Ontario Fishery Regulations, 2007 (SOR/2007-237)

Prohibited Fishing Methods and Gear

• 9 (1) No person shall fish with

  • (a) a hook used in such a manner as to pierce or hook a fish in any part of the body other than the mouth;

  • (b) a gaff;

  • (c) a snare;

  • (d) a snagger; or

  • (e) a spear gun.

• (2) Despite paragraph (1)(b), a person may use a gaff, other than a spring gaff, to assist in the landing of a fish.

• (3) No person shall retain a fish that has been pierced or hooked in any part of the body other than the mouth while angling except a fish that has been pierced or hooked while being landed with a gaff that is not a spring gaff.

• 10 (1) No person shall possess a snagger, spear gun or spring gaff in any waters or within 30 m of any water’s edge.

• (2) Except when spear fishing in accordance with these Regulations, no person shall possess a spear for the purpose of fishing in any waters or within 30 m of any water’s edge.

• (3) No person shall possess a snare for the purpose of fishing in any waters or within 30 m of any water’s edge.

Use of Artificial Light

11 No person shall use an artificial light to attract fish except

• (a) to fish for lake herring, lake whitefish or smelt by any means other than by angling; or

• (b) when angling, as part of a lure attached to a line.

Release of Fish

12 A person, other than a person fishing under a commercial fishing licence, who catches a fish, other than an invasive species, the retention or possession of which is prohibited by these Regulations, shall immediately return the fish to the waters from which it was caught and, if the fish is alive, release it in a manner that causes the least harm to that fish.

Variation Orders

• 13 (1) If a close time, fishing quota or limit on the size or weight of fish or fishing gear or equipment has been fixed in respect of an area, the provincial Minister may, by order, vary that close time, fishing quota or limit on fish or fishing gear or equipment in respect of the area or any portion of the area.

• (2) If a close time, fishing quota, limit on the size or weight of fish or fishing gear or equipment is varied, the provincial Minister shall give notice of the variation to the persons affected or likely to be affected by the variation by one or more of the following methods:

  • (a) broadcasting the notice over a radio station;

  • (b) publishing the notice in a newspaper;

  • (c) posting the notice in the area or in the vicinity of the area affected by the variation;

  • (d) giving written or oral notice;

  • (e) transmitting or posting the notice by electronic means; or

  • (f) publishing the notice in the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry summary of regulations pertaining to sport fishing.

PART 2Sport Fishing

Sport Fishing Methods

14 No person shall sport fish other than by angling or by means of a spear, dip net, baitfish trap, seine net, or bow and arrow.

Angling Close Times

15 No person shall angle for, or catch by angling and retain, fish of a species set out in column 1 of Schedule 2 in the waters set out in column 2 during the close time set out in column 3.

Angling Quotas and Size Limits

16 Subject to sections 19 to 21, no person who is fishing under a sport fishing licence or a conservation fishing licence shall catch and retain in any one day, or possess, fish of a species set out in column 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 3 from the waters set out in column 1,

• (a) in an amount that exceeds the sport fishing licence quota or of a size that does not comply with the size limit set out in column 3; or

• (b) in an amount that exceeds the conservation fishing licence quota or of a size that does not comply with the size limit set out in column 4.

Provincial Possession Limits

17 Subject to section 18, no person shall possess fish of a species set out in column 1 of Part 2 of Schedule 3, caught under a sport fishing licence or conservation fishing licence from the waters of all zones combined, in a quantity greater than the provincial possession limit set out in column 2.

Provincial trout and salmon Aggregate Quota

18 No person shall catch and retain in any one day, or possess, a quantity of trout or salmon from the waters of all zones combined that in the aggregate is greater than

• (a) five, when fishing under a sport fishing licence; or

• (b) two, when fishing under a conservation fishing licence.

Daily Catch and Retain Quotas and Size Limits

19 No person shall catch and retain in any one day fish of a species set out in column 3 of Part 3 of Schedule 3 as specified for the type of licence set out in column 1 from the waters set out in column 2 in an amount that exceeds the quota or does not comply with the size limit set out in column 4.

Non-resident Daily Catch and Retain Quotas and Size Limits

20 No non-resident shall catch and retain in any one day fish of a species set out in column 3 of Part 4 of Schedule 3 as specified for the type of licence set out in column 1 from the waters set out in column 2 in an amount that exceeds the quota or of a size that does not comply with the size limit set out in column 4.

Non-resident Quotas and Size Limits

21 No non-resident shall catch and retain in any one day or possess fish of a species set out in column 3 of Part 5 of Schedule 3 as specified for the type of licence set out in column 1 from the waters set out in column 2 in an amount that exceeds the quota or of a size that does not comply with the size limit set out in column 4.

22 If a non-resident under 18 years of age fishes under a sport fishing licence held by another person, the fish caught and retained or possessed shall be deemed to be caught and retained or possessed by the licence holder.

Angling From a Fishing Vessel

• 23 (1) A person who is angling under a sport fishing licence or a conservation fishing licence from a fishing vessel and who catches largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye or northern pike may exchange one or more of the live fish that the person has caught for another of the same species if

  • (a) the live fish that are caught and not immediately released are held in a livewell that is mechanically aerated at all times; and

  • (b) the fish that is being released will survive after release and is released into the waters from which it was caught.

• (2) A person who is fishing under a sport fishing licence may hold in the livewell no more than an aggregate of six largemouth bass or smallmouth bass.

Sport Fishing Quotas in Boundary Waters

24 If a person is sport fishing in waters that lie both in Ontario and in another jurisdiction, the fish caught anywhere in the waters shall be deemed to have been caught and retained or possessed by the person in Ontario for the purposes of these Regulations.

Possession of Fish Caught By Angling

• 25 (1) No person shall possess a live brook trout or live lake trout caught by angling from Lake Nipigon and its tributaries.

• (2) For the purposes of subsection (1), paragraph 29(2)(d), section 38, paragraph 42(2)(b) and Schedule 4, a reference to Lake Nipigon and its tributaries means Lake Nipigon and its tributaries downstream from the first falls, rapids, dam or lake — or the entire tributary if there are no falls, rapids, dam or lake — including

  • (a) the waters on the islands of Lake Nipigon;

  • (b) the waters of the Gull River, downstream from the Highway 527 bridge;

  • (c) the waters of the Kabitotikwia River, downstream from the Highway 527 bridge;

  • (d) the waters of the Poshkokagan River, downstream from and including the rapids located at 49°25′45″ N, 89°04′55″ W;

  • (e) the waters of the Wabinosh River, downstream from Wabinosh Lake; and

  • (f) the waters of the Little Jackfish River, downstream from and including the first rapids upstream of the Pikitigushi Road bridge.

26 No person shall possess a live fish, other than a baitfish, caught by angling from the following waters in Zone 4:

• (a) Lac Seul (50°20′03″ N, 92°45′00″ W);

• (b) Broad Lake (50°26′32″ N, 92°37′50″ W);

• (c) Sunlight Lake (50°29′14″ N, 92°34′17″ W) and all connecting waters;

• (d) Abram Lake (50°03′33″ N, 91°55′44″ W);

• (e) Botsford Lake (50°08′19″ N, 91°39′32″ W);

• (f) Hidden Lake (50°07′26″ N, 91°44′33″ W);

• (g) Minnitaki Lake (49°58′19″ N, 91°57′29″ W);

• (h) Pelican Lake (50°06′41″ N, 91°57′40″ W) and all connecting waters, including the waters locally known as Duck Lake; and

• (i) the waters collectively known as the Rice River, including Flower Lake (49°56′47″ N, 91°57′19″ W), Parnes Lake (49°56′27″ N, 91°54′23″ W), Twill Lake (49°56′38″ N, 91°59′02″ W), Twin Bay of Minnitaki Lake (49°57′48″ N, 91°52′56″ W), Twinflower Lake (49°56′27″ N, 91°55′44″ W), Twinflower Creek and all connecting streams.

• 27 (1) No non-resident who is angling from a fishing vessel shall possess on board the vessel more fish of a species than the quota set out in section 20 for the species in the waters in which the person is angling.

• (2) This section applies to the following waters in Zone 5:

  • (a) Lake of the Woods (49°16′59″ N, 94°34′15″ W);

  • (b) Shoal Lake (49°32′50″ N, 94°56′25″ W);

  • (c) Cul de Sac Lake (49°37′54″ N, 94°49′47″ W);

  • (d) Obabikon Lake (49°14′59″ N, 94°12′25″ W);

  • (e) Rainy River; and

  • (f) Rainy Lake (48°43′35″ N, 93°07′51″ W) and the Seine River system upstream to the Sturgeon Falls (Crilly) Dam, situated immediately north of Highway 11, including the waters of Grassy Lake (48°39′53″ N, 92°43′05″ W), Wild Potato Lake (48°43′00″ N, 92°28′36″ W) and Partridge Crop Lake (48°43′46″ N, 92°22′12″ W) in the Territorial Districts of Kenora and Rainy River.

Possession or Use of Bait

• 28 (1) No person shall release or deposit, or attempt to release or deposit, into any waters, or within 30 m of any waters, any of the following:

  • (a) live or dead bait or baitfish, including fish eggs, gametes or parts; or

  • (b) the water, soil or other materials in the container used to hold the materials set out in paragraph (a).

• (2) Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of plant-based bait.

• (3) Paragraph 1(b) does not apply to water that is taken from the waters where the person is fishing, used in either a recirculating device attached to or forming part of a fishing vessel or a moveable container holding bait or baitfish, and deposited back into the same waters or within 30 m of those waters.

28.1 No person, other than the holder of a commercial bait licence or any other licence that authorizes the culture of baitfish, shall catch and retain in any one day, or possess, more than 120 baitfish.

• 29 (1) No person shall use as bait, or possess for use as bait, an invasive species or a live fish that is not a species of baitfish.

• (2) No person shall use as bait or possess for use as bait

  • (a) a live baitfish in the waters set out in column 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 5;

  • (b) a fish greater than 13 cm in length in Lake Temagami (46°59′36″ N, 80°04′15″ W);

  • (c) a fish

    • (i) in the waters of Clearwater Bay of Lake of the Woods (49°42′23″ N, 94°45′13″ W), Echo Bay of Lake of the Woods (49°39′00″ N, 94°53′58″ W) or Cul de Sac Lake (49°37′54″ N, 94°49′47″ W);

    • (ii) in the waters set out in column 1 of Part 2 of Schedule 5 during the period set out in column 2; or

  • (d) rainbow smelt in Zone 2, 4, 5 or 6, except, in Zones 2 and 6, in the waters of Lake Nipigon and its tributaries and, in Zone 6, in the waters of Jessie Lake (49°11′19″ N, 88°19′52″ W), Helen Lake (49°04′20″ N, 88°16′17″ W), Polly Lake (49°07′52″ N, 88°15′58″ W) and the Nipigon River.

• (3) Despite subsection (1), a person may possess no more than 36 live crayfish for use as bait in the waters in which the person is angling, if the crayfish were caught in those waters.

• (4) No person shall transport crayfish overland except under a licence to collect fish for scientific purposes issued under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997, Statutes of Ontario, 1997, c. 41.

• (5) Despite subsection (4), a person may transport red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in accordance with General, Ontario Regulation 354/16 made under the Invasive Species Act, 2015, S.O. 2015, c. 22, as amended from time to time.

Angling Restrictions

30 No person shall angle within 25 m of a pound net or cage in which fish are held for culture.

31 No person shall angle in the waters set out in column 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 4 except in accordance with the limits on gear and equipment set out in column 2 during the specified time periods, as applicable.

• 32 (1) Subject to subsection (3), no person angling in open water shall angle in the waters set out in column 1 of Part 2 of Schedule 4 with more than the number of lines set out in column 2.

• (2) Subject to subsection (3), no person angling through ice shall angle in the waters set out in column 1 of Part 3 of Schedule 4 with more than the number of lines set out in column 2.

• (3) A person who is angling for common carp may use up to three lines in the waters of Zones 12 to 20 if all of the following conditions are met:

  • (a) the person is using plant-based bait or synthetic corn;

  • (b) when the person is angling from a fishing vessel, all of the lines used by the person are on that vessel with the person; and

  • (c) when the person is not angling from a fishing vessel, each line used by the person is within 2 m of another line used by the person.