Ontario FMZ 3 — Sport Fishing Regulations
Ontario Fisheries Management Zone 3 (FMZ 3) 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-3
Data retrieved: 2026-09-05 · HTML last updated 2026-08-04 · Licence year 2026 (calendar). 11 of 11 zone-wide species included. The Ontario HTML for this FMZ lists no waterbody exceptions. 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
- That part of the Berens River that is between Zone 2 and Zone 4, is wholly within Zone 4.
- That part of the Missinaibi River and Moose River that is between Zone 3 and Zone 8, is wholly within Zone 8.
- Universal Transverse Mercator ( UTM ) coordinates are in UTM Zone 16.
- Refer to general fishing regulations for more information on how to use this summary.
- The following species are not present in this Zone and are closed to fishing all year:
- Atlantic salmon
- brown trout
- channel catfish
- crappie
- muskellunge
- Pacific salmon
- FMZ 3 is part of the Northeast Bait Management Zone ( BMZ ). Live or dead baitfish or leeches may not be transported into or out of a BMZ . These rules do not apply to baitfish and leeches which are both dead and preserved. Refer to bait for more details.
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 |
January 1 to September 15
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Gear | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brook trout | S-5 and C-2 |
January 1 to April 15 and July 1 to December 31
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Gear | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake sturgeon | S-0 and C-0 |
January 1 to September 30
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Gear | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake trout | S-3 and C-1 |
open all year
| Species | Catch limit | Length limit | Gear | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake whitefish | S-12 and C-6 | |||
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass combined | S-6 and C-2 | |||
| Northern pike | S-6; not more than 2 greater than 61 centimetres, of which not more than one greater than 86 centimetres, and C-2; not more than one greater than 61 centimetres, none greater than 86 centimetres | |||
| Splake | S-5 and C-2 | |||
| Sunfish | S-50 and C-25 | |||
| Yellow perch | S-50 and C-25 |
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-4 and C-2; not more than one greater than 46 centimetres |
Species exceptions
Brook trout
open all year
- Pelican Lake (49°54′41″ N , 84°08′09″ W )
- Scaup Lake (50°01′58″ N , 84°09′01″ W )
Lake trout
open all year
- Brave Lake (49°51′15″ N , 84°20′43″ W )
Rainbow Trout
open all year · S-5 and C-2
- Swallow Lake (49°55′14″ N , 84°08′11″ W )
Bait restrictions
- FMZ 3 is part of the Northeast Bait Management Zone ( BMZ ). Live or dead baitfish or leeches may not be transported into or out of a BMZ . These rules do not apply to baitfish and leeches which are both dead and preserved. Refer to bait for more details.
Fish sanctuaries
No fishing - from April 1 to June 15
- French Creek - Hanlan Township, from its outflow at French Lake to the area between Hanlan and Wolverine lakes from Lot 13, Concession 10 to Lot 16, Concession 11 (known locally as Hanlan Narrows) and Ryland Creek from its outflow at French Lake to its intersection with the Concession 7 road
- Fushimi Lake, Valentine River and Hanlan Lake – The embayment of Fushimi Lake northeast of the narrows (49°49'44" N , 83°52'20" W ), the Valentine River, and the northwest embayment of Hanlan Lake at the mouth of the Valentine River (49°50'39" N , 83°49'49" W )
- Holland Lake and Holland Creek - Stoddart Township
- Pivabiska River - lying between its outflow from Pivabiska Lake in Lot 28, Concession 12 (Casgrain Township) downstream to the point where it intersects 49°52′ N (Ritchie Township)
- Sainte Therese Creek - from its mouth at Lac Sainte Therese upstream to the point where it crosses the south boundary of Lot 26, Concession 7 (Casgrain Township) and the unnamed tributary lying between Sainte Therese Creek and Highway 583 in Lots 25 and 26, Concession 8
- Stoddart Creek - Stoddart Township, between Stoddart Lake and the Valentine River
- Valentine River - from Wolverine Lake to Pivabiska Lake