Ice fishing in Zone 6 (FMZ 6), 2026–27

Fisheries Management Zone 6, with 1,684 lakes and rivers on our map. Through the 2026–27 ice season (December 1 to March 31), 13 of 17 species groups are open the whole time, 2 for part of it and 2 are closed. Walleye and sauger are open all ice season. 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 6

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.

Ice huts and lines in Zone 6

• Zone 6 is one of the zones (1 to 8 and 13) where ice huts do not need to be registered.
• 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 6

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 6 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

• Jessie Lake: Lake trout – open from February 15 to March 15 and fourth Saturday in May to September 30
• Lac des Mille Lacs: Northern pike – open from January 1 to April 14 and second Saturday in May to December 31
• Casino Lake (included with lac des mille lacs): Northern pike – open from January 1 to April 14 and second Saturday in May to December 31
• Cushing Lake (included with lac des mille lacs): Northern pike – open from January 1 to April 14 and second Saturday in May to December 31
• Panache Lake (included with lac des mille lacs): Northern pike – open from January 1 to April 14 and second Saturday in May to December 31
• Pike Lake (included with lac des mille lacs): Northern pike – open from January 1 to April 14 and second Saturday in May to December 31
• Lake Helen: Walleye and sauger – closed all year
• Lake Nipigon and its tributaries downstream from the first falls, rapids, dams or lakes or the entire stream if there are no falls, rapids,...: Only artificial lures may be used when angling through the ice; Lake trout – open from March 1 to September 30; Northern pike – open from January 1 to April 14 and third Saturday in May to December 31; Walleye and sauger – open from January 1 to April 14 and June 10 to December 31
• Lake Nipigon: Fish sanctuary – closed all year
• McIntyre River: Fish sanctuary – closed all year
• Nipigon River and Nipigon Bay: Walleye and sauger – closed all year
• Nipigon Bay in Zone 9 north of a line drawn from Simpson Island (included with nipigon river and nipigon bay): Walleye and sauger – closed all year
• Nipigon River: Fish sanctuary – no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in May and Tuesday after Labour Day to December 31 in the following areas: Nipigon River – Backpool below the Alexander Dam east of a line drawn south from the Alexander Dam Log Chute to the northernmost tip of the point of land on the east shore of the Nipigon River; Fish sanctuary – no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in May and Tuesday after Labour Day to December 31 in the following areas: Nipigon River – Gapen's Pool (49°01′N, 88°15′W) that part of the Nipigon River lying east of a line drawn north from the eastern shore abutment of Highway 11/17 bridges to the western tip of a point of land on the eastern shore of the outflow from Lake Helen; Fish sanctuary – no fishing from January 1 to Friday before fourth Saturday in May and Tuesday after Labour Day to December 31 in the following areas: Nipigon River – Parmacheene (49°05′N, 88°19′W) from the downstream edge of the Parmacheene C.N.R. bridge abutments, upstream approximately 400 metres to the first narrows
• Polly Lake: Walleye and sauger – closed all year

Fish sanctuaries: no fishing – closed all year

Argon Lake (Grand Trunk Pacific Block 2), Gessie Lake, Henderson Lake (Grand Trunk Pacific Block 2), Ice Lake, Lake Nipigon (refer to waterbody exceptions), McIntyre River (refer to waterbody exceptions), Savanne Lake (Grand Trunk Pacific Block 2), Squeers Lake

Fish sanctuaries: no fishing – from january 1 to friday before fourth saturday in may and tuesday after labour day to december 31

Nipigon River (refer to waterbody exceptions)

Other zone notes

• Non-Canadian residents camping on Crown land must follow conservation fishing licence limits.
• Rainbow smelt may not be used as bait or possessed for use as bait.

Source: Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary 2026, Fisheries Management Zone 6 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.