Moira River

River South Western Ontario FMZ 20 Crown Land (Free)

About this spot

Moira River is a river in the South Western Ontario area of Ontario, in Fisheries Management Zone 20. MNR fish surveys (2007–2011) recorded 17 species here, including rock bass, smallmouth bass and burbot. This waterbody sits on Ontario Crown land open to anglers holding a valid Ontario fishing licence.

Location

Fish Species

Rock Bass Smallmouth Bass Burbot Catfish Northern Pike Sucker

No species reported for this spot yet.

Lake data from Ontario government surveys

Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources holds 7 fish survey records from 2007 to 2011. Survey methods: Electrofishing, Trap net.

Species recorded (17)

Rock Bass · 7 Pumpkinseed · 6 Smallmouth Bass · 6 Logperch · 5 Banded Killifish · 3 Burbot · 3 Longnose Dace · 3 Fantail Darter · 3 Bluntnose Minnow · 2 Brown Bullhead · 2 Common Shiner · 2 Iowa Darter · 2 Longnose Gar · 2 Northern Pike · 2 Yellow Bullhead · 2 Johnny Darter · 1 White Sucker · 1

Number of survey records that list the species.

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

Moira River 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 Moira River (2026–27)

Ontario has no separate ice fishing season: the regular open seasons apply through the ice. Moira River 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, northern pike and pumpkinseed are open at least part of the winter under the zone-wide rules.

Species	Through the ice	Zone-wide season	Limits
Northern pike recorded here	Open	January 1 to March 31 and first Saturday in May to December 31	S-6 and C-2
Sunfish recorded here	Open	open all year	S-100 and C-50
Atlantic salmon	Open	open all year	S-1; must be greater than 63 centimetres, and C-0
Brown trout	Open	open all year	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	Open	January 1 to September 30 and December 1 to December 31	S-3 and C-1
Lake whitefish	Open	open all year	S-12 and C-6
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
Pacific salmon	Open	open all year	S-5 and C-2
Rainbow trout	Open	open all year	S-2 and C-1
Walleye and sauger combined	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	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.

Moira River 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.