Cataraqui River (Rideau Canal)

River South Western Ontario FMZ 18 Crown Land (Free)

About this spot

Cataraqui River (Rideau Canal) is a river in the South Western Ontario area of Ontario, in Fisheries Management Zone 18. MNR fish surveys (2007–2015) recorded 25 species here, including largemouth bass, yellow perch and bluegill. This waterbody sits on Ontario Crown land open to anglers holding a valid Ontario fishing licence.

Location

Fish Species

Largemouth Bass Yellow Perch Bluegill Rock Bass Northern Pike Catfish Common Carp Sucker Black Crappie American Eel Smallmouth Bass

No species reported for this spot yet.

Lake data from Ontario government surveys

Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources holds 46 fish survey records from 2007 to 2015.

Species recorded (25)

Largemouth Bass · 37 Pumpkinseed · 35 Yellow Perch · 35 Bluegill · 26 Golden Shiner · 22 Brook Silverside · 16 Rock Bass · 13 Northern Pike · 12 Brown Bullhead · 10 Round Goby · 10 Banded Killifish · 8 Bluntnose Minnow · 8 Johnny Darter · 7 Common Carp · 4 White Sucker · 4 Yellow Bullhead · 4 Alewife · 3 Black Crappie · 3 Blacknose Shiner · 3 Longnose Gar · 2 Blackchin Shiner · 2 American Eel · 1 Bowfin · 1 Logperch · 1 Smallmouth Bass · 1

Number of survey records that list the species.

Sources: Land Information Ontario — Aquatic Resource Area survey points, Bathymetry Index and Bathymetry Line, Fisheries Management Zones, Fishing Access Points. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.

Fisheries Management Zone 18

Cataraqui River (Rideau Canal) is in Fisheries Management Zone 18. Open seasons, catch limits and size limits in Ontario are set zone by zone, and some lakes carry their own exceptions, so check the FMZ 18 rules before you fish.

FMZ 18 regulations on ontario.ca

Ice fishing on Cataraqui River (Rideau Canal) (2026–27)

Ontario has no separate ice fishing season: the regular open seasons apply through the ice. Cataraqui River (Rideau Canal) is in Fisheries Management Zone 18, where 11 of 17 species groups are open for the whole ice season (December 1 to March 31) under the zone-wide rules. Of the game fish government surveys recorded in this lake, black crappie, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, bluegill and yellow perch are open at least part of the winter under the zone-wide rules.

Species	Through the ice	Zone-wide season	Limits
Crappie recorded here	Open	open all year	S-30 and C-10
Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined recorded here	Part of the season Dec 1 – Dec 15	third Saturday in June to December 15	S-6 and C-2
Northern pike recorded here	Open	January 1 to March 31 and second Saturday in May to December 31	S-6 and C-2
Sunfish recorded here	Open	open all year	S-300; only 30 may be greater than 18 centimetres, and C-15
Yellow perch recorded here	Open	open all year	S-50 and C-25
Atlantic salmon	Closed	closed all year
Brook trout	Open	open all year	S-5 and C-2
Brown trout	Open	open all year	S-5 and C-2
Channel catfish	Open	open all year	S-12 and C-6
Lake sturgeon	Closed	closed all year
Lake trout	Closed	fourth Saturday in May to September 8	S-2 and C-1
Lake whitefish	Open	open all year	S-12 and C-6
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
Pacific salmon	Open	open all year	S-5 and C-2
Rainbow trout	Open	open all year	S-5 and C-2
Splake	Open	open all year	S-5 and C-2
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

S = sport fishing licence, C = conservation licence (daily catch and possession). Dates are worked out for 2026–27 from the wording of the 2026 summary. Ontario publishes a new summary every January 1, so check the 2027 edition for dates after December 31.

Cataraqui River (Rideau Canal) is not listed by name in the zone's species or waterbody exceptions or fish sanctuaries. Some exceptions cover whole townships or river systems, so read the zone page before you go.

Ice huts in Zone 18

Huts must be registered (free, once) and show the number outside; fabric shelters under 7 m² are exempt. Remove your hut by March 15, and in any case before the ice breaks up. You may fish with two lines through the ice in most waters, within 60 m and in sight of each.

Zone 18 ice fishing rules Ice fishing in Ontario guide

Source: Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary 2026, Zone 18 (ontario.ca); ice hut rules: ontario.ca/page/ice-fishing. This summary is not the law: check the regulations and local conditions, and never go on ice you have not tested.