2021-Mar-19
New Ontario 2021 Fishing Regulations
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry manages the Province’s fisheries and provides an annual guide of Fishing Regulations. Georgian Bay and the North Channel of Lake Huron, including the rivers and countless streams running into these waters, are identified in the guide as Management Zone 14.
Zone 14 offers recreational anglers excellent near and offshore fishing for popular fish species including walleye, small and largemouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, yellow perch, chinook salmon and rainbow trout.
Protecting and maintaining this fishery is achieved when the guide’s regulations, listing seasonal, size and catch restrictions, are followed. Zone 14 also has specific restrictions for Lake Trout and Walleye. These can be found by going to Fisheries Management Zone 14 (FMZ 14).
Commercial fishery operators are also part of Zone 14’s heritage, providing healthy food and creating employment. Tampering with commercial fishing gear, nets, and traps, is prohibited under the provincial Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and can be unsafe. To learn more about commercial fishing in Ontario, please visit: www.ontario.ca/page/commercial-fishing. You can also view Georgian Bay Association’s 2020 Report on the State of Lake Huron’s Commercial Fisheries here.
The Ontario Fishing Regulations 2021 guide also provides instructions for anglers applying for a Conservation card and Fishing License.
By being aware of Ontario’s fishing regulations and avoiding any actions potentially harmful to fish, anglers can do their part to ensure that Georgian Bay and the North Channel’s fisheries remain healthy and sustainable.