if I release everything?
No. A fish sanctuary is a no-fishing closure for the water and dates described in the regulation. It is different from a zero-possession or catch-and-release regulation.
What is the FMZ 20 smallmouth bass season in 2026?
FMZ 20 has an early catch-and-release smallmouth bass season from January 1 through May 10 with S-0 and C-0. The regular season runs from the first Saturday in July through December 31 with an aggregate bass limit of S-6 and C-2, subject to exceptions.
Water → FMZ → licence → species → exception
That order prevents most Ontario fishing-regulation mistakes. Do not apply a Toronto/Lake Ontario rule to the Kawarthas, a Lake Erie walleye limit to eastern Ontario, or a zone-wide rule to a lake with its own protected slot.
Regulation research reviewed . Ontario’s 2026 Fishing Regulations Summary is effective January 1, 2026, but current variation orders, fishing notices, sanctuaries and waterbody exceptions should always be checked before a trip.