Ice fishing in Zone 10 (FMZ 10), 2026–27
Fisheries Management Zone 10, with 3,678 lakes and rivers on our map. Through the 2026–27 ice season (December 1 to March 31), 10 of 17 species groups are open the whole time, 5 for part of it and 2 are closed. Walleye and sauger are open Dec 1 – Mar 21. Lake trout are open Jan 1 – Mar 31. Pike are open all ice season and perch open all ice season.
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What you can fish through the ice in Zone 10
Zone-wide seasons and limits from the 2026 Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary, with the dates worked out for 2026–27. They apply to every lake in the zone except the waters listed further down.
| Species | 2026–27 ice season | Zone-wide season (as written) | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggregate limits for trout and salmon (including splake) | — | Limit only | S-5 and C-2; total daily catch and possession limit for all trout and salmon species combined |
| Atlantic salmon |
Part of the season
Jan 1 – Mar 31 |
January 1 to September 30 | S-1 and C-0 |
| Brook trout |
Part of the season
Jan 1 – Mar 31 |
January 1 to September 30 | S-5 and C-2 |
| Brown trout | Open all season | open all year | S-5 and C-2 |
| Channel catfish | Open all season | open all year | S-12 and C-6 |
| Crappie | Open all season | 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 Labour Day | S-2; not more than 1 greater than 40 centimetres, and C-1 |
| Lake whitefish | Open all season | open all year | S-12 and C-6 |
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined | Closed | third Saturday in June to November 30 | S-6 and C-3 |
| Muskellunge |
Part of the season
Dec 1 – Dec 15 |
third Saturday in June to December 15 | S-1; must be greater than 122 centimetres, and C-0 |
| Northern pike | Open all season | open all year | S-6; not more than 1 greater than 61 centimetres, none greater than 86 centimetres, and C-2; none greater than 61 centimetres |
| Pacific salmon | Open all season | open all year | S-5 and C-2 |
| Rainbow trout | Open all season | open all year | S-2 and C-1 |
| Splake | Open all season | open all year | S-5 and C-2 |
| Sunfish | Open all season | open all year | S-50 and C-25 |
| Walleye and sauger combined |
Part of the season
Dec 1 – Mar 21 |
January 1 to the third Sunday in March and third Saturday in May to December 31 | S-4 and C-2; none greater than 46 centimetres |
| Yellow perch | Open all season | open all year | S-50 and C-25 |
S = sport fishing licence, C = conservation fishing licence. A season "open all ice season" runs December 1 to March 31 without a break. The 2027 summary takes effect January 1, 2027 and can change dates for the rest of the winter; we refresh this page when it is published.
Ice huts and lines in Zone 10
- Ice huts must be registered in this zone if they are made of anything other than fabric, or are fabric tents covering 7 m² or more. Registration is free, done once through the Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service or ServiceOntario, and the number goes on the outside of the hut in characters at least 6.3 cm high.
- Huts must be off the ice by March 31. Removing your hut does not end the fishing season; it is a safety deadline.
- In every zone, huts must come off before the ice breaks up, whatever the date.
- You can fish with two lines through the ice in most waters, as long as you stay within 60 m of each line or tip-up and can see them all.
Surveyed lakes in Zone 10
Lakes in this zone with the most government fish survey records, the game fish recorded and the deepest contour on the provincial depth chart. Each page shows its own winter rules.
Waters in Zone 10 with their own winter rules
These waters are listed in the zone's exceptions with a rule that mentions the ice or the winter months, or that opens or closes them all year. The zone-wide table above does not apply to them where the rules overlap. Waters linked below have their own page on this site.
Waterbody exceptions
- All of the waters within the boundaries and all of the waters of which a portion falls within the boundaries of the geographic Townships of...: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to February 14 and March 16 to Friday before third Saturday in May and October 1 to December 31
- Blue Jay Creek: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from March 1 to Friday before second Saturday in May and September 25 to October 31
- Blue Jay Creek: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from March 1 to Friday before second Saturday in May
- Carol Lake: Fish Sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to July 31 and October 16 to December 31
- French River: Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined - open January 1 to third Sunday in March and third Saturday in May to December 31; Northern pike - open January 1 to 3 Sunday in March and third Saturday in May to December 31
- Gong Lake: Brook trout - open from February 15 to March 15 and third Saturday in May to September 30; Lake trout - open from February 15 to March 15 and third Saturday in May to Labour Day
- Goulais River (Whitman Dam to Lake Superior): Walleye and sauger combined - open January 1 to March 31 and July 1 to December 31
- Greenhorn Lake: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to July 31 and October 16 to December 31: Aurora trout - open from August 1 to October 15; Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to July 31 and October 16 to December 31: Aurora trout - S-1, C-0
- Kirkpatrick Lake (Blue Lake): Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to February 14 and March 16 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April and October 1 to December 31
- Lake 21: Fish Sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to July 31 and October 16 to December 31
- Manitoulin Island: Lake trout - open from January 1 to September 30; Northern pike - open from January 1 to March 31 and third Saturday in May to December 31; Rainbow trout - open from fourth Saturday in April to December 31; Yellow perch - open from January 1 to March 31 and third Saturday in May to December 31
- McGovern Lake: Brook trout - open from February 15 to March 15 and third Saturday in May to September 30; Lake trout - open from February 15 to March 15 and third Saturday in May to Labour Day
- Pancake Lake: Brook trout - open from February 15 to March 15 and third Saturday in May to September 30; Lake trout - open from February 15 to March 15 and third Saturday in May to Labour Day
- Sorley Lake: Fish Sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to July 31 and October 16 to December 31
- Spanish River: Fish sanctuary - closed all year
- Spanish River: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before third Saturday in May and October 1 to December 31
- Solo Creek and Thor Lake: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from March 15 to June 15
- Thor and Edna Lakes: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from March 15 to June 15
- Edna Lake (included with thor and edna lakes): Fish sanctuary - no fishing from March 15 to June 15
- Vermilion River north through the river 400 metres into Thor Lake (included with thor and edna lakes): Fish sanctuary - no fishing from March 15 to June 15
- Thor Lake: Lake trout - open from February 15 to March 15 and third Saturday in May to Labour Day
Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - closed all year
Acid Lake (Killarney Township), Barron Lake (Stobie Township), Batchawana Lake (Norberg Township), Bonhomme Lake (Aylmer Township), Bowland Lake (Howey Township), Burke Lake (Killarney Township, Killarney Provincial Park), Caswell Lake (Aylmer Township), Chief Lake (Tilton and Broder Townships), Colin Scott Lake (McCarthy Township), David Lake (Hansen and Goschen Townships, Killarney Provincial Park), Davis Lake (McConnell Township), Dewdney Lake (Mackelcan Township), Edna Lake (McCarthy Township), Elboga Lake (Muldrew Township), Foy Lake (Foy Township), Franks Lake-Mackelcan Township, Grace Lake (Curtin Township), Great Mountain Lake (Hansen Township, Killarney Provincial Park), Killarney Lake (Killarney Township, Killarney Provincial Park), Lake 27 (Kelly Township), Lake 37 (Aylmer Township), Little Turkey Lake (Wishart Township), Lumsden Lake (Killarney Township, Killarney Provincial Park), Marjorie Lake (McConnell Township), Nellie Lake (Roosevelt Township, Killarney Provincial Park), Norway Lake (Killarney and Carlyle Townships, Killarney Provincial Park), O.S.A. Lake (Killarney Township, Killarney Provincial Park), Potvin Lake (Kelly Township), Rand Lake (Bowell Township), Ruth-Roy Lake (Carlyle Township, Killarney Provincial Park), Silvester Lake (Mackelcan Township), Spanish River (refer to waterbody exceptions), Teardrop Lake (Killarney Provincial Park), White Oak Lake (Tilton Township), White Pine Lake (McLeod Township), White Rock Lake (McNie Township), Whitefish Channel (Whitefish Creek) (City of Sault Ste. Marie, between St. Mary’s Island and Whit...), Wishart Lake (Wishart Township), Wolf Lake (Mackelcan Township)
Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - january 1 to february 14 and march 16 to friday before third saturday in may and october 1 to december 31
Geographic Townships of Schembri and Scriven in the Territorial District of Sudbury and Way-White, Wlasy, Bracci and Tupper in the Territorial District of Algoma (refer to waterbody exceptions)
Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - january 1 to february 14 and march 16 to friday before fourth saturday in april and october 1 to december 31
Conacher Lake (Shingwaukonce Township), Darragh Lake (Otter Township), Duval Lake (Slievert Township), Elbow Lake (Onedee Lake) (Sayer Township), Horner Lake (Shingwaukonce Township), Kirkpatrick Lake (refer to waterbody exceptions), Primeau Lake (Shingwaukonce Township), Robb Lake (Sayer Township), Townline Lake (Sayer Township), White Bear Lake (Sayer Township)
Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - january 1 to july 31 and october 16 to december 31
Carol Lake (Beulah Township), Lake 21 (Tyrrell Township), Sorley Lake (Buckles Township)
Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - january 1 to february 14 and march 16 to june 15 and october 1 to december 31
Government Creek and tributaries (Tupper Township, except the portion between centre of Highwa...), Sawmill Creek and tributaries (Tupper Township, except the portion between centre of Highwa...)
Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - january 1 to friday before fourth saturday in april
Kukagami Lake (Davis, Kelly, Rahbun and Scadding Townships), Nelson Lake (Bowell Township)
Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - january 1 to friday before fourth saturday in april and october 1 to december 31
Basswood Lake (Wakwekobi Lake) (Day, Gladstone and Kirkwood Townships), Chiblow Lake (Montgomery, Patton, Scarfe and Juillette Townships), Helenbar Lake (Hembruff Township)
Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - january 1 to friday before third saturday in may and october 1 to december 31
Big Horseshoe Lake (LeCaron Township), Spanish River (refer to waterbody exceptions)
Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - january 1 to friday before third saturday in may and the day after labour day to december 31
Bobowash Lake (Raimbault Township), Dollyberry Lake (Beange and Raimbault Townships), Ezma Lake (Nicholas Township), Flack Lake (Raimbault Township), Fullerton Lake (Lanark Lake) (Raimbault Township), Gibberry Lake (Beange and Raimbault Townships), Jim Christ Lake (Raimbault Township), Kirk Lake (LeCaron Township), Rawhide Lake (Viel and Piche Townships), Samreid Lake (Raimbault Township), Semiwite Lake (Hembruff and Raimbault Townships)
Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - from january 1 to july 31 and october 16 to december 31
Greenhorn Lake (refer to waterbody exceptions)
Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - march 1 to friday before second saturday in may and september 25 to october 31
Blue Jay Creek (refer to waterbody exceptions), Manitou River (from the bridge on the Government Road (Tehkummah Township)...)
Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - march 15 to june 15
Solo Creek and Thor Lake (refer to waterbody exceptions), Thor and Edna Lakes (refer to waterbody exceptions), Vondet Lake and Vondet Creek (Shelley Township, the waters of Vondet Lake and Vondet Creek)
Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - august 24 to december 31
Banana Lake (Dalmas Township)
Other zone notes
- All waters north of Highway 17 and all waters west of where the east bank of the Serpent River crosses Highway 17 are open year-round for largemouth and smallmouth bass.
Source: Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary 2026, Fisheries Management Zone 10 and ontario.ca ice fishing rules, read October 25, 2026; zone boundary: Land Information Ontario (Open Government Licence – Ontario). The summary is a guide to the regulations, not the law itself, and this page is a reading of the summary. Check the official text, and test the ice yourself: no regulation makes ice safe.