Balsam Lake

Lake South Western Ontario FMZ 17 Crown Land (Free)

12.2 m

Deepest charted contour

About this spot

Balsam Lake is a lake in the South Western Ontario area of Ontario, in Fisheries Management Zone 17. MNR fish surveys (2004–2013) recorded 20 species here, including walleye, smallmouth bass and rock bass. An MNR depth chart exists for this lake (surveyed 1967); its deepest charted contour is 12.2 m. This waterbody sits on Ontario Crown land open to anglers holding a valid Ontario fishing licence.

Location

Fish Species

Walleye Smallmouth Bass Rock Bass Yellow Perch Bluegill Northern Pike Sucker Black Crappie Cisco Largemouth Bass Catfish Muskellunge

No species reported for this spot yet.

Lake data from Ontario government surveys

Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources holds 54 fish survey records from 2004 to 2013. Survey methods: Broad-scale Monitoring.

Species recorded (20)

Walleye · 34 Smallmouth Bass · 32 Rock Bass · 27 Yellow Perch · 24 Pumpkinseed · 15 Bluegill · 11 Northern Pike · 10 Spottail Shiner · 9 White Sucker · 8 Bluntnose Minnow · 6 Golden Shiner · 5 Black Crappie · 5 Cisco · 4 Logperch · 4 Largemouth Bass · 3 Brown Bullhead · 3 Brook Silverside · 2 Muskellunge · 2 Emerald Shiner · 2 Common Shiner · 1

Number of survey records that list the species.

Depth chart

MNR depth chart on file, surveyed 1967
Deepest charted contour: 12.2 m
The deepest contour line on the chart. The true maximum depth is at least this deep.

Boat launches and access points

⚓ Balsam Lake Drive

Boat Launch · 4.3 km from the lake reference point · Parking · No fee

⚓ Balsam Lake Provincial Park

Boat Launch · 4.6 km from the lake reference point · Parking · Fee

Sources: Land Information Ontario — Aquatic Resource Area survey points, Bathymetry Index and Bathymetry Line, Fisheries Management Zones, Fishing Access Points. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.

Fisheries Management Zone 17

Balsam Lake is in Fisheries Management Zone 17. Open seasons, catch limits and size limits in Ontario are set zone by zone, and some lakes carry their own exceptions, so check the FMZ 17 rules before you fish.

FMZ 17 regulations on ontario.ca

Ice fishing on Balsam Lake (2026–27)

Ontario has no separate ice fishing season: the regular open seasons apply through the ice. Balsam Lake is in Fisheries Management Zone 17, where 4 of 16 species groups are open for the whole ice season (December 1 to March 31) under the zone-wide rules. Of the game fish government surveys recorded in this lake, black crappie, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, bluegill and yellow perch are open at least part of the winter under the zone-wide rules.

Species	Through the ice	Zone-wide season	Limits
Crappie recorded here	Open	open all year	S-30 and C-10
Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined recorded here	Part of the season Dec 1 – Dec 15	third Saturday in June to December 15	S-6 and C-2
Muskellunge recorded here	Part of the season Dec 1 – Dec 15	1st Saturday in June to December 15	S-1; must be greater than 112 centimetres, and C-0
Northern pike recorded here	Open	open all year	S-6 and C-2
Sunfish recorded here	Open	open all year	S-300; only 30 may be greater than 18 centimetres, and C-15
Walleye and sauger combined recorded here	Different rule here See the rules for this lake below	second Saturday in May to November 15	S-4 and C-1; must be between 35-50 centimetres
Yellow perch recorded here	Open	open all year	S-50 and C-25
Atlantic salmon	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-0 and C-0
Brook trout	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-2 and C-1
Brown trout	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-5 and C-2
Channel catfish	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to November 15	S-12 and C-6
Lake sturgeon	Closed	closed all year
Lake trout	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-3 and C-1
Lake whitefish	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to November 15	S-12 and C-6
Pacific salmon	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-5 and C-2
Rainbow trout	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-2 and C-1

S = sport fishing licence, C = conservation licence (daily catch and possession). Dates are worked out for 2026–27 from the wording of the 2026 summary. Ontario publishes a new summary every January 1, so check the 2027 edition for dates after December 31.

Rules specific to Balsam Lake

The 2026 summary lists this lake by name and location. These rules replace the zone-wide ones above where they overlap.

Walleye exception (Bexley Township, including the waters of the Gull River upstream to the dam at Coboconk, the waters of the Rosedale Rive...): Season: Zone-wide seasons apply Limits: S-3 and C-1; none between 37-55 centimetres

Ice huts in Zone 17

Huts must be registered (free, once) and show the number outside; fabric shelters under 7 m² are exempt. Remove your hut by March 1, and in any case before the ice breaks up. You may fish with two lines through the ice in most waters, within 60 m and in sight of each.

Zone 17 ice fishing rules Ice fishing in Ontario guide

Source: Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary 2026, Zone 17 (ontario.ca); ice hut rules: ontario.ca/page/ice-fishing. This summary is not the law: check the regulations and local conditions, and never go on ice you have not tested.