Saugeen River

River Bruce Peninsula FMZ 13 Crown Land (Free)

About this spot

Saugeen River is a river in the Bruce Peninsula area of Ontario, in Fisheries Management Zone 13. MNR fish surveys (1981–2011) recorded 27 species here, including white sucker, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. This waterbody sits on Ontario Crown land open to anglers holding a valid Ontario fishing licence.

Location

Fish Species

Sucker Smallmouth Bass Yellow Perch Rainbow Trout Rainbow Smelt Muskellunge

No species reported for this spot yet.

Lake data from Ontario government surveys

Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources holds 19 fish survey records from 1981 to 2011.

Species recorded (27)

White Sucker · 11 Smallmouth Bass · 6 Yellow Perch · 6 Rainbow Trout · 6 Chinook Salmon · 3 Longnose Dace · 3 Rainbow Darter · 3 River Chub · 3 Northern Redbelly Dace · 3 Creek Chub · 2 Rosyface Shiner · 2 Brook Stickleback · 2 Alewife · 2 Rainbow Smelt · 2 Bluntnose Minnow · 1 Emerald Shiner · 1 Johnny Darter · 1 Brassy Minnow · 1 Central Mudminnow · 1 Common Shiner · 1 Northern Pearl Dace · 1 Blackside Darter · 1 Gizzard Shad · 1 Hornyhead Chub · 1 Trout-Perch · 1 Pumpkinseed · 1 Muskellunge · 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 13

Saugeen River is in Fisheries Management Zone 13. 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 13 rules before you fish.

FMZ 13 regulations on ontario.ca

Ice fishing on Saugeen River (2026–27)

Ontario has no separate ice fishing season: the regular open seasons apply through the ice. Saugeen River is in Fisheries Management Zone 13, where 12 of 15 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, muskellunge, chinook salmon, rainbow trout, pumpkinseed and yellow perch are open at least part of the winter under the zone-wide rules.

Species	Through the ice	Zone-wide season	Limits
Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined recorded here	Closed	fourth Saturday in June to November 30	S-6 and C-2
Muskellunge recorded here	Part of the season Dec 1 – Dec 15	third Saturday in June to December 15	S-1; must be greater than 102 centimetres, and C-0
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-50 and C-25
Yellow perch recorded here	Open	open all year	S-50 and C-25
Atlantic salmon	Open	open all year	S-1 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-2 and C-1
Lake whitefish	Open	open all year	S-12 and C-6
Northern pike	Open	open all year	S-4 and C-2
Walleye and sauger combined	Open	open all year	S-6 and C-2

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.

Saugeen 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 13

No hut registration is required in this zone. There is no fixed removal date, but every hut must be off 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 13 ice fishing rules Ice fishing in Ontario guide

Source: Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary 2026, Zone 13 (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.