Whiteclay River

River Northern Ontario FMZ 8 Crown Land (Free)

About this spot

Whiteclay River is a river in the Northern Ontario area of Ontario, in Fisheries Management Zone 8. MNR fish surveys (2011–2014) recorded 9 species here, including yellow perch, white sucker and northern pike. This waterbody sits on Ontario Crown land open to anglers holding a valid Ontario fishing licence.

Location

Fish Species

Yellow Perch Sucker Northern Pike

No species reported for this spot yet.

Lake data from Ontario government surveys

Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources holds 8 fish survey records from 2011 to 2014.

Species recorded (9)

Spottail Shiner · 5 Yellow Perch · 5 Pumpkinseed · 4 White Sucker · 4 Logperch · 3 Common Shiner · 3 Northern Pike · 3 Blacknose Shiner · 2 Golden Shiner · 2

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 8

Whiteclay River is in Fisheries Management Zone 8. 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 8 rules before you fish.

FMZ 8 regulations on ontario.ca

Ice fishing on Whiteclay River (2026–27)

Ontario has no separate ice fishing season: the regular open seasons apply through the ice. Whiteclay River is in Fisheries Management Zone 8, where 9 of 11 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, 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
Northern pike recorded here	Open	open all year	S-6; not more than 2 greater than 61 centimetres, of which not more than 1 greater than 86 centimetres, and C-2; not more than 1 greater than 61 centimetres, none greater than 86 centimetres
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
Brook trout	Part of the season Jan 1 – Mar 31	January 1 to September 15	S-5 and C-2
Lake sturgeon	Open	January 1 to April 30 and July 1 to December 31	S-0 and C-0
Lake trout	Part of the season Feb 15 – Mar 15	February 15 to March 15 and third Saturday in May to September 30	S-3 and C-1
Lake whitefish	Open	open all year	S-25 and C-12
Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined	Open	open all year	S-6 and C-2
Rainbow trout	Open	open all year	S-5 and C-2
Splake	Open	open all year	S-5 and C-2
Walleye and sauger combined	Open	January 1 to April 14 and third Saturday in May to December 31	S-4 and C-2; not more than 1 greater than 46 centimetres

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.

Whiteclay 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 8

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 8 ice fishing rules Ice fishing in Ontario guide

Source: Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary 2026, Zone 8 (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.