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Ontario

Great Lakes smallmouth and steelhead, Shield walleye and pike, Kawartha largemouth — the most varied fishing in the country.

Ontario has 250,000 lakes and the highest concentration of anglers in Canada. It is divided into 20 Fisheries Management Zones, each with its own seasons and limits, so the first stop is always the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary. The province also has bait management zones that control where you can move live bait.

Key waters and what to tie

WaterSpeciesRigs that work
Lake Erie & Lake St. ClairSmallmouth, walleye, perch, muskie, largemouthDrop shot, crawler harness, flatline trolling, quick-strike (muskie)
Lake Ontario tributariesSteelhead, chinook, coho, brown troutSteelhead float rig, nymph indicator rig
Georgian Bay & Lake HuronSmallmouth, pike, walleye, lake trout, whitefishDrop shot, Ned rig, wire leader spoon rig, jig and minnow
Bay of QuinteTrophy walleye (fall), pike, largemouthFlatline trolling, jig and minnow, Texas rig
Lake SimcoeJumbo perch, smallmouth, lake trout, whitefish (ice)Hi-lo rig, drop shot, ice jigging rig
Kawartha Lakes & RideauLargemouth, walleye, muskie, panfishTexas rig, wacky rig, slip bobber rig
Lake Nipissing & French RiverWalleye, pike, muskie, smallmouthSlip bobber rig, bottom bouncer, wire leader spoon rig
Ottawa & St. Lawrence riversSmallmouth, walleye, muskie, channel catsDrop shot, three-way rig, slip sinker rig
Lake of the Woods & Sunset CountryWalleye, pike, smallmouth, muskie, lake troutJig and minnow, Lindy rig, wire leader spoon
Algonquin & HaliburtonBrook trout, lake trout, smallmouthSplit-shot rig, dry-dropper rig, flatline trolling

Seasons

Walleye and pike generally open the 2nd or 3rd Saturday in May in the south (some northern zones year-round); bass the 3rd or 4th Saturday in June; trout the 4th Saturday in April in many zones. Ice season December–March.

Bait rules

Live bait is legal but movement is restricted between Bait Management Zones; keep the receipt. Crayfish and salamanders cannot be used as bait in most zones. No bait fish from the Great Lakes into inland lakes.

Seasons, zones and limits change yearly. Always confirm with the current provincial regulations summary before fishing.

Rigs that work in Ontario

Drop-Shot Rig diagramBraid main lineFG / Alberto knotFluoro leaderHook stands out, point upTag end 12–24"Drop-shot weight

Drop-Shot Rig

The weight goes on the bottom and the hook is tied above it, so the bait hovers off the bottom right where suspended fish feed. The number one finesse rig for smallmouth in Ontario and Quebec.

bassBeginnerSmallmouth BassLargemouth Bass
Steelhead Float Rig diagramMain line 8–10 lbDrift float (fixed with caps)AAA shotBB shot#1 shot#4 shot Micro swivelFluoro leader 18–30"#8–#12 hook + roe bag

Steelhead Float Rig

A fixed float, a shot pattern that tapers down the line, a swivel and a light fluoro leader to a roe bag, bead or jig. The Great Lakes tributary rig fished on a centrepin or long spinning rod.

troutIntermediateSteelhead & SalmonTrout (Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Lake)
Slip Bobber Rig diagramMono 6–8 lbBobber stop (sets depth)BeadSlip float (slides)Split shot12–18"Octopus hook + leech

Slip Bobber Rig

A bobber stop, a bead and a sliding float let you fish live bait at any exact depth and still cast easily. The rig that puts walleye in the boat on rock reefs at dusk.

walleyeBeginnerWalleyeBlack Crappie
Texas Rig diagramMain lineBullet weight (slides)Palomar knotOffset worm hook, point buried

Texas Rig

The weedless soft-plastic rig every bass angler learns first. A bullet weight slides on the line above a hook buried in the plastic, so it slips through weeds and wood without hanging up.

bassBeginnerLargemouth BassSmallmouth Bass
Crawler Harness (Spinner Rig) diagramFrom bottom bouncerSwivel / snapColorado blade6 beadsFront hookRear hook

Crawler Harness (Spinner Rig)

A spinner blade, a run of beads and two snelled hooks on a leader, trolled behind a bottom bouncer with a nightcrawler stretched along the hooks. The summer walleye rig on Erie, Simcoe, Nipissing and the prairie reservoirs.

walleyeIntermediateWalleyeSauger
Hi-Lo Rig (Dropper Loop Rig) diagramMain line Barrel swivelDropper loop #1Hook12–18"Dropper loop #2Hook8–10"Bell sinker

Hi-Lo Rig (Dropper Loop Rig)

A sinker at the bottom and one or two hooks on dropper loops above it. Two baits at two depths, perfect for perch schools and bottom feeders, and it drops straight down through an ice hole.

panfishIntermediateYellow PerchChannel Catfish