Muskoka River

River South Western Ontario FMZ 15 Crown Land (Free)

About this spot

Muskoka River is a river in the South Western Ontario area of Ontario, in Fisheries Management Zone 15. MNR fish surveys (2015) recorded 3 species here, including smallmouth bass and rock bass. This waterbody sits on Ontario Crown land open to anglers holding a valid Ontario fishing licence.

Location

Fish Species

No species reported for this spot yet.

Lake data from Ontario government surveys

Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources holds 3 fish survey records from 2015.

Species recorded (3)

Margined Madtom · 2 Smallmouth Bass · 2 Rock Bass · 1

Number of survey records that list the species.

Water clarity (Secchi depth): 1 m (2015)

Boat launches and access points

⚓ Muskoka River - Bracebridge Bay

Boat Launch · 4 km from the lake reference point · Parking · No fee

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 15

Muskoka River is in Fisheries Management Zone 15. 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 15 rules before you fish.

FMZ 15 regulations on ontario.ca

Ice fishing on Muskoka River (2026–27)

Ontario has no separate ice fishing season: the regular open seasons apply through the ice. Muskoka River is in Fisheries Management Zone 15, where 10 of 17 species groups are open for the whole ice season (December 1 to March 31) under the zone-wide rules.

Fish sanctuary. The summary lists Muskoka River as a fish sanctuary: No fishing - April 1 to June 15. No fishing is allowed during that period, whatever the table below says.

Species	Through the ice	Zone-wide season	Limits
Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined recorded here	Closed	fourth Saturday in June to November 30	S-6 and C-2
Atlantic salmon	Closed	closed all year
Brook trout	Part of the season Jan 1 – Mar 31	January 1 to September 30	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
Crappie	Open	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	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
Northern pike	Open	January 1 to March 31 and third Saturday in May to December 31	S-6 and C-2
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
Sunfish	Open	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 third Saturday in May to December 31	S-4 and C-2; not more than 1 greater than 46 centimetres
Yellow perch	Open	open all year	S-50 and C-25

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.

Rules specific to Muskoka River

The 2026 summary lists this lake by name. These rules replace the zone-wide ones above where they overlap.

Fish sanctuary (including the North Muskoka River (Town of Bracebridge) from Bracebridge Falls downstream to the mouth of the Muskoka Ri...): No fishing - April 1 to June 15

Ice huts in Zone 15

Huts must be registered (free, once) and show the number outside; fabric shelters under 7 m² are exempt. Remove your hut by March 31, 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 15 ice fishing rules Ice fishing in Ontario guide

Source: Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary 2026, Zone 15 (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.