Fisheries Info
Regulation Info
Catch and possession limits are set to:
protect fish populations against overfishing
give all anglers a fair share of the fisheries resources
Catch limit
The number of fish you can catch and keep in a day. It includes:
fish you don’t release right away
fish you eat
fish you give away
Your daily catch limit counts towards your possession limit.
Possession limit
The total number of a species of fish that you can have in your possession at any time. It includes fish caught today and in the past, whether they are:
freshly landed
in your car or boat
in your cooler
at home in your fridge or freezer
Your possession limit does not include fish you have:
eaten
given away
Unless stated otherwise in the fishing regulations summary, the catch limit and the possession limit are the same.
How to read the limits
S-4; none between 70-90 cm (27.6-35.4 in.) not more than 1 greater than 90 cm (35.4 in.)
for anglers with a sport fishing licence
catch and possession limit of 4
only 1 fish can be longer than 90 cm
immediately release any fish you catch between 70-90 cm long
C-1; any size
for anglers with a conservation licence
catch and possession limit of 1
no size restriction
If the limit is 0, you may only practise catch and release. (You must immediately release any of this species back into the water without harming the fish.)
Size restrictions
Restrictions on the size of fish that you can keep. They cover only the named species. Size restrictions may identify:
fish longer or shorter than a specified length
fish between or outside specified lengths (known as slot size)
Fisheries managers set size limits to:
protect fish until they reach spawning size
protect prime spawning size fish
improve the size of fish in fish populations
How to measure a fish
To find the length of a fish:
measure from the tip of the mouth with the jaws closed to the tip of the tail
compress the tail fin lobes to give the maximum possible length
Releasing fish
You need to release any fish you don’t want to eat or take home. You can only release fish that will survive. It is against the law to allow fish suitable for food to spoil.
If you catch a fish after you have already reached your daily catch or possession limit for that species, you must release it immediately. Any fish you do not release become part of your daily catch limit.
When you must release a fish
Some fish must be immediately released in the manner that causes the least harm to the fish. These include:
fish caught during a closed season
fish that exceed your limit
fish that are restricted in size
protected species
fish hooked anywhere other than the mouth
Culling and livewells
Culling means swapping a fish you’ve already caught for a different one to maximize the size of your catch or to selectively harvest fish of a certain size.
In most cases, fish you do not release immediately become part of your daily catch limit.
Under certain conditions for certain species, anglers can cull (selectively hold and release) more fish than their daily limit:
The fish must be held in a livewell, a tank used to keep fish alive. The livewell must meet these conditions:
attached to or part of the boat
holds at least 46 litres (10 gallons) of water
capacity for water exchange
mechanically aerates the water whenever it holds live fish
drained before leaving the water body
Culling is only allowed with these species:
walleye
northern pike
largemouth and smallmouth bass
You may catch, hold in a livewell and release more than your daily limit for these species as long as:
none of the fish exceed the size limits
you never exceed your daily limit of northern pike or walleye, or 6 smallmouth and largemouth bass (in any combination), at one time
any fish you release are likely to survive
Example: You are holding your daily catch limit of 6 bass in the livewell of your boat. You continue fishing, and catch a bass larger than 1 of the 6 you are holding in the livewell. You safely release the smaller fish, and put the larger bass in the livewell.