Fisheries Management Zone 5 (FMZ 5)
Information about fishing and how fish resources are managed in Fisheries Management Zone 5 (Northwest Region: Fort Frances, Kenora and Dryden).
News and updates
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has completed the final fisheries management plan for FMZ 5.
Fishing rules
You can:
- find specific rules for fishing in FMZ 5
- use the Fish on-Line mapping tool
- find a complete set of fishing rules in the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary
About this zone
FMZ 5 is located in northwest Ontario. This zone has:
- an area of 44,360 square kilometres of which over 90% is Crown land
- 5,000 lakes and thousands of kilometres of streams and rivers
- deep, clear lakes
- important recreational, commercial and tourism-based fisheries
- prominent fisheries for walleye, lake trout, northern pike, smallmouth bass, black crappie, lake whitefish and muskellunge
- many large popular waterbodies: Rainy Lake, Rainy River, Lake of the Woods, Shoal Lake, Eagle Lake, Wabigoon Lake, Dinorwic Lake and the Winnipeg River system
FMZ 5 is one of 20 fisheries management zones in the province.
Location
![Zone 5 is located in northwestern Ontario and includes the cities of Fort Frances, Kenora, Dryden, Atikokan and Ignace.](http://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20210929114749im_/https://files.ontario.ca/2019-fmz-5-map.jpg)
View Fisheries Management Zone 5 map using Fish on-Line or a PDF.
FMZ 5:
- stretches west to the Manitoba border
- borders Quetico Provincial Park on the east
- ends to the south at the Minnesota border
- reaches north to Highway 17 and the Canadian National Railway
- cities include Fort Frances, Kenora, Dryden, Atikokan and Ignace, as well as many smaller communities, including 23 First Nations communities
Legal boundary map and detail maps
- Legal boundary map for FMZ 5 and detail maps 1 - 7 (PDF)
- Northwestern Ontario – United States border waters and detail maps 1 - 7 (PDF)
Monitoring reports and management plans
- Final fisheries management plan for FMZ 5
- Background information for the development of a fisheries management plan in FMZ 5
Zone advisory council
The FMZ 5 council provides advice during the development of fisheries objectives and strategies.
Council members represent a broad range of views including:
- angling groups
- scientists and researchers
- conservation groups
- interested community members
The advisory council participates in fisheries management by:
- sharing ideas and expertise with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
- helping to develop and implement management strategies
- communicating with the local and angling community
For more information about the Fisheries Management Zone 5 advisory council, please contact Steve Bobrowicz.