Ice fishing in Zone 18 (FMZ 18), 2026–27
Fisheries Management Zone 18, with 1,241 lakes and rivers on our map. Through the 2026–27 ice season (December 1 to March 31), 11 of 17 species groups are open the whole time, 3 for part of it and 3 are closed. Walleye and sauger are open Dec 1 – Mar 1. 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 18
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 | closed all year | |
| Brook trout | Open all season | open all year | 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 | Closed | fourth Saturday in May to September 8 | S-2 and C-1 |
| Lake whitefish | Open all season | open all year | S-12 and C-6 |
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined |
Part of the season
Dec 1 – Dec 15 |
third Saturday in June to December 15 | S-6 and C-2 |
| Muskellunge |
Part of the season
Dec 1 – Dec 15 |
1st 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 | Open all season | open all year | S-5 and C-2 |
| Rainbow trout | Open all season | open all year | S-5 and C-2 |
| Splake | Open all season | open all year | S-5 and C-2 |
| Sunfish | Open all season | open all year | S-300; only 30 may be greater than 18 centimetres, and C-15 |
| Walleye and sauger combined |
Part of the season
Dec 1 – Mar 1 |
January 1 to March 1 and second Saturday in May to December 31 | S-4 and C-2; must be between 40-50 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 18
- 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 18
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 18 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 - closed all year
Big Rideau Lake (Bastard and Burgess Townships, The Bog and Long Island), Newboro Lake (North Crosby and South Crosby Townships, Old Iron Mine Bay), Newboro Lake (South Crosby Township, The Bog), Opinicon Lake (Storrington Township, Darlings Bay), Opinicon Lake (South Crosby Township, Murphy Bay), Sand Lake (South Crosby Township, Freeman’s Bay), Westport Pond (North Crosby Township), White Lake (Olden Township), Whitefish Lake (South Crosby Township, Jones Falls Bay)
Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - january 1 to friday before third saturday in june and december 16 to december 31
Lingham Lake (Grimsthorpe Township), Sand Lake (North Crosby Township, that part lying in Lots 15 and 16 in...)
Fish sanctuaries: no fishing - march 1 to friday before second saturday in may
Christie Lake (in Lot 3, Concession 3 (Bathurst Township) and the Tay River...), Crotch Lake and Mississippi River (Palmerston Township, from Sidedam Rapids to north shore of S...), Dalhousie Lake and Mississippi River (Dalhousie Township, within a 300 metres radius of the bridge...), Hoople Creek (Osnabruck Township), Indian River and Clayton Lake (within a 300 metres radius of the Command Bridge crossing th...), Mississippi River (Drummond Township, from 240.8 metres west of Main Street in...), Mississippi River (Pakenham Township, between the falls in the Town of Almonte...), Raisin River (those portions of the river in the Village of Martintown and...), South Nation River (Cambridge Township, Coupal’s dam in Casselman downstream to...), South Nation River (Hamlet of Crysler in Finch Township), South Nation River (North Plantagenet Township, between north side of Concession...), South Nation River (Village of Chesterville in Winchester Township)
Source: Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary 2026, Fisheries Management Zone 18 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.