Nipigon River
Nipigon River is an Ontario fishing location near Northern Ontario, Ontario, targeted for Brook Trout, Lake Trout, Walleye. It sits in FMZ 6 (Northwest Ontario — Thunder Bay & Lake Nipigon).
Fishing Quick Facts
- Location
- Nipigon River
- Water type
- River
- Region
- Northern Ontario
- Fishing Management Zone
- FMZ 6 — Northwest Ontario — Thunder Bay & Lake Nipigon
- Latitude
- 49.01670
- Longitude
- -88.25000
- Primary species
- Brook Trout, Lake Trout, Walleye
- Shore fishing
- Unknown
- Boat fishing
- Unknown
- Kayak / canoe
- Unknown
- Boat launch
- Unknown
- Ice fishing
- Unknown
- Parking
- Unknown
- Fishing regulations
- Ontario fishing rules and licences
- Official zone regulations
- Ontario MNRF FMZ 6 summary
- Live conditions
- Live Ontario fishing conditions and reports
About this water
The world-record brook trout river — heavily regulated trophy water below the dams.
FMZ 6 regulations — 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.
- Brook trout: heavily protected — check individual water for size limits (often 56 cm min).
- Lake trout: seasons and limits vary by water; many lakes are S-1/C-0.
- Nipigon River: single barbless hooks and artificial lures only on much of the system.
Zone check: FMZ 6 confirmed from this water's coordinates against the official Ontario zone boundaries (reviewed 2026-08-12). The FMZ 7 boundary is only 0.61 km away, so confirm which zone your launch falls in.
Summary only — always confirm current seasons and limits on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 6 page before your trip.
Seasonal availability
Open-season windows for the species found at Nipigon River, taken from the FMZ 6 regulation summary. Green months are within a published open season — they are not a prediction of how well fish will bite.
Season dates vary by water — see the official FMZ 6 page.
Season dates vary by water — see the official FMZ 6 page.
Run & closure notes for FMZ 6
- Nipigon River: single barbless hooks and artificial lures only on much of the system.
No FMZ 6 season line published in our summary for: Walleye. Check the official page before keeping these species.
Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 6 page before your trip.
Fishing tips
- This is coaster brook trout country — treat every fish gently, keep it wet, release quickly.
- Deep lake trout structure fishing shines from ice-out through late June.
Solunar Calendar— Nipigon River
Waning Crescent
20% illuminated · Age 25.2d
🌘 Mon, Sep 7
20% · Rating 82🌘 Tue, Sep 8
12% · Rating 89🌘 Wed, Sep 9
6% · Rating 95Major windows (~2 h) cluster around moon transit and antitransit; minor windows (~1 h) around moonrise and moonset. Local approximations — verify against a printed almanac for planning.
Related fishing information
- How FMZ 6 works and which Ontario waters it covers
- Explore more fishing spots in Northern Ontario
- Learn more about fishing for Brook Trout in Ontario
- Learn more about fishing for Lake Trout in Ontario
- Learn more about fishing for Walleye in Ontario
- Ontario fishing seasons, limits and licence rules
- Check live conditions before fishing Nipigon River
- Fishing near Northern Ontario: Nipigon Bay – Lake Superior
- Fishing near Northern Ontario: Black Bay – Lake Superior
- Fishing near Northern Ontario: Rossport – Lake Superior
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