Fishing at Lake Ontario — Eastern Ontario

About this spot

Lake Ontario is a lake in the Eastern Ontario area of Ontario, in Fisheries Management Zone 20. MNR fish surveys (1400–2015) recorded 61 species here, including white sucker, common carp and yellow perch. This waterbody sits on Ontario Crown land open to anglers holding a valid Ontario fishing licence.

Location

Fish Species

Sucker Common Carp Yellow Perch Rock Bass Catfish Smallmouth Bass Rainbow Smelt Brown Trout Largemouth Bass Redhorse Northern Pike Rainbow Trout White Perch Freshwater Drum Black Crappie Bluegill Brook Trout American Eel Lake Trout Walleye Lake Whitefish Round Whitefish

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Lake data from Ontario government surveys

Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources holds 197 fish survey records from 1400 to 2015. Survey methods: Mixed gear, Seine, Electrofishing, Trap net, Ontario Stream Assessment Protocol Electrofishing.

Species recorded (61)

Emerald Shiner · 120 White Sucker · 119 Alewife · 99 Round Goby · 89 Spottail Shiner · 68 Common Carp · 63 Pumpkinseed · 51 Yellow Perch · 50 Rock Bass · 48 Brown Bullhead · 47 Smallmouth Bass · 46 Lake Chub · 38 Longnose Dace · 33 Rainbow Smelt · 27 Brown Trout · 27 Largemouth Bass · 27 Gizzard Shad · 25 Bluntnose Minnow · 24 Common Shiner · 24 Chinook Salmon · 24 Shorthead Redhorse · 21 Northern Pike · 20 Rainbow Trout · 18 Fathead Minnow · 18 White Perch · 14 Freshwater Drum · 12 Trout-Perch · 9 Goldfish · 9 Johnny Darter · 8 Black Crappie · 7 Creek Chub · 7 Threespine Stickleback · 6 Coho Salmon · 4 Logperch · 4 Bluegill · 4 Mottled Sculpin · 4 White Bass · 4 Sea Lamprey · 3 Blacknose Dace · 3 Golden Shiner · 2 Brook Trout · 2 Brook Stickleback · 2 American Eel · 2 Lake Trout · 2 Central Mudminnow · 1 Slimy Sculpin · 1 Longnose Sucker · 1 Central Stoneroller · 1 Walleye · 1 Tessellated Darter · 1 Salmon and Trout subfamily · 1 River Chub · 1 Northern Redbelly Dace · 1 Bowfin · 1 Spotfin Shiner · 1 Longnose Gar · 1 Lake Whitefish · 1 Round Whitefish · 1 Northern Pearl Dace · 1 Blacknose Shiner · 1 Fantail Darter · 1

Number of survey records that list the species.

Water clarity (Secchi depth): 1 m (2015)

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 20

Lake Ontario is in Fisheries Management Zone 20. 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 20 rules before you fish.

FMZ 20 regulations on ontario.ca

Ice fishing on Lake Ontario (2026–27)

Ontario has no separate ice fishing season: the regular open seasons apply through the ice. Lake Ontario is in Fisheries Management Zone 20, where 11 of 14 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, brown trout, black crappie, lake trout, lake whitefish, northern pike, chinook salmon, coho salmon, rainbow trout, pumpkinseed, bluegill, walleye and yellow perch are open at least part of the winter under the zone-wide rules.

Species	Through the ice	Zone-wide season	Limits
Brown trout recorded here	Open	open all year	S-5 and C-2
Crappie recorded here	Open	open all year	S-30 and C-10
Lake trout recorded here	Open	January 1 to September 30 and December 1 to December 31	S-3 and C-1
Lake whitefish recorded here	Open	open all year	S-12 and C-6
Northern pike recorded here	Open	January 1 to March 31 and first Saturday in May to December 31	S-6 and C-2
Pacific salmon recorded here	Open	open all year	S-5 and C-2
Rainbow trout recorded here	Open	open all year	S-2 and C-1
Sunfish recorded here	Open	open all year	S-100 and C-50
Walleye and sauger combined recorded here	Part of the season Dec 1 – Mar 1	January 1 to March 1 and first Saturday in May to December 31	S-4 and C-2; not more than 1 greater than 63 centimetres
Yellow perch recorded here	Open	open all year	S-50 and C-25
Atlantic salmon	Open	open all year	S-1; must be greater than 63 centimetres, and C-0
Channel catfish	Open	open all year	S-12 and C-6
Lake sturgeon	Closed	closed all year
Muskellunge	Part of the season Dec 1 – Dec 15	third Saturday in June to December 15	S-1; must be greater than 137 centimetres, and C-0

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.

Lake Ontario is not listed by name in the zone's species or waterbody exceptions or fish sanctuaries. Some exceptions cover whole townships or river systems, so read the zone page before you go.

Ice huts in Zone 20

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 20 ice fishing rules Ice fishing in Ontario guide

Source: Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary 2026, Zone 20 (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.