Fisheries Management Zone 17

General information

• See general fishing regulations for more information on how to use this summary.
• There are several Great Lakes tributaries that have aligned regulations for rainbow trout, brown trout, Pacific salmon and Atlantic salmon - see species exceptions.
• The following waterbodies, or portions of them, have different regulations that are listed in the waterbody exceptions:
  • Lake Scugog
  • Trent River
• The following species are not present in this Zone and are closed to fishing all year:
  • splake

Zone-wide seasons and limits

Zone-wide seasons and limits apply to all waters in the Zone except for the specific waters and species listed in the species exceptions, waterbody exceptions and fish sanctuaries.

Species exceptions

Atlantic salmon, brown trout, Pacific salmon and rainbow trout

Additional fishing opportunities

Season: open all year

Limits: Zone-wide limits apply

• Cobourg Brook (Cobourg Creek or Factory Creek) - between the southerly limit of the C.N.R. right-of-way and Lake Ontario
• Gages Creek - between the southerly limit of the C.N.R. right-of-way and Lake Ontario
• Ganaraska River - between the southerly limit of the C.N.R. right-of-way and Lake Ontario
• Regional Municipality of Durham - all waters lying between the southerly limit of the C.N.R. right-of-way and Lake Ontario

Season: open from fourth Saturday in April to December 31 (extended fall season)

Limits: Zone-wide limits apply

• Northumberland County - all waters downstream of Highway 2, except the Ganaraska River which may only be fished downstream of the south side of the C.P.R. bridge
• Regional Municipality of Durham - all waters between Highway 2 and the southerly limit of the C.N.R. right-of-way

Walleye

Season: January 1 to March 1 and second Saturday in May to December 31

Limits: Zone-wide limits apply

• Crowe Lake (44°29′00″N., 77°44′00″W.) - Marmora Township, and the waters of the Crowe River (Marmora and Rawdon Townships)

Season: Zone-wide seasons apply

Limits: S-3 and C-1; none between 37-55 cm

• Balsam Lake (44°34′54″N., 78°51′10″W.) - Bexley Township, including the waters of the Gull River upstream to the dam at Coboconk, the waters of the Rosedale River between the Trent dam at Rosedale upstream to Balsam Lake, the waters of the Trent Canal between the upstream lock at Rosedale upstream to its junction with the Rosedale River and the waters of the Trent Canal between Balsam Lake and Mitchell Lake
• Mitchell Lake (44°34′46″N., 78°56′54″W.) - Eldon Township, including the waters of the Trent Canal between Mitchell Lake and Balsam Lake, and the waters of the Trent Canal between Mitchell Lake and lock number 36 at Kirkfield

Waterbody exceptions

Lake Scugog and Scugog River - All waters of Lake Scugog and Scugog River - including waters south of Highway 7A, Blackstock Creek, Nonquon River, as well as the Scugog River to the Trent Severn Dam in Lindsay, Mariposa Brook and East Cross Creek

• Walleye - closed all year

Lake Scugog - Scugog Township, 100 metres on both sides of Highway 7A (causeways)

• Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday before second Saturday in May and November 16 to December 31

Scugog River - Lindsay in Ops Township, from Trent-Severn Dam to Ops-Fenelon Boundary

• Fish sanctuary - no fishing from January 1 to Friday after second Saturday in May and November 16 to December 31

Trent River

• Fish sanctuary - No fishing from January 1 to Friday after second Saturday in May and November 16 to December 31 in the following areas:
  • Healey Falls - Seymour Township, all water flowing from the north-westerly side of the bridge on County Road 50 to Crowe Bay
  • Village of Hastings, 500 m upstream of the dam and 1 km downstream of the dam

Trent River - waters from the first dam (Number One) above Lake Ontario upstream to Lock Number 9 (Myers Lock) at the head of Percy Reach

• Walleye - open from January 1 to March 1 and second Saturday in May to December 31

Fish sanctuaries

No fishing - closed all year

• Cobourg Brook - Town of Cobourg, from the downstream side of the lamprey barrier downstream to the south side of the King Street Bridge
• Ganaraska River - Town of Port Hope, from Highway 401 downstream to the south side of the Jocelyn Street Bridge

No fishing - January 1 to Friday before the second Saturday in May and November 16 to December 31

• Chemong Lake - Smith and Ennismore Townships, 100 m on both sides of causeway (Bridgenorth Causeway) on County Road 16
• Crowe River - from the Marmora Dam downstream to the north side of the Highway 7 bridge
• Gannon’s Narrows - Harvey and Ennismore Townships, within 100 m of both sides of the causeway on County Road 16
• Lake Scugog - see waterbody exceptions

No fishing - January 1 to Friday after the second Saturday in May and November 16 to December 31