SF – 2023/9

Under the Ontario Fishery Regulations, 2007

Pursuant to the authority vested in me in subsection 13(1) of the Ontario Fishery Regulations, 2007, made under the Fisheries Act, R.S.C. , 1985, c. F-14, I hereby authorize and declare the following:

  1. That Sport Fishing Variation Order for Fisheries Management Zone 9 (SF-2021/9) signed by Minister Yakabuski on November 23, 2020 is revoked and replaced by this Sport Fishing Variation Order for Fisheries Management Zone 9 (SF-2023/9).
  2. That the angling close times as set out in Schedule 2 to the Ontario Fishery Regulations, 2007 and the angling quotas and size limits as set out in Part 1 of Schedule 3 to the said Regulations for Fisheries Management Zone 9 are hereby varied as set out in Schedules A and B to this Sport Fishing Variation Order.
  3. That the close times for dip netting Lake Whitefish as set out in Part 1 of Schedule 6 to the said Regulations for Fisheries Management Zone 9 are hereby varied to January 1 to September 30 and December 16 to December 31.
  4. That if there is a conflict between this Sport Fishing Variation Order and a close time for a fish sanctuary, the close time for the fish sanctuary prevails.
  5. That this Sport Fishing Variation Order comes into effect January 1, 2023.

Dated at Toronto this 1st day of November 2022.

Graydon Smith
Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry

Schedule A – Zone-wide close times, quotas and size limits for Fisheries Management Zone 9

Subject to Schedule B of this Variation Order the following Angling close times, fishing quotas and size limits (measured in total length) apply to all waters in Fisheries Management Zone 9.
Species or combination of species Close time Sport Fishing Licence quota and size limit Conservation Fishing Licence quota and size limit
Atlantic salmon No close time 1, any size 0
Black & white crappie No close time 30, any size 10, any size
Brook trout January 1 to the Friday before the 4th Saturday in April and the day after Labour Day to December 31 1, must be greater than 56 cm 0
Brown trout No close time 5, any size 2, any size
Channel catfish No close time 12, any size 6, any size
Lake sturgeon January 1 to December 31 N/A N/A
Lake trout October 1 to December 31 3, any size 1, any size
Lake whitefish No close time 12, any size 6, any size
Largemouth & smallmouth bass No close time 6, any size 2, any size
Muskellunge January 1 to the Friday before the 3rd Saturday in June and December 16 to December 31 1, must be greater than 91 cm 0
Northern pike No close time 4, none between 70-90 cm and not more than 1 greater than 90 cm 2, none between 70-90 cm and not more than 1 greater than 90 cm
Pacific salmon No close time 5, any size 2, any size
Rainbow trout No close time 1, any size 0
Splake October 1 to December 31 3, any size 1, any size
Sunfish No close time 50, any size 25, any size
Walleye & sauger April 15 to the Friday before the 3rd Saturday in May 2, any size 1, any size
Yellow perch No close time 25, any size 12, any size
Any other species No close time No limit No limit

Schedule B – Exceptions to the Zone-wide close times, quotas and size limits for Fisheries Management Zone 9

Despite Schedule A of this Variation Order the Angling close times, quotas and size limits (measured in total length) set out in this Schedule apply in the following waters. For greater clarity, where this schedule indicates "no change", the Zone-wide requirement in Schedule A applies.
Waters Species or combination of species Close time Sport Fishing Licence quota and size limit Conservation fishing licence quota and size limit
Lake Superior - Black Bay from 48°37’N. (Bent Island) northward Walleye and sauger January 1 to December 31 N/A N/A
Nipigon River and Nipigon Bay in Lake Superior from the hydro corridor at 48°59'39"N., 88°15'29"W. at the Fisheries Management Zone 6 and 9 boundary including the waters of Nipigon Bay along the shoreline of Black Bay Peninsula across the St. Ignace channel at 48°47'51"N., 88°05'37"W. following the northerly shoreline of St. Ignace Island across the Simpson island channel at 48°49'57"N., 87°45'02"W. along the northerly shoreline of Simpson Island to the mainland at 48°51'21"N., 87°38'47"W. following the northerly shoreline of Lake Superior to the beginning. Walleye and sauger January 1 to December 31 N/A N/A
Lake Superior, east of the Pic River (Zone 9) Rainbow trout No change 2, any size 1, any size
Montreal River from the first Great Lakes Power Dam to Lake Superior Walleye and sauger April 1 to June 30 No change No change