Ontario FMZ 19 — Sport Fishing Regulations
Ontario Fisheries Management Zone 19 (FMZ 19) 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-19
Data retrieved: 2026-09-03 · HTML last updated 2026-08-04 · Licence year 2026 (calendar). 16 of 16 zone-wide species included. All 1 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
- Detroit River and St. Clair River are in Zone 19.
- The Niagara River upstream of the falls is in Zone 19.
- Refer to general fishing regulations for more information on how to use this summary.
- Warmouth is listed as endangered in Ontario and may not be caught or possessed under a recreational fishing licence.
- The following species are not present in this Zone and are closed to fishing all year:
- brook trout
- splake
- FMZ 19 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 | |||
| Northern pike | S-6 and C-2 | |||
| Pacific salmon | S-5 and C-2 | |||
| Rainbow trout | S-5 and C-2 | |||
| Sunfish | S-100 and C-50 | |||
| Walleye and sauger combined | S-6 and C-2 | |||
| Yellow perch | S-50; in one day, possession limit of 100, and C-25; in one day, possession limit of 50 |
closed all year
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Gear | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake sturgeon |
January 1 to September 30 and December 1 to December 31
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Gear | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake trout | S-3 and C-1 |
fourth Saturday in June to November 30
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Gear | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined | S-6 and C-2 |
first Saturday in June to December 15
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Gear | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muskellunge | S-1; must be greater than 112 centimetres, and C-0 | must be greater than 112 centimetres |
Species exceptions
Muskellunge
open from third Saturday in June to December 15
- Niagara River from the Peace Bridge to Niagara Falls
Waterbody exceptions
Licence year 2026 (calendar). 16 of 16 zone-wide species included. All 1 waterbody exceptions listed on the Ontario HTML for this FMZ are included. This is not complete Ontario.
All waters of FMZ 19
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two lines may be used when angling from a boat in open water |
Bait restrictions
- FMZ 19 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
Fish sanctuaries
No fishing - May 15 to Friday before the fourth Saturday in June
- Lake Erie - Walsingham and Norfolk Townships, eastern half of the Inner Long Point Bay
No fishing - June 1 to July 15
- Town of Fort Erie - bounded by lines starting at Stonemill Road (42°52'31.47" N , 78°59'57.76" W ), 750 metres south into Lake Erie to a point at 42°52'11.17" N , 78°59'57.11" W , 1.25 kilometres east to a point at 42°52'12.49" N , 78°58'46.02" W , north to Rosehill Road (42°52'46.83" N , 78°58'47.12" W ) and following the water's edge back to its original point of origin
- Port Colborne - bounded by lines starting at Cassaday Point (42°52'1.79" N , 79°13'4.8" W ), 500 metres south into Lake Erie to a point at 42°51'45.71" N , 79°13''4.19" W , 1 kilometre east to a point at 42°51'46.72" N , 79°12'14.73" W , north to Weaver Road (42°52'17.66" N , 79°12'15.88" W ) and following the water's edge back to its original point of origin.
- Gravelly Bay - from the breakwall on the east side of the Welland Canal, eastward 500 metres to a point at 42°52'7.9" N , 79°14'9.87" W , straight northward to the water's edge at 42°52''32.48" N , 79°14'10.81" W , then following the water's edge back to the east side of the Welland Canal (also includes the inlet north of Nickel's Beach)
- Gravelly Bay - the waters of that part of Gravelly Bay of Lake Erie (City of Port Colborne) lying northwest of a line drawn from the southerly point of Sugar Loaf Point in a northeasterly direction to the southwest corner of the H. Knoll Lakeview Park Marina breakwall