by Steve Galea | October 18, 2022
Public consultation is now sought for a proposal that may change fishing regulations in Fisheries Management Zone (FMZ) 15.
A 171-page Fisheries Management Plan posted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) to the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO) on Sept. 29 is open for review and comment until 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 28.
The document outlines strategy, possible management actions, and proposes regulations for cold, cool, and warmwater fish species in the region, with the focus on protecting the zone’s natural lake and brook trout populations.
Protecting natural brookies
The plan proposes conservation sport fishing regulations in waters in FMZ 15 that hold natural populations of brook trout. The proposed zone-wide changes include:
- Changing the season in those waters to the fourth Saturday in April to September 30, which eliminates winter fishing.
- Daily limits of two with a Sport Fishing Licence and one with a Conservation Fishing Licence.
- A prohibition on the use and possession of live bait in designated prime brook trout waters.
- A prohibition of the use of live fish as bait on high-value and high-risk natural trout waters and waters that flow into Algonquin Park.
“The elimination of winter fishing zone-wide will protect populations at the time that they are most vulnerable to exploitation and the lower catch limit will reduce open water harvest,” the draft states. “The intent is that by maximizing the quality of the open water fishery, it may reduce the risk of intentional introductions of other sport fish species that compete with brook trout.”
Year-round brookies
Year-round brook trout fishing opportunities will still exist in stocked lakes via exceptions in the regulations. These lakes will have daily limits of five with a sport licence and two with a conservation licence and will also be stocked with genetically appropriate strains of brook trout to divert pressure from lakes where brook trout reproduce naturally.
Protecting natural lakers
The plan also proposes management changes for lake trout, calling it the “keystone species” of FMZ 15 — one of three areas in the province with a high concentration of lakes that support native lake trout populations.
Among the zone-wide proposed changes:
Small, natural lake trout lakes under 500 hectares will be designated as small- or large-bodied lakes, depending on the size of fish within them.
- They will have minimum size limits of 40 and 50 cm, respectively.
- The new season for either category will be from the third Saturday in May to Labour Day, which eliminates winter fishing in these lakes.
- Daily catch limits of two for a sport licence and one for a conservation licence.
Large, natural lake trout lakes over 500 hectares will be designated as small- and large-bodied lakes, depending on the size of fish within them.
- They will have minimum size limits of 40 and 50 cm, respectively.
- Their winter seasons will be shortened opening on the Saturday before Family Day to the third Sunday in March and third Saturday in May to Labour Day.
- Only one line may be used through the ice on these lakes.
Year-round lake trout opportunities
Exceptions in the regulations will provide stocked lake trout lakes that will be open year-round. They will have:
- Daily catch limits of two for a sport licence and one for a conservation licence.
- No minimum size limit.
- Two lines permitted for ice fishing.
Other fish
Proposed changes on other species include:
- Reducing daily limits for whitefish to four with a sport licence and two with a conservation licence.
- Closing the dip-netting seasons for herring and whitefish in the 18 waterbodies in the FMZ where it exists.
- Bass seasons to begin a week earlier in the third Saturday of June and extend to December 15.
- A walleye harvestable slot size of 40-50 cm, with some exceptions.
- In the eastern portion of the WMU, a few water bodies will maintain a 50 cm minimum walleye size limit.
- Lake Muskoka will have a 40 to 55 cm harvestable slot size limit.
- Put/grow/take walleye stocking will no longer occur in FMZ 15.
- Rainbow trout, brown trout, or splake will not be stocked into lakes managed as natural lake trout or brook trout populations.
- Splake stocking will be considered on a put, grow, take basis in specific waterbodies to divert effort from natural brook and lake trout lakes.
The ministry developed the draft plan in consultation with the FMZ 15 Advisory Council, comprised of First Nation and Métis communities, local anglers, the tourism sector, environmental non-government organizations, local business representatives, cottage associations, and the general public.
FMZ 15 stretches from Georgian Bay to the Ottawa River and includes Parry Sound, Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Huntsville, Minden, Haliburton, Whitney, Bancroft, Deep River, Petawawa, and Pembroke.
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