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Know Before You Go
Ontario Fishing Rules & Licences
Everything you need to know about fishing legally in Ontario — from getting your licence to understanding limits and seasons.
FMZ Quick Lookup
Pick a Fisheries Management Zone to see the key seasons, limits, and tips.
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.
Season & limit highlights
- •One barbless hook only, and live fish may not be used or possessed as bait anywhere in Zone 1.
- •Walleye & sauger: open all year; S-4/C-2, not more than one over 46 cm.
- •Northern pike: open all year; S-6 (max two over 61 cm, one over 86 cm) / C-2.
- •Brook trout: Jan 1 – Sept 30; S-5/C-2, not more than one over 40 cm.
- •Lake trout: open all year; S-3/C-1. Trout & salmon aggregate S-5/C-2.
- •Lake sturgeon: Jan 1 – Apr 30 and Jul 1 – Dec 31; S-0/C-0 (release only).
- •Bass, muskie, rainbow trout, splake, crappie, sunfish, catfish and salmon are absent and closed all year.
Pro tips
- ›Everything here is fly-in or coastal — plan logistics, fuel and emergency comms before tackle.
- ›Barbless single hooks are mandatory, so pinch every treble down before your first cast.
- ›Brook trout and sturgeon are the fragile assets of this zone; keep big fish in the water.
Highlights are summaries — always confirm current seasons and limits on the official Ontario MNRF regulations page before your trip.
Featured Guide
Click to expand the full guide
Your Outdoors Card (plastic) plus your fishing licence tag — both required to fish legally in Ontario.
Get Your Fishing Licence
You can purchase your Outdoors Card and fishing licence online through the Ontario government website. It only takes a few minutes.
Rules and Licences at a Glance
Tap any topic to expand the key rules.
