Ice fishing in Zone 16 (FMZ 16), 2026–27

Fisheries Management Zone 16, with 425 lakes and rivers on our map. Through the 2026–27 ice season (December 1 to March 31), 7 of 17 species groups are open the whole time, 3 for part of it and 7 are closed. Walleye and sauger are open Dec 1 – Mar 15. Lake trout are open Jan 1 – Mar 31. Pike are open all ice season and perch open all ice season.

Ice huts

Registration required

Off the ice by March 15

Bait

Southern Bait Management Zone

Live or dead baitfish and leeches cannot be moved into or out of a Bait Management Zone (dead and preserved bait excepted).

Waters with their own rules

87 listed waters, 63 sanctuaries

113 of them carry a rule that matters in winter (listed below).

Open the full Ontario Crown land map

What you can fish through the ice in Zone 16

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	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-0 and C-0
Brook trout	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-5 and C-2
Brown trout	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	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 September 30	S-2 and C-1
Lake whitefish	Open all season	open all year	S-12 and C-6
Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined	Closed	fourth Saturday in June to November 30	S-6 and C-2
Muskellunge	Part of the season Dec 1 – Dec 15	first Saturday in June to December 15	S-1; must be greater than 91 centimetres, and C-0
Northern pike	Open all season	January 1 to March 31 and second Saturday in May to December 31	S-6 and C-2
Pacific salmon	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-5 and C-2
Rainbow trout	Closed	fourth Saturday in April to September 30	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 15	January 1 to March 15 and second Saturday in May to December 31	S-4 and C-2; not more than 1 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 16

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. 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 16

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.

Black River Pumpkinseed, Yellow Perch, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Brook Trout, Bluegill

Uxbridge Brook Yellow Perch, Brook Trout, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout

Beaver River Smallmouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, Yellow Perch, Largemouth Bass, Lake Whitefish, Northern Pike

Don River Pumpkinseed, Chinook Salmon, Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass

Don River East Branch Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Pumpkinseed, Yellow Perch, Brook Trout

Gloucester Pool · charted to 27.4 m Yellow Perch, Pumpkinseed, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie

Lake St. John · charted to 6.1 m Yellow Perch, Pumpkinseed, Walleye, Black Crappie, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike

Island Lake Pumpkinseed, Yellow Perch, Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike

Little Credit River Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Pumpkinseed, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike

Sparrow Lake · charted to 12.2 m Yellow Perch, Pumpkinseed, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Black Crappie, Channel Catfish

Chesley Lake · charted to 16.8 m Yellow Perch, Pumpkinseed, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye, Largemouth Bass

Cameron Lake Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Pumpkinseed

Maskinonge (Jersey) River Pumpkinseed, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, Yellow Perch, Walleye

Cyprus Lake Walleye, Yellow Perch, Smallmouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, Bluegill

Miller Lake Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Walleye, Pumpkinseed

Thames River Smallmouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, Brown Trout, Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Muskellunge

Pine River Chinook Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Northern Pike, Pumpkinseed

Farlain Lake Yellow Perch, Smallmouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, Walleye, Largemouth Bass

Waters in Zone 16 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.

Brook trout — additional fishing opportunities

Season: open all year

Bells Lake

Brown trout and rainbow trout — additional fishing opportunities

Season: open all year Limits: S-5 and C-2

Big Creek, North Thames River (main branch only)

Atlantic salmon, brown trout, Pacific salmon and rainbow trout — additional fishing opportunities

Season: open all year Limits: Zone-wide limits apply

Black Creek, Bronte Creek, Credit River and tributaries, Don River and tributaries, Fifteen Mile Creek, Forty Mile Creek, Grindstone Creek, Highland Creek, Humber River, Nottawasaga River, Rouge River, Sixteen Mile Creek (Oakville Creek), Sixteen Mile Creek, Spencer Creek, Thames River, Trout Pond of Waterford Ponds, Twelve Mile Creek (Zone 20), Twenty Mile Creek, Young’s Creek (Ryerse Creek)

Atlantic salmon, brown trout, Pacific salmon and rainbow trout — additional fishing opportunities

Season: open from fourth Saturday in April to December 31 (extended fall season) Limits: Zone-wide limits apply

Bayfield River, Beaver River, Big Creek, Big Otter Creek, Bighead River, Bronte Creek, Credit River and tributaries, Don River and tributaries, Grand River, Hog Creek, Humber River and tributaries, Little Otter Creek, Little Sauble River, Maitland River, Nine Mile River (Lucknow River), North Creek, Rouge River, Sauble River, Saugeen River, Sixteen Mile Creek (Oakville Creek) and tributaries, Sturgeon River and tributaries, Young’s Creek

Walleye — additional fishing opportunities

Season: open all year Limits: S-6 and C-2; no size limits

Chenail Ecarte, Sydenham River, Thames River

Waterbody exceptions

Bayfield River: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April
Bayfield River Tributaries: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April and October 1 to December 31
Big Creek: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April
Big Creek: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April and October 1 to December 31
Credit River and tributaries: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April
Levi’s Creek (included with credit river and tributaries): Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April
Fletchers Creek (included with credit river and tributaries): Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April
Credit River and tributaries: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April and August 15 to December 31
Credit River and tributaries: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April and October 1 to December 31
Grand River: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from March 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April
Grand River: Brown trout and rainbow trout (combined) - S-1 and C-0; from October 1 to December 31
Grand River and its tributaries: Walleye and northern pike - open from January 1 to last day in February and second Saturday in May to December 31
Humber River and tributaries: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April and October 1 to December 31
Lake Simcoe, Lake Couchiching: Lake herring (cisco) - open from January 1 to March 15 and second Saturday in May to September 30; Lake trout - open from January 1 to March 15 and second Saturday in May to September 30; Lake whitefish - open from January 1 to March 15 and second Saturday in May to September 30; Muskellunge - closed all year
Maitland River: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April
Maitland River tributaries: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April and October 1 to December 31
Nine Mile River (Lucknow River): Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April
Nine Mile River tributaries: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April and October 1 to December 31
Nottawasaga River: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before second Saturday in May and October 1 to December 31
Pretty River and tributaries: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April and October 1 to December 31
Saugeen River: Fish sanctuary - closed all year
Sydenham River: Fish sanctuary - closed all year
Sydenham River: Fish sanctuary - closed all year
Thames River: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from March 15 to Friday before second Saturday in May
Whitemans Creek (Horner Creek) and tributaries: Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in April and October 1 to December 31

Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - closed all year

Colpoy’s Creek (Albemarle Township, from the upper bridge on County Road 9 d...), Gleason Brook (Keppel Township, from the bridge on County Road 26 to the mo...), Saugeen River (refer to waterbody exceptions), Sydenham River (refer to waterbody exceptions)

Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - january 1 to friday before the fourth saturday in april

Bayfield River (refer to waterbody exceptions), Big Creek (refer to waterbody exceptions), Big Otter Creek (Town of Tillsonburg, from Black’s Dam to the north side of t...), Bradleys Creek (Yarmouth Township, from the Elgin County Road 35 dam to Catf...), Credit River (refer to waterbody exceptions), Lafontaine Creek and its tributaries (Township of Tiny in the County of Simcoe, at 44º43′15.167″N,...), Maitland River (refer to waterbody exceptions), Nine Mile River (refer to waterbody exceptions), North Creek (Walsingham Township, south of Highway 3), Stoney Creek (Walsingham Township, south of Highway 3 to Big Creek), Sturgeon River and tributaries (Tay and Oro-Medonte Townships, upstream (south) from the lam...), Young’s Creek (Ryerse Creek) (Woodhouse Township and the City of Nanticoke, between the da...)

Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - january 1 to friday before the fourth saturday in april and august 15 to december 31

Credit River (refer to waterbody exceptions)

Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - january 1 to friday before the fourth saturday in april and october 1 to december 31

Bayfield River tributaries (refer to waterbody exceptions), Big Creek (refer to waterbody exceptions), Bronte Creek (City of Burlington and Flamborough Township, from the C.P.R....), Credit River (refer to waterbody exceptions), Fisher’s Creek (Walsingham Township), Galt Creek (Mill Creek) (upstream from the boundary of North Dumfries and Puslinch To...), Grindstone Creek (Flamborough Township and City of Burlington, from Waterdown...), Gully Creek and tributaries (Goderich Township), Humber River (refer to waterbody exceptions), Maitland River (refer to waterbody exceptions), Naftel’s Creek and tributaries (Huron County), Nine Mile River (refer to waterbody exceptions), Normandale Creek (Potters Creek) (Walsingham Township), Pretty River and tributaries (refer to waterbody exceptions), Whitemans Creek (refer to waterbody exceptions for details)

Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - january 1 to friday before the second saturday in may and october 1 to december 31

Boyne River (Tosorontio Township, from the dam in Earl Rowe Provincial Pa...), Nottawasaga River (refer to waterbody exceptions)

Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - january 1 to may 31 and october 1 to december 31

Silver Creek and tributaries (Town of Collingwood, Collingwood and Nottawasaga Townships)

Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - march 1 to friday before the fourth saturday in april

Grand River (refer to waterbody exceptions)

Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - march 1 to friday before second saturday in may

Beaver River (Thorah Township, from the CNR railway bridge in the town of...), Pefferlaw River (Town of Georgina, from Highway 48 upstream to the dam in the...), Severn River (Morrison Township, between Coopers Falls Road bridge, downst...), Talbot River and tributaries excluding the Trent Canal system (Thorah and Mara Townships, the area between the eastern side...)

Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - march 15 to friday before second saturday in may

Thames River (refer to waterbody exceptions)

Other zone notes

There are several Great Lakes tributaries that have aligned regulations for Atlantic salmon, brown trout, Pacific salmon and rainbow trout - refer to species exceptions.
Warmouth is listed as endangered in Ontario and may not be caught or possessed under a recreational fishing licence.

Zone 15 Zone 17 All 20 zones Ice fishing in Ontario guide

Source: Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary 2026, Fisheries Management Zone 16 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.