The 2026 Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary is now available. The following changes to Ontario’s fishing rules are in effect as of January 1, 2026.

Fisheries Management Zone 6

Changes to species exceptions

  • Whitefish Lake (48°13′00″N., 90°00′00″W.)
    • Removed yellow perch species exception
  • Zone-wide limits for yellow perch apply (Sport (S) 50, Conservation (C) 25)

Changes to waterbody exceptions:

Changes to the waterbody description for Arrow River, Lac des Milles Lacs, including:

  • Casino
  • Cushing
  • Panache
  • Pike Lake and their connected waters
  • Little Savanne River

Fisheries Management Zone 8

Additional fishing opportunities

Brook trout

  • Season: open all year
    • Emerald Lake (48°52′22″N., 81°7′55″W.)
    • Verte Lake (48°53′0.7″N., 81°7′28″W.)

Fisheries Management Zone 9

Changes to zone-wide regs

  • The minimum size limit for muskellunge is 137 centimetres.

Changes to waterbody exceptions

Lake Superior – Black Bay to the southern tip of the Black Bay Peninsula (48°24′35″N., 88°33′37″W.) to Magnet Island, to Porphyry Island, to an unnamed point (48°20′28″N., 88°46′09″W.) on the southeast side of Sibley Peninsula

Northern pike

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

Walleye and sauger (combined)

  • Season: July 1 to December 31
  • Limits: S-2 and C-1; must be between 40-50 centimetres

Fisheries Management Zone 18

Removed temporary fish sanctuaries from Charleston and Opinicon Lakes which were in place in 2024 and 2025.

Aurora trout fishing opportunities for 2026

Fisheries Management Zone 10

Carol Lake (47°34′07″N., 84°37′22″W.), Lake 21 (47°37′22″N., 80°57′10″W.) and Sorley Lake (46°27′35″N., 82°28′34″W.)

  • Aurora trout — open from August 1 to October 15
  • Aurora trout — S-1 and C-0
  • Live fish may not be used as bait or possessed for use as bait
  • Fish sanctuary — no fishing from January 1 to July 31 and October 16 to December 31

Potential revisions to release of fish rules for recreational fishing

Proposed changes

In February 2023, we consulted on proposed changes to the rules around the immediate release of fish. The proposed changes would:

  • allow anglers to delay the release of a fish caught during the open season for that species, only long enough to photograph, measure and weigh, if the fish is of a restricted size or over daily catch and possession limits
  • require the immediate release of fish that are out of season, are species at risk or are otherwise prohibited under the existing recreational fishing rules

Timeline

This type of change to Ontario’s recreational fishing regulations requires approval of both:

  • Ministry of Natural Resources
  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada

We continue to work to implement any changes related to this proposal. Check this page for any future updates.