Zone 9 consists of Lake Superior excluding most of the tributaries and the islands of St. Ignace, Simpson and Michipicoten.

Fisheries Management Zone 9

  • View Fisheries Management Zone 9 map using Fish ON-Line or a PDF.
  • St. Mary’s River west of the compensating works gate and the canal lock in Sault Ste. Marie is in Zone 9.

General information

  • Refer to general fishing regulations for more information on how to use this summary.
  • FMZ 9 part of the Great Lakes. Baitfish and leeches that are both dead and preserved can be transported into and out of BMZs and the Great Lakes.
  • Baitfish and leeches that are not both dead and preserved may be transported out of:
    • an adjacent bait management zone and used in the Great Lakes
    • the Great Lakes only to be disposed of immediately more than 30 metres from the water
    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 and waterbody exceptions.

Aggregate limits for trout and salmon (including splake)

Limits: S-5 and C-2; total daily catch and possession limit for all trout and salmon species combined

Atlantic salmon

Season: open all year     
Limits: S-1 and C-0

Brook trout

Season: fourth Saturday in April to Labour Day     
Limits: S-1; must be greater than 56 centimetres, and C-0

Brown trout

Season: open all year     
Limits: S-5 and C-2

Channel catfish

Season: open all year     
Limits: S-12 and C-6

Crappie

Season: open all year     
Limits: S-30 and C-10

Lake sturgeon

Season: closed all year

Lake trout

Season: January 1 to September 30     
Limits: S-3 and C-1

Lake whitefish

Season: open all year     
Limits: S-12 and C-6

Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined

Season: open all year     
Limits: S-6 and C-2

Muskellunge

Season: third Saturday in June to December 15     
Limits: S-1; must be greater than 91 centimetres, and C-0

Northern pike

Season: open all year     
Limits: S-4 and C-2; none between 70-90 centimetres, not more than 1 greater than 90 centimetres

Pacific salmon

Season: open all year     
Limits: S-5 and C-2

Rainbow trout

Season: open all year     
Limits: S-1 and C-0

Splake

Season: January 1 to September 30     
Limits: S-3 and C-1

Sunfish

Season: open all year     
Limits: S-50 and C-25

Walleye and sauger combined

Season: January 1 to April 14 and third Saturday in May to December 31     
Limits: S-2 and C-1

Yellow perch

Season: open all year     
Limits: S-25 and C-12

Species exceptions

Rainbow trout

Limits: S-2 and C-1

  • Lake Superior, east of the Pic River (Zone 9)

Walleye and sauger

Season: closed all year

  • Black Bay - from 48°37′N. (Bent Island) northward
  • 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.

Season: open from January 1 to March 31 and July 1 to December 31

  • Montreal River - from the first Great Lakes Power Dam to Lake Superior

Waterbody exceptions

All waters of FMZ 9

  • Two lines may be used when trolling from a boat in open water