Fisheries Management Zone 6

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General information

• Refer to general fishing regulations for more information on how to use this summary.
• Non-Canadian residents camping on Crown land must follow conservation fishing licence limits.
• Rainbow smelt may not be used as bait or possessed for use as bait.

• The following waterbodies, or portions of them, have different regulations that are listed in the waterbody exceptions:

  • Arrow River
  • Cushing Lake
  • NewD'Arcy Lake
  • NewHades Lake
  • Jessie Lake
  • Lac des Mille Lacs
  • Lake Helen
  • Lake Nipigon

  • Little Savanne River
  • McIntyre River
  • Nipigon River
  • NewPass Lake
  • Polly Lake
  • Savanne River
  • NewUncle Al's Lake
  • NewWednesday Lake
• FMZ 6, with the exception of St. Ignace Island and Simpson Island, is part of the Northwest Bait Management Zone (BMZ). Live or dead baitfish or leeches may not be transported into or out of a BMZ. These rules do not apply to baitfish and leeches which are both dead and preserved. Refer to bait for more details.

Zone-wide seasons and limits

Zone-wide seasons and limits apply to all waters in the Zone except for the specific waters and species listed in the species exceptions, waterbody exceptions and fish sanctuaries.

Species exceptions

Brook trout

Additional fishing opportunities

Season: open all year

Limits: S-5 and C-2; no size limit

View these waterbodies and additional information on Fish ON-Line.

Limits: S-1; must be greater than 56 centimetres, and C-0

• All tributaries to Lake Superior in Zone 6 described as follows:
  • Current River downstream from the Boulevard Lake Dam (48°27′N., 89°11′W.)
  • Coldwater Creek downstream from Ouimet Canyon Road (48°45′N., 88°36′W.)
  • Spring Creek downstream from Dorion Fish Culture Station (48°50′N., 88°36′W.)
  • Wolf River downstream from the lower falls (48°50′58″N., 88°34′87″W.)
  • Black Sturgeon River downstream from the dam (48°55′N., 88°23′W.)
  • Nipigon River, entire length including Jessie Lake, Polly Lake and Lake Helen (49°04'20"N., 88°16'17"W.)
  • from the Pigeon River to the Nipigon River, all tributaries lying downstream from Highway 61 and Highway 11/17, including Sibley and Black Bay Peninsula and all islands and excluding those listed in the first 6 sub-bullets above

Lake trout

Additional fishing opportunities

Season: open all year          
Limits: S-2 and C-1; no size limit

• Black Sturgeon Lake (49°19′27″N., 88°51′34″W.)
• Keemle Lake (49°17′00″N., 88°07′00″W.)
• Pasha Lake (49°42′00″N., 87°43′00″W.) - Walters Township
• NewPass Lake (48°33′45″N., 88°44′05″W.)

Season: closed all year

• Shebandowan Lakes (48°38′53″N., 90°19′22″W.)

Rainbow Trout

Additional fishing opportunities

Limits: S-5 and C-2

Limits: S-1; must be greater than 69 centimetres, and C-0

• Neebing River

Walleye

Season: closed all year

• Black Sturgeon River - downstream from the dam (48°55′N., 88°23′W.) to Lake Superior

Yellow Perch

Limits: S-50; in 1 day, possession limit of 100 and C-25

• Whitefish Lake (48°13′00"N., 90°00′00"W.)

Waterbody exceptions

Arrow River

• Live fish may not be used as bait or possessed for use as bait
• Only barbless hooks may be used
• Brown trout - S-0 and C-0
• Brown trout - open from fourth Saturday in April to September 30

Arrow River - between the dam on Arrow Lake (Hardwick Township) and the Robbins/Hartington Township line (48°07'52"N., 90°01'34"W.)

• Only artificial flies may be used

Arrow River - between the Robbins/Hartington Township Line and its confluence with the Pigeon River in Devon Township (48°07'52"N., 90°01'34"W.)

• Only artificial lures may be used

Cushing Lake (48°56′10″N., 90°30′11″W.) - Inwood Township

• Northern pike - open from January 1 to April 14 and second Saturday in May to December 31
• Walleye - S-4 and C-2; must be greater than 33 centimetres, not more than 1 greater than 46 centimetres

Jessie Lake (49°11′19″N., 88°19′52″W.) - Purdom Township

• Dead rainbow smelt may be used as bait or possessed for use as bait
• Brook trout - S-1; must be greater than 56 centimetres, and C-0
• Lake trout - open from February 15 to March 15 and fourth Saturday in May to September 30
• Northern pike - S-4 and C-2; none between 70-90 centimetres, not more than 1 greater than 90 centimetres

Lac des Mille Lacs (48°52′36″N., 90°30′46″W.)

• Northern pike - open from January 1 to April 14 and second Saturday in May to December 31
• Walleye - S-4 and C-2; must be greater than 33 centimetres, not more than 1 greater than 46 centimetres

Lake Helen (49°04′20″N., 88°16′17″W.)

• Dead rainbow smelt may be used as bait or possessed for use as bait
• Brook trout - S-1; must be greater than 56 centimetres, and C-0
• Northern pike - S-4 and C-2; none between 70-90 centimetres, not more than 1 greater than 90 centimetres
• Walleye and sauger - closed all year

Lake Nipigon and its tributaries downstream from the first falls, rapids, dams or lakes or the entire stream if there are no falls, rapids, dams or lakes, also including:

• Waters on the islands of Lake Nipigon - including Forgan Lake, Bonner Lake, Little Bonner Lake and Jackpot Lake (Madeline Lake);
• Gull River - downstream from the Highway 527 bridge
• Kabitotikwia River - downstream from the Highway 527 bridge
• Poshkokagan River - downstream from and including the rapids (49°25′45″N., 89°04′55″W.) located 13 kilometres upstream from the Black Sturgeon Road bridge;
• Wabinosh River - downstream from Wabinosh Lake
• Little Jackfish River - downstream from the centre line of the CN railway bridge.
• Dead rainbow smelt may be used as bait or possessed for use as bait
• Only artificial lures may be used when angling through the ice
• Only 1 barbless hook may be used
• No person shall use stringers, impounding devices or live holding boxes
• A person may hold fish, other than Brook Trout or Lake Trout, in a livewell
• No possession of live Lake Trout or Brook Trout permitted
• Brook trout - open from fourth Saturday in April to September 15
• Brook trout - S-1; must be greater than 56 centimetres, and C-0
• Lake trout - open from March 1 to September 30
• Lake trout - S-2 and C-1; not more than 1 greater than 70 centimetres
• Northern pike - open from January 1 to April 14 and third Saturday in May to December 31
• Northern pike - S-4 and C-2; none between 70-90 centimetres, not more than 1 greater than 90 centimetres
• Walleye and sauger - open from January 1 to April 14 and June 10 to December 31

Lake Nipigon - Ombabika Bay (50°15′N., 88°15′W.) and Wabinosh Bay (50°02′N., 88°50′W.) and the tributaries of the bays up to the first barrier including the Little Jackfish River downstream from the centre line of the CN railway bridge and Wabinosh River downstream of Wabinosh Lake

• Walleye and sauger combined - S-2 and C-2; not more than 1 greater than 46 centimetres

Lake Nipigon - West Bay, the waters lying north and west of the north tip of Boles Island

• Fish sanctuary - closed all year

Little Savanne River (48°57′N., 90°15′W.)

• Walleye - S-4 and C-2; must be greater than 33 centimetres, not more than 1 greater than 46 centimetres

Little Savanne River (48°57′N., 90°15′W.) - from the C.P.R. right-of-way to the first C.N.R. right-of-way

• Fish sanctuary - no fishing from April 1 to May 31

McIntyre River

• Rainbow trout - S-1; must be greater than 69 centimetres, and C-0

McIntyre River - from the footbridge to the dam on the University property in the City of Thunder Bay

• Fish sanctuary - closed all year

Nipigon River

• Dead Rainbow Smelt may be used as bait or possessed for use as bait
• Northern pike - S-4 and C-2; none between 70-90 centimetres, not more than 1 greater than 90 centimetres

Nipigon River and Nipigon Bay - the Nipigon River from the Alexander Falls Dam in Zone 6 to Nipigon Bay in Zone 9, and the waters of Nipigon Bay in Zone 9 north of a line drawn from Simpson Island (48°49'48"N., 87°40'40"W.) across the bay to the mainland at 48°51'21"N., 87°38'47"W.

• Walleye and sauger - closed all year

Nipigon River

• Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in May and Tuesday after Labour Day to December 31 in the following areas:
  • Nipigon River - Backpool below the Alexander Dam east of a line drawn south from the Alexander Dam Log Chute to the northernmost tip of the point of land on the east shore of the Nipigon River
  • Nipigon River - Gapen's Pool (49°01′N., 88°15′W.) that part of the Nipigon River lying east of a line drawn north from the eastern shore abutment of Highway 11/17 bridges to the western tip of a point of land on the eastern shore of the outflow from Lake Helen
  • Nipigon River - Parmacheene (49°05′N., 88°19′W.) from the downstream edge of the Parmacheene C.N.R. bridge abutments, upstream approximately 400 metres to the first narrows

Polly Lake (49°07′52″N., 88°15′58″W.)

• Dead rainbow smelt may be used as bait or possessed for use as bait
• Brook trout - S-1; must be greater than 56 centimetres, and C-0
• Northern pike - S-4 and C-2; none between 70-90 centimetres, not more than 1 greater than 90 centimetres
• Walleye and sauger - closed all year

Savanne River (48°56′N., 90°17′W.)

• Walleye - S-4 and C-2; must be greater than 33 centimetres, not more than 1 greater than 46 centimetres

Savanne River (48°56′N., 90°17′W.) - from One Mile Creek to Dexter Creek.

• Fish sanctuary - no fishing from April 1 to May 31

Bait restrictions

Live fish may not be used as bait or possessed for use as bait - refer to waterbody exceptions

• Arrow River

Dead Rainbow Smelt may be used as bait or possessed for use as bait - refer to waterbody exceptions

• Jessie Lake (49°11'19"N., 88°19'52"W.)
• Lake Helen (49°04'20"N., 88°16'17"W.)
• Nipigon River
• Polly Lake (49°07'52"N., 88°15'58"W.)

Fish sanctuaries

No fishing - closed all year

No fishing – from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in May and Tuesday after Labour Day to December 31

• Nipigon River - refer to waterbody exceptions

No fishing - April 1 to May 31