Ontario FMZ 9 — Sport Fishing Regulations
Ontario Fisheries Management Zone 9 (FMZ 9) sport-fishing rules for licence year 2026: seasons, S-n and C-n limits, exceptions and sanctuaries — reproduced from the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary HTML, with citations. The Summary is not the law.
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Official source (Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary): https://www.ontario.ca/document/ontario-fishing-regulations-summary/fisheries-management-zone-9
Data retrieved: 2026-09-05 · HTML last updated 2026-08-04 · Licence year 2026 (calendar). 18 of 18 zone-wide species included. All 2 waterbody exceptions listed on the Ontario HTML for this FMZ are included. This is not complete Ontario.
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Reproduction of the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary. The Summary is not the law. Always verify with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and Fish ON-Line before you fish. Crown copyright.
General information
- St. Mary’s River west of the compensating works gate and the canal lock in Sault Ste. Marie is in Zone 9.
- Refer to general fishing regulations for more information on how to use this summary.
- New As of Jan 1, 2026, the zone-wide minimum size limit for Muskellunge is 137 centimetres.
- New Waterbody exception for walleye and sauger combined, and northern pike in Lake Superior, Black Bay
- FMZ 9 is part of the Great Lakes. Baitfish and leeches that are both dead and preserved can be transported into and out of BMZs and the Great Lakes.
- Baitfish and leeches that are not both dead and preserved may be transported out of: Refer to bait for more details.
- an adjacent bait management zone and used in the Great Lakes
- the Great Lakes only to be disposed of immediately more than 30 metres from the water
Zone-wide rules
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Gear | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aggregate limits for trout and salmon (including splake) | S-5 and C-2; total daily catch and possession limit for all trout and salmon species combined |
open all year
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Gear | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic salmon | S-1 and C-0 | |||
| Brown trout | S-5 and C-2 | |||
| Channel catfish | S-12 and C-6 | |||
| Crappie | S-30 and C-10 | |||
| Lake whitefish | S-12 and C-6 | |||
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined | S-6 and C-2 | |||
| Northern pike | S-4 and C-2; none between 70–90 centimetres, not more than 1 greater than 90 centimetres | |||
| Pacific salmon | S-5 and C-2 | |||
| Rainbow trout | S-1 and C-0 | |||
| Sunfish | S-50 and C-25 | |||
| Yellow perch | S-25 and C-12 |
fourth Saturday in April to Labour Day
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Gear | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brook trout | S-1; must be greater than 56 centimetres, and C-0 | must be greater than 56 centimetres |
closed all year
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Gear | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake sturgeon |
January 1 to September 30
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Gear | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake trout | S-3 and C-1 | |||
| Splake | S-3 and C-1 |
third Saturday in June to December 15
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Gear | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muskellunge | S-1; New must be greater than 137 centimetres, and C-0 | must be greater than 137 centimetres |
January 1 to April 14 and third Saturday in May to December 31
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Gear | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye and sauger combined | S-2 and C-1 |
Species exceptions
Rainbow trout
· S-2 and C-1
- Lake Superior, east of the Pic River (Zone 9)
Walleye and sauger
closed all year Season : open from January 1 to March 31 and July 1 to December 31
- Nipigon River and Nipigon Bay — The Nipigon River from the Alexander Falls Dam in Zone 6 to Nipigon Bay in Zone 9, and the waters of Nipigon Bay in Zone 9 north of a line drawn from Simpson Island (48°49'48" N , 87°40'40" W ) across the bay to the mainland at 48°51'21" N , 87°38'47" W
- Montreal River — from the first Great Lakes Power Dam to Lake Superior
Waterbody exceptions
Licence year 2026 (calendar). 18 of 18 zone-wide species included. All 2 waterbody exceptions listed on the Ontario HTML for this FMZ are included. This is not complete Ontario.
All waters of FMZ 9
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two lines may be used when trolling from a boat in open water |
Lake Superior — Black Bay — to the southern tip of the Black Bay Peninsula (48°24'35" N , 88°33'37" W ) to Magnet Island, to Porphyry Island, to an unnamed point (48°20'28" N , 88°46'09" W ) on the southeast side of Sibley Peninsula
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern pike open all year | open all year | ||
| Northern pike | S-2, not more than 1 greater than 70 centimetres, none greater than 90 centimetres, and C-1; none greater than 90 centimetres | S-2, not more than 1 greater than 70 centimetres, none greater than 90 centimetres, and C-1; none greater than 90 centimetres | |
| Walleye and sauger open July 1 to December 31 | open July 1 to December 31 | ||
| Walleye and sauger | S-2 and C-1; must be between 40–50 centimetres | S-2 and C-1; must be between 40–50 centimetres |
Bait restrictions
- FMZ 9 is part of the Great Lakes. Baitfish and leeches that are both dead and preserved can be transported into and out of BMZs and the Great Lakes.
- Baitfish and leeches that are not both dead and preserved may be transported out of: Refer to bait for more details.
- an adjacent bait management zone and used in the Great Lakes