Fishing opportunities by season

January and February

Generally, fishing experiences remain the same in January and February, with ice fishing being the most popular activity for avid sport anglers in the province.

It’s an opportunity for socializing as much as for fishing. Well-established outfitters will supply the necessary equipment and provide transportation to the lake.

Get more information on ice fishing in Ontario. In addition to ice fishing, there are also options for open water fishing in the province, particularly in Southern Ontario during milder winters.

Several rivers allow year-round open water fishing for trout. Provided these rivers are void of ice, anglers have a chance to fly fish or use conventional tackle for migratory rainbow trout (steelhead).

Find legal open water fishing spots in Ontario in the Summary of Fishing Regulations, published annually. Along with this, local tackle shops will typically have up-to-date regulations available.

February also offers free Family Day Weekend fishing when Ontario residents do not require a provincial fishing license. It’s a great opportunity to spend time with family and sample ice fishing without the added licensing cost.

March

March is typically the final month of ice fishing in Ontario, with many of the larger lakes and reservoirs mandating ice hut removals from the lake by the middle of the month. However, this will vary by region, and local municipalities will provide specific information on hut removal, ice conditions and regional ice fishing closers.

With the ice fishing season coming to a close, open water angling opportunities begin. Often the first substantial thaw in March will swell rivers and trigger the spring migration for migratory rainbow trout (steelhead).

River systems with year-round open seasons on Lakes Erie, Huron and Ontario will receive good numbers of steelhead and often favourable enough weather to get outside and have a legitimate chance to tangle with what many anglers consider to be one of the hardest fighting fish in freshwater.

April

April is when fishing open water in Ontario starts to kick off.

The inland trout season begins on the fourth Saturday of the month, opening up countless rivers and lakes in southern and south-central Ontario to trout fishing.

Many northern lakes will remain under ice however, several northern zones do permit year-round seasons for trout fishing.

For several weeks, early-season trout fishing includes steelhead entering the rivers and the overwintering fish returning to the lake. In addition, smaller creeks holding brook trout will fish well, as most of the smaller systems will have good water due to snow-runoff

May

May heralds the “unofficial start” to most open water fishing in Ontario.

Many northern lakes will be free of ice, and the southern rivers and lakes will begin to see the first return of insect hatches and forage fish activity. Trout fishing in the south nears peak conditions in May and in the zones where bass are open, the pre-spawn can be some of the best fishing of the year as fish are feeding heavily in preparation for the spawn.

Many of the southern zones also open for northern pike and walleye; by the end of May, most of the major species that anglers target are fair game. In terms of the Great Lakes, open water for salmon and trout is also in full swing.

Outfitters and recreational anglers will be bringing out their boats to troll the shorelines and depths of the big lakes and will be starting to take salmon and trout on down riggers with some regularity

June

The last official month of spring is usually the most productive of the year.

Trout fishing continues to be consistent. Pike and walleye are coming into the most productive weeks of the year, and by the end of the month, all major seasons are open.

Bass and muskellunge are open by the end of June. Check the MNRF Summary of Regulations for special instructions on opening details as zones vary.

Many urban and suburban fisheries will be open for families looking to get out and enjoy local lakes and ponds. This coincides nicely with the start of vacation cottage season. June 

July

With all of the major sportfish open, July dovetails nicely with June. The month offers great recreational fishing opportunities, from cottage country to provincial, municipal and regional parks and conservation areas.

Bass, pike, walleye and muskellunge continue to be consistent but trout fishing on inland rivers and lakes will tail off considerably as water temperatures rise. The Great Lakes, however, will continue to produce salmon and trout.

For out-of-province visitors, this is an excellent period to sample open-water trolling for chinook and coho salmon, rainbow, lake trout, brown trout and walleye.

Note that tolerable water temperatures for trout are 68 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) and below. When trout fishing during the shoulder seasons of late June through September, bring a pocket thermometer to check water temperatures.

August

August in Ontario is typically warm, and plenty of sport fishing opportunities remain.

Everything that July offered is still available throughout the province and, along with cottage rentals or visits, camping around The Great Lakes provides a terrific chance to introduce fishing to children in a safe environment. 

Many provincial campgrounds and Conservation Areas will have a detailed layout of what they offer in terms of fishing on the property.

Trolling for salmon and trout on the Great Lakes will also provide consistent angling, particularly in the later part of the month, when fish are gradually moving into shallow water in preparation for entering the rivers in autumn to spawn. 

September

September is the transition month from the summer to autumn seasons. With nighttime cooling, water temperature in rivers and lakes will gradually cool to tolerable temperatures for trout, and by the end of the month, the fishing will become more consistent.

In September, big Pacific salmon begin migrating into the rivers to spawn. While spawning, care should be taken. A local guide would be recommended for the first outing to identify actively spawning fish.

Cooling water temperatures in September also trigger feeding activity in many fish species. Smallmouth and largemouth bass will begin to gather in schools in more shallow water and begin feeding heavily before the fall. These large concentrations of fish can make for some of the best fishing of the year.

Pike, muskellunge, walleye and panfish also begin to transition into their fall patterns and are progressively getting more aggressive. 

October

If there is a “glamour fish” in the Canadian Great Lakes, they would be steelhead or migratory rainbow trout.

October kicks off their annual migration into the rivers. By the middle of the month, there are fishable numbers in most major tributaries and many smaller, lesser-known rivers in southern and central Ontario. The further north in the province, the earlier the run will be, with many of those systems holding fish as early as late August.

While bass fishing will slow down in the cooler temperatures, skilled bass anglers will tell you it can also be some of the year's best fishing, so don’t remove them from your list in October if you’re planning a trip. 

As the weather rapidly changes in October, musky, pike and walleye move from deeper, cooler water and into accessible shallows in concentration. This makes for easier locating and more consistent angling opportunities.

November

As northern zones prepare for snow in November, anglers prepare ice huts.

November fishing in southern zones around Lakes Huron, Georgian Bay, Ontario and Erie can be one of the best periods of the year.

With the weather deteriorating and becoming more unpredictable, die-hard anglers take advantage of the light pressure on the rivers and lakes. Steelhead anglers will continue to find a solid number of fish on their favourite rivers and will often have runs and pools all to themselves. Muskie, pike and walleye anglers will still find these fish aggressive as their forage will exponentially become scarcer over the coming weeks as water temperatures drop rapidly.

The key to fishing in November is to be prepared for all types of weather and layer with good quality cold water apparel.

December

The final month of the year delivers the last of the open water fishing and ushers in ice fishing.

Northern zone lakes may have enough ice for safe ice fishing, but always check local ice reports for thickness before you set out. Setting up an ice hut and driving a vehicle onto a lake require different thicknesses; taking a chance is not an option.

In the southern zones, many steelhead rivers will remain open through the end of December. Although the migration slows, there will still be hold over fish, such as trout that entered the river in late fall.