Buy your Outdoors Card and licences online with our Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service.

As of January 1, 2019, all veterans and active Canadian Armed Forces members residing in Ontario can enjoy free recreational fishing.

Canadian residents can enjoy free recreational fishing 4 times a year.

Renew, replace or update an Outdoors Card

How to renew or update an existing Outdoors Card or replace a lost, damaged or stolen card.

image of a sample Outdoors Card. Card includes Card number, expiry date, height and eye colour of cardholder, cardholder’s name and date of birth.

Get a fishing licence

How to get your first Outdoors Card and buy a fishing licence.

Fees

How fishing and hunting fees are used

Fishing seasons

To learn when you can fish, find your zone, then check the links below for dates.

  1. Zone 1
  2. Zone 2
  3. Zone 3
  4. Zone 4
  5. Zone 5
  6. Zone 6
  7. Zone 7
  8. Zone 8
  9. Zone 9
  10. Zone 10
  11. Zone 11
  12. Zone 12
  13. Zone 13
  14. Zone 14
  15. Zone 15
  16. Zone 16
  17. Zone 17
  18. Zone 18
  19. Zone 19
  20. Zone 20

Fishing rules

The regulations for recreational fishing in Ontario, including information about open seasons, catch limits and fishing zones.

Information on Lake Nipissing fishing rules

Fishing notices and updates

Updates for anglers, including new rules and regulations.

Fishing limits, size restrictions and catch and release

The rules for the size and number of fish you can catch and keep, and how to properly return fish to the water.

Zone maps

About Ontario’s 20 fisheries management zones. Each zone has its own rules.

Ontario’s fish stocking program

Information about fish stocking and the approximately 8 million fish released into Ontario waters each year.

Eating Ontario fish

Advice to anglers and their families for choosing fish to minimize exposure to toxins.

Learn to Fish

The Learn to Fish program is a free, hands-on program that teaches new anglers how to fish in Ontario.

Fish ON-Line

An online tool to help you plan a fishing trip, check fishing rules and catch and identify Ontario fish.

Fishing tackle

Information on the tackle you can and can’t use to fish in Ontario.

Sustainable bait management

Learn about the actions we are taking to reduce ecological risks caused by the use and movement of bait.

Urban fishing

What you need to know to fish in Toronto and the GTA, Ottawa and other Ontario cities.

Book a campsite

Reserve a campsite at one of Ontario’s provincial parks.

Recreational activities on Crown land

What you need to know about camping and other recreational activities on Ontario’s Crown land.

Plan a trip

Tools and information to help you plan your next Ontario fishing trip.