Fishing Regulations

• Sustainable Fishing Practices at CVC Parks
• Fishing Regulations in the Credit River Watershed
• Enforcement and Reporting

Sustainable Fishing Practices at CVC Parks

Credit Valley Parks offer three different fishing opportunities for the beginner to advanced angler. Take your fly rod to the river, hook a trout in a stocked pond or head out on the water to land a perch, crappie, largemouth bass or pike. Please follow our sustainable fishing practice guidelines.

Voluntary Harvest Limits

We encourage you to follow the Voluntary Harvest Limits posted at our parks as a fisheries management technique. This will help ensure a sustainable healthy fishery for all to enjoy.

Island Lake Conservation Area

Species	Open Season (during hours of operation and boat access only)	Voluntary Harvest Limits
Largemouth bass	Fourth Saturday in June to November 30	Catch and release
Pan fish (including black crappie, yellow perch, sunfish)	Open all year	Total catch of all panfish species in any combination: 25 with a sport licence, 10 with a conservation licence

Ken Whillans Conservation Area

Species	Open Season (during hours of operation)	Voluntary Harvest Limits
Largemouth bass	Fourth Saturday in June to November 30	Catch and release
Trout	Fourth Saturday in April to September 30	Catch and release exception for ages under 17 and over 64: 2 with a sport licence, 1 with a conservation licence Conservation: 1

Live Bait Ban

No outside baitfish are permitted at CVC parks except baitfish purchased at the Island Lake shop.

Worms, where Ontario Fishing Regulations allow, are permitted as bait at Island Lake Conservation Area and Ken Whillans Conservation Area. Worms are not allowed when fishing the streams at Ken Whillans. CVC does not allow the use of or harvesting of baitfish, frogs, leeches or crayfish in our parks. These regulations protect our valued fisheries resources and protects against disease transfer and the introduction of invasive species.

Garbage Disposal

Pick up your garbage and take home or dispose it properly. Please dispose of your used line in our line recycling stations at our parks.

Avoid Lead Tackle

Use alternatives to lead tackle. Tin and bismuth are good substitutes for sinkers and jigs purchase instead of lead. Lead is poisonous to fish, shorebirds such as gulls and loons, and waterfowl.

Fishing Regulations in the Credit River Watershed

The Province sets rules that anglers must follow when visiting Credit Valley Parks. Refer to seasons and regulations for Fisheries Management Zone 16 at ontario.ca/fishing.

Catch and Possession Limits

The catch limit is the number of fish you are allowed to catch and keep in one day. The possession limit is the number you are allowed to have in your possession:

• On hand, or
• In cold storage, or
• In transit

The possession limit is the same as one day’s catch limit.

• If you catch a fish and it is eaten the same day, that fish counts towards your daily catch limit.
• If you have a Sport Fishing Licence that entitles you to possess six Northern pike, and you have two in the freezer at home, you can only catch and keep 4 additional pike.

Fishing Licence

You most likely need a fishing licence to fish in our waters.

• Most residents of Canada will need a fishing licence.
• All non-residents between 18 and 65 will need a fishing licence.

Those who qualify to fish without a licence:

• May fish with the same catch and possession limits as holders of a Sport Fishing Licence
• Must abide by the same regulations and have the same responsibilities as those who have purchased a licence.

Fisheries Management Zone 16 (Credit River) and Zone 20 (Lake Ontario) Seasons and Limits

Species	Credit River Open Season	Credit River Limit	Lake Ontario Open Season	Lake Ontario Limit
Large and/or smallmouth bass	Fourth Saturday in June to November 30	6 with a sports licence, 2 with a conservation licence	Third Saturday in June to December 15	0 with a sports fishing license, 0 with a conservation license
Northern pike	Second Saturday in May to March 31	6 with a sports licence, 2 with a conservation licence	First Saturday in May to March 31	6 with a sports licence, 2 with a conservation licence
Brook trout*	Fourth Saturday in April to September 30	5 with a sports licence, 2 with a conservation licence	Not present but closed all year
Rainbow trout*	Fourth Saturday in April to September 30	2 with a sports licence, 1 with a conservation licence	Open all year	2 with a sports licence, 1 with a conservation licence
Brown trout*	Fourth Saturday in April to September 30	5 with a sports licence, 2 with a conservation licence	Open all year	5 with a sports licence, 2 with a conservation licence
Lake trout*	January 1 to September 30	2 with a sports licence, 1 with a conservation licence	December 1 to September 30	3 with a sports licence, 1 with a conservation licence
Pacific salmon (chinook, coho and pink)*	Fourth Saturday in April to September 30	5 with a sports licence, 2 with a conservation licence	Open all year	5 with a sports licence, 2 with a conservation licence
Atlantic salmon*	Fourth Saturday in April to September 30	0 with a sports licence, 0 with a conservation licence	Open all year	1 > 63 cm (24.8”) with a sports licence, 0 with a conservation licence
Yellow perch	Open all year	50 with a sports licence, 25 with a conservation licence	Open all year	50 with a sports licence, 25 with a conservation licence
Crappie	Open all year	30 with a sports licence, 10 with a conservation licence	Open all year	30 with a sports licence, 10 with a conservation licence
Sunfish	Open all year	50 with a sports licence, 25 with a conservation licence	Open all year	100 with a sports licence, 50 with a conservation licence
Channel catfish	Open all year	12 with a sports licence, 6 with a conservation licence	Open all year	12 with a sports licence, 6 with a conservation licence

Please note, when closed fishing seasons are in effect, anglers cannot practice catch and release.

There are regulation exceptions to provide anglers with additional opportunities or to protect fish during sensitive times of the year such as spawning periods.

For the full Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary and most up to date information go to the province’s website.

Enforcement and Reporting

We rely on the help of many to be able to take appropriate action to protect the watershed.

For potential resource violations

Please call 1-877-TIPS-MNR (1-877-847-7667)

For spills or fish kills

Please call Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks or the Spills Action Centre at 416-325-3000, 1-800-268-6060 (toll free) or 1-855-889-5775 (TTY).

For sightings of invasive species

Please call the Invading Species Hotline at 1-800-563-7711, or on the web at: invadingspecies.com or eddmaps.org/ontario