Ice fishing in Zone 12 (FMZ 12), 2026–27

Fisheries Management Zone 12, with 71 lakes and rivers on our map. Through the 2026–27 ice season (December 1 to March 31), 7 of 14 species groups are open the whole time, 1 for part of it and 6 are closed. Walleye and sauger are open all ice season. Lake trout are closed through the ice. 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 12

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.

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. Not present in this zone and closed all year: Pacific salmon.

Ice huts and lines in Zone 12

• 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 15 below the Lake Timiskaming dam, March 31 above it. 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 12

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 12 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.

Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - march 1 to thursday before third saturday in may

Lac des Chats (Ottawa River) (Madawaska River and Mississippi River - including waters of...)

Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - march 15 to june 15

Lake Timiskaming (Ottawa River) (Harris Township, Sutton Bay)

Other zone notes

• Refer to the boundary waters section for information on licences and limits in boundary waters and remember that regulations differ between Ontario and Quebec. Anglers are responsible to ensure they are obeying the regulations of the waters where they are fishing.
• American eel is a specially protected species and may not be caught or possessed under a recreational fishing licence.
• FMZ 12 is the Ottawa River. Baitfish and leeches that are both dead and preserved can be transported into and out of BMZs and the Ottawa River.
• Baitfish and leeches that are not both dead and preserved may be transported out of:Refer to bait for more details. an adjacent Bait Management Zone and used in the Great Lakes; the Great Lakes only to be disposed of immediately more than 30 metres from the water

Source: Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary 2026, Fisheries Management Zone 12 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.