Muskrat River

River Eastern Ontario FMZ 12 Crown Land (Free)

About this spot

Muskrat River is a river in the Eastern Ontario area of Ontario, in Fisheries Management Zone 12. MNR fish surveys (1949–2014) recorded 23 species here, including smallmouth bass, white sucker and brook trout. This waterbody sits on Ontario Crown land open to anglers holding a valid Ontario fishing licence.

Location

Fish Species

Smallmouth Bass Sucker Brook Trout Lake Sturgeon Walleye American Eel Fallfish Northern Pike Rock Bass Largemouth Bass Catfish

No species reported for this spot yet.

Lake data from Ontario government surveys

Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources holds 8 fish survey records from 1949 to 2014. Survey methods: Electrofishing, Eel Pots, Observed.

Species recorded (23)

Logperch · 4 Mimic Shiner · 3 Smallmouth Bass · 3 White Sucker · 3 Brook Trout · 2 Lake Sturgeon · 2 Walleye · 2 Emerald Shiner · 2 Longnose Dace · 2 Creek Chub · 2 Brook Stickleback · 2 Golden Shiner · 2 Northern Redbelly Dace · 2 American Eel · 1 Fallfish · 1 Northern Pike · 1 Rock Bass · 1 Largemouth Bass · 1 Rosyface Shiner · 1 Bluntnose Minnow · 1 Brown Bullhead · 1 Common Shiner · 1 Pumpkinseed · 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 12

Muskrat River is in Fisheries Management Zone 12. 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 12 rules before you fish.

FMZ 12 regulations on ontario.ca

Ice fishing on Muskrat River (2026–27)

Ontario has no separate ice fishing season: the regular open seasons apply through the ice. Muskrat River is in Fisheries Management Zone 12, where 7 of 14 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, northern pike, pumpkinseed and walleye are open at least part of the winter under the zone-wide rules.

Fish sanctuary. The summary lists Muskrat River as a fish sanctuary: No fishing - April 1 to Friday before third Saturday in May. No fishing is allowed during that period, whatever the table below says.

Species	Through the ice	Zone-wide season	Limits
Brook trout recorded here	Closed	Friday before fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-5 and C-2
Lake sturgeon recorded here	Closed	closed all year
Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined recorded here	Closed	Friday before fourth Saturday in June to November 30	S-6 and C-2
Northern pike recorded here	Open	January 1 to March 31 and Friday before third Saturday in May to December 31	S-6 and C-2
Sunfish recorded here	Open	open all year	no limit
Walleye and sauger combined recorded here	Open	January 1 to March 31 and Friday before third Saturday in May to December 31	S-5 and C-2; must be less than 40 centimetres from March 1 to June 15
Atlantic salmon	Closed	Friday before fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-1 and C-0
Brown trout and rainbow trout	Closed	Friday before fourth Saturday in April to September 30	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 trout and splake	Closed	Friday before fourth Saturday in April to September 30	S-2 and C-1; must be greater than 45 centimetres
Lake whitefish	Open	open all year	S-12 and C-6
Muskellunge	Part of the season Dec 1 – Dec 15	Friday before third Saturday in June to December 15	S-1; must be greater than 137 centimetres, and C-0
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 Muskrat River

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

Fish sanctuary (Renfrew County, from Highway 17 downstream through the City of Pembroke to its confluence with the Ottawa River): No fishing - April 1 to Friday before third Saturday in May

Ice huts in Zone 12

Huts must be registered (free, once) and show the number outside; fabric shelters under 7 m² are exempt. Remove your hut by March 15 below the Lake Timiskaming dam, March 31 above it, 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 12 ice fishing rules Ice fishing in Ontario guide

Source: Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary 2026, Zone 12 (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.