Georgian Bay – Parry Sound

About this water

Parry Sound offers access to the deeper waters of eastern Georgian Bay, with excellent lake trout and trophy smallmouth bass.

Deep, clear water with rocky structure and islands. Cold water year-round in deeper channels. Sheltered inner harbour.

FMZ 14 regulations — 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.

• Smallmouth bass: fourth Saturday in June – Nov 30; S-4/C-2.
• Muskie: fourth Saturday in June – Dec 15; 137 cm min, S-1/C-0.
• Lake trout: Jan 1 – Sept 30; S-2/C-1.
• Chinook / coho salmon: open all year.

Zone check: FMZ 14 set by review — Great Lakes water body: Georgian Bay or North Channel access. Coordinate falls on the land side of, or immediately adjacent to, the mapped boundary. Reviewed 2026-08-12.

Summary only — always confirm current seasons and limits on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 14 page before your trip.

Seasonal availability

Open-season windows for the species found at Georgian Bay – Parry Sound, taken from the FMZ 14 regulation summary. Green months are within a published open season — they are not a prediction of how well fish will bite.

No FMZ 14 season line published in our summary for: Northern Pike, Walleye, Whitefish. Check the official page before keeping these species.

Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 14 page before your trip.

Fishing tips

• Rocky Canadian Shield structure — drop-shot smallies on classic humps.
• Muskie prefer transition edges between weed and rock; slow-troll big glide baits.
• Lake trout cruise the 40–80 ft depths in summer. Troll spoons near underwater points. For smallmouth, target the rocky shoreline islands early and late in the day.
• Access: Free public launch at the Parry Sound town dock. Trailer parking available. Marina launches for a fee.

Gear setup

Setup:

Medium spinning for bass; trolling setup for lake trout

Rod:

7' medium spinning; 8' medium-heavy trolling rod

Reel:

Size 2500 spinning; level-wind trolling reel

Line:

8 lb fluorocarbon for bass; 12 lb lead core for trolling

Best bait:

Crayfish, Minnows, Leeches

Best lures:

Tube jig (smoke), Williams Wabler spoon, Rapala J-13, Drop-shot with minnow bait