Bells Lake

Lake Bruce Peninsula FMZ 16 Crown Land (Free)

9 m

Deepest charted contour

About this spot

Bells Lake is a lake in the Bruce Peninsula area of Ontario, in Fisheries Management Zone 16. MNR fish surveys (1970–1995) recorded 14 species here, including rock bass, brook trout and bluegill. An MNR depth chart exists for this lake (surveyed 2007); its deepest charted contour is 9 m. This waterbody sits on Ontario Crown land open to anglers holding a valid Ontario fishing licence.

Location

Fish Species

Rock Bass Brook Trout Bluegill Sucker Rainbow Trout

No species reported for this spot yet.

Lake data from Ontario government surveys

Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources holds 23 fish survey records from 1970 to 1995.

Species recorded (14)

Creek Chub · 13 Rock Bass · 12 Hornyhead Chub · 10 Common Shiner · 9 Brook Trout · 9 Bluntnose Minnow · 8 Bluegill · 5 Northern Redbelly Dace · 4 Pumpkinseed · 4 Green Sunfish · 3 White Sucker · 3 Fathead Minnow · 3 Rainbow Trout · 1 Blacknose Shiner · 1

Number of survey records that list the species.

Depth chart

MNR depth chart on file, surveyed 2007
Deepest charted contour: 9 m
The deepest contour line on the chart. The true maximum depth is at least this deep.

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 16

Bells Lake is in Fisheries Management Zone 16. 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 16 rules before you fish.

FMZ 16 regulations on ontario.ca

Ice fishing on Bells Lake (2026–27)

Ontario has no separate ice fishing season: the regular open seasons apply through the ice. Bells Lake is in Fisheries Management Zone 16, where 7 of 17 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, bluegill and pumpkinseed are open at least part of the winter under the zone-wide rules.

Species	Through the ice	Zone-wide season	Limits
Brook trout recorded here	Different rule here See the rules for this lake below	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-5 and C-2
Rainbow trout recorded here	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-2 and C-1
Sunfish 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
Brown trout	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-5 and C-2
Channel catfish	Open	open all year	S-12 and C-6
Crappie	Open	open all year	S-30 and C-10
Lake sturgeon	Closed	closed all year
Lake trout	Part of the season Jan 1 – Mar 31	January 1 to September 30	S-2 and C-1
Lake whitefish	Open	open all year	S-12 and C-6
Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined	Closed	fourth Saturday in June to November 30	S-6 and C-2
Muskellunge	Part of the season Dec 1 – Dec 15	first Saturday in June to December 15	S-1; must be greater than 91 centimetres, and C-0
Northern pike	Open	January 1 to March 31 and second Saturday in May to December 31	S-6 and C-2
Pacific salmon	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-5 and C-2
Splake	Open	open all year	S-5 and C-2
Walleye and sauger combined	Part of the season Dec 1 – Mar 15	January 1 to March 15 and second Saturday in May to December 31	S-4 and C-2; not more than 1 greater than 46 centimetres
Yellow perch	Open	open all year	S-50 and C-25

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 Bells Lake

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

Brook trout exception (additional fishing opportunities): Season: open all year

Ice huts in Zone 16

Huts must be registered (free, once) and show the number outside; fabric shelters under 7 m² are exempt. Remove your hut by March 15, 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 16 ice fishing rules Ice fishing in Ontario guide

Source: Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary 2026, Zone 16 (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.