Ontario Fishing Zones (FMZs)

FMZ 1

Far North — Peawanuck & Polar Bear Provincial Park

One of the three Far North zones. Ontario describes FMZs 1, 2 and 3 collectively as covering much of the Far North — that collective description is not the boundary of FMZ 1 alone. FMZ 1 itself is the far-northwest coastal country around Peawanuck and Polar Bear Provincial Park: few roads, essentially fly-in access, very light fishing pressure and large rivers draining to the Arctic watershed. Large areas prohibit the use of live bait.

Communities: Peawanuck, Fort Severn

FMZ 2

Far North West — Pickle Lake and remote northwestern waters

The Far North West zone, reached from Pickle Lake and made up of remote northwestern waters. Like FMZs 1 and 3 it has few roads, limited access, limited fishing pressure, large Arctic-watershed rivers and extensive live-bait restrictions.

Communities: Pickle Lake

FMZ 3

Far North East — Attawapiskat, Kashechewan, Moosonee & Hearst

The Far North East zone, ending at James Bay and served from Attawapiskat, Kashechewan, Moosonee and Hearst. Few roads, limited access and light pressure, with large rivers draining north to the Arctic watershed and extensive live-bait restrictions.

Communities: Attawapiskat, Kashechewan, Moosonee, Hearst

FMZ 4

Northwest Ontario — Red Lake & Sioux Lookout

A 60,440 km² zone in northwest Ontario. Bordered to the west by Woodland Caribou Provincial Park and the Manitoba border, to the east by Brightsand River and Wabakimi provincial parks, to the north by the Berens and Cat River systems, and to the south by Highway 17 and the Canadian National Railway line.

Major waters: Red Lake, Gullrock Lake, Lac Seul, Minnitaki Lake, Abram Lake, Pelican Lake, Botsford Lake, Big Vermilion Lake

Communities: Red Lake, Ear Falls, Sioux Lookout, Ignace

FMZ 5

Northwest Ontario — Sunset Country & Rainy River

A 44,360 km² zone in northwest Ontario with about 5,000 lakes. It stretches west to the Manitoba border, borders Quetico Provincial Park on the east, ends at the Minnesota border to the south and reaches north to Highway 17 and the Canadian National Railway.

Major waters: Rainy Lake, Rainy River, Lake of the Woods, Shoal Lake, Eagle Lake, Wabigoon Lake, Dinorwic Lake, Winnipeg River system

Communities: Fort Frances, Kenora, Dryden, Atikokan, Ignace

FMZ 6

Northwest Ontario — Thunder Bay & Lake Nipigon

Inland northwest Ontario north of Lake Superior. Lake Superior and the state of Minnesota form its southern border, and it includes the islands in Nipigon Bay plus St. Ignace and Simpson Islands in Lake Superior. Lake Superior itself is FMZ 9.

Major waters: Lake Nipigon, Lac des Mille Lacs, Whitefish Lake

Communities: Thunder Bay, Nipigon, Red Rock, Upsala, Dorion, Kakabeka Falls

FMZ 7

Northern Ontario — Lake Superior north shore inland

Straddles northeastern and northwestern Ontario with a long stretch of Lake Superior shoreline. To the south it follows Lake Superior from the Nipigon River to the Michipicoten River; Hearst and Nakina lie along its northern boundary. It takes in Michipicoten Island's surrounding area and contains Pukaskwa National Park country and the Chapleau Crown Game Preserve.

Communities: Nipigon, Geraldton, Manitouwadge, Marathon, Wawa

FMZ 8

Northeast Ontario — Cochrane, Timmins & Kirkland Lake

Northeast Ontario, with large river systems draining into the Arctic watershed and relatively small, shallow lakes. The Quebec border between Lake Temiskaming and James Bay forms its eastern boundary; it stretches north to the southern coast of James Bay and is bounded by FMZ 3 to the northeast, FMZ 7 to the west and FMZs 10, 11 and 12 to the south.

Communities: Cochrane, Hearst, Timmins, Kirkland Lake, Kapuskasing, Gogama

FMZ 9

Lake Superior

The Canadian waters of Lake Superior — the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Its northwestern boundary is the international border at the Pigeon River, it is bordered to the southeast by the compensating works on the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie, and its southern boundary is the Canada–US border. It includes Lake Superior islands other than St. Ignace and Simpson Islands (FMZ 6) and Michipicoten Island (FMZ 10). Zone boundaries extend across tributary river mouths in most cases, so most streams flowing into Lake Superior are not FMZ 9 — above the boundary at the river mouth they follow the inland zone (FMZ 6, 7 or 10).

Major waters: Lake Superior

Communities: Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Nipigon, Rossport, Schreiber, Terrace Bay, Marathon, Wawa

Great Lakes zone — Lake Superior

FMZ 10

Northeast Ontario — Sudbury, Algoma & Manitoulin (inland)

Inland northeastern Ontario north of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, including the inland lakes of Manitoulin Island. All lakes on Manitoulin Island are FMZ 10 except South Bay, which is FMZ 13, and Lake Wolsey, which is FMZ 14. The Great Lakes waters surrounding Manitoulin Island are not in FMZ 10 — the North Channel and Georgian Bay are FMZ 14 and the main basin of Lake Huron is FMZ 13. Its eastern border extends north from the mouth of the French River to Elk Lake, and its western border follows the east shore of Lake Superior from Sault Ste. Marie north to Wawa. It has more lake trout and brook trout lakes than any other Northeast zone.

Communities: Sudbury, Espanola, Blind River, Sault Ste. Marie, Wawa

FMZ 11

North Bay & Temagami

The smallest of the northern Ontario zones, in northeast Ontario. The Ottawa River and Lake Temiskaming (FMZ 12) form its eastern border, and its southern border follows the Pickerel River, Highway 522 and the northern boundary of Algonquin Park.

Major waters: Lake Nipissing, Lake Temagami

Communities: North Bay, Temagami, Sturgeon Falls, New Liskeard

FMZ 12

Ottawa River & Lake Temiskaming

A long, narrow zone along the Ontario–Quebec border. It includes the Ontario portions of Lake Temiskaming and the Ottawa River, plus the Madawaska and Mississippi Rivers upstream to the first dam. It is not a Georgian Bay zone.

Major waters: Ottawa River (Ontario portion), Lake Temiskaming (Ontario portion), Madawaska River to the first dam, Mississippi River to the first dam

Communities: Ottawa, Pembroke, Deep River, Hawkesbury

FMZ 13

Lake Huron — main basin

The Ontario waters of Lake Huron's main basin. Its western edge follows the United States border south to the St. Clair River; it edges the south shore of Manitoulin Island and the west coast of the Bruce Peninsula south to the St. Clair River. The boundary extends across river mouths in most cases.

Major waters: Lake Huron (main basin)

Communities: Providence Bay, South Baymouth, Sauble Beach, Southampton, Kincardine, Goderich, Sarnia

Great Lakes zone — Lake Huron

FMZ 14

Georgian Bay & North Channel

The waters of Georgian Bay and the North Channel of Lake Huron — the largest bay on the Great Lakes, including the Thirty Thousand Islands. It stretches northwest to the compensation works on the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie. The dividing line from FMZ 13 begins at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula and runs through the Bruce archipelago to Manitoulin Island. The zone boundary extends across river mouths in most cases. It is not limited to the Bruce Peninsula shore.

Major waters: Georgian Bay, North Channel of Lake Huron

Communities: Sault Ste. Marie, Blind River, Gore Bay, Little Current, Parry Sound, Midland, Collingwood, Owen Sound, Wiarton

Great Lakes zone — Lake Huron (Georgian Bay & North Channel)

FMZ 15

Central Ontario — Parry Sound to Pembroke

A large inland zone in central and eastern Ontario, reaching from the Georgian Bay shoreline in the west to the Ottawa River valley in the east; Georgian Bay itself (FMZ 14) and the Ottawa River itself (FMZ 12) are separate zones. Its northern boundary follows the Pickerel River, Highway 522 and the northern edge of Algonquin Park. It contains many natural lake trout and brook trout lakes and Algonquin Provincial Park.

Communities: Parry Sound, Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Huntsville, Minden, Haliburton, Whitney, Bancroft, Deep River, Petawawa, Pembroke, Renfrew

FMZ 16

Southwestern Ontario & Lake Simcoe

The most southerly inland zone in the province. It includes all of southwestern Ontario, is predominantly made up of large river systems, and includes Lakes Simcoe and Couchiching. It has the largest urban population of any fisheries management zone. The Great Lakes themselves are separate zones (13, 14, 19 and 20).

Major waters: Lake Simcoe, Lake Couchiching

Communities: Toronto, Mississauga, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Windsor, Niagara

FMZ 17

Kawartha Lakes & Trent watershed

The smallest FMZ, in southern Ontario. It includes the Kawartha Lakes, the Trent and Crowe River watersheds, and the eastern rivers and streams of the Oak Ridges Moraine. It is bordered by Lake Ontario to the south (FMZ 20).

Major waters: Kawartha Lakes, Trent River watershed, Crowe River watershed

Communities: Peterborough

FMZ 18

Eastern Ontario — Rideau & inland southeastern watersheds

Southeastern Ontario, built around the connecting lakes and rivers of the Rideau waterway, with the Canadian Shield at its heart and the St. Lawrence Lowlands to the east and west. It covers the Crowe, Mississippi, Napanee, Cataraqui, Rideau, Salmon, South Nation and Raisin River watersheds. It ends at Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River to the south (FMZ 20) and follows the Ottawa River (FMZ 12) to the north and east — the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers themselves are not in FMZ 18.

Major waters: Rideau waterway, Mississippi River, Napanee River, Cataraqui River, South Nation River

Communities: Ottawa, Kingston, Cornwall, Belleville, Perth, Smiths Falls, Brockville, Carleton Place

FMZ 19

Lake Erie

The Canadian waters of Lake Erie — the shallowest and most productive Great Lake — together with Lake St. Clair and the Detroit, St. Clair and Upper Niagara Rivers. It is not the Lake Ontario zone.

Major waters: Lake Erie (Canadian waters), Lake St. Clair, Detroit River, St. Clair River, Upper Niagara River

Communities: Windsor, Sarnia, Port Stanley, Port Colborne, Fort Erie

Great Lakes zone — Lake Erie

FMZ 20

Lake Ontario & St. Lawrence River

The Canadian waters of Lake Ontario, the Bay of Quinte, the Niagara River below Niagara Falls (the Lower Niagara), Hamilton Harbour and the St. Lawrence River. Deep cold water supports a world-class salmon and trout fishery, while eastern Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence hold warm- and cool-water species.

Major waters: Lake Ontario (Canadian waters), Bay of Quinte, St. Lawrence River, Lower Niagara River, Hamilton Harbour

Communities: Toronto, Hamilton, Kingston, Brockville

Great Lakes zone — Lake Ontario