Anglers who have obtained a copy of the 2019 Fishing Ontario, Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary are advised to use it with caution. A number of errors have been found in the recently released document.
The new summary was completely redesigned for 2019 as part of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), with considerably larger text and more subheadings. As in previous summaries, bold red text highlights new regulations and information.
Unfortunately, some errors have been found in this transition to a new format. There a couple of errors we are aware of at this time, but there may be more.
One of the confirmed errors is in the FMZ 19 section, on page 135 of the regulations. Under general information, Atlantic salmon is listed as not present and closed all year. However in seasons and limits section on the same page it is listed as open all year with a sport limit of 1.
Another area of concern is on page 129, in the FMZ 17 section, under Fish Sanctuaries. The “no fishing” dates of most of the sanctuaries do not match the 2018 summary and yet are not marked as new or changed.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) is aware of the issue and is working on correcting the online version of the regulations as soon as possible. The MNRF is also planning to post an online summary of known errors.
This article will be updated as new information becomes available, so please check back frequently.
In the interim, anglers are encouraged to use the comment section below to share any possible errors they have found in the 2019 regulations, being sure to include the appropriate FMZ.
On page 13 of 2019 fishing Regs where it lists provincial possession limits, it says 10 perch. They forgot a zero.
Are the smaller limits for perch and bluegill accurately published
Zone 10 map has 0naping Lake labelled incorrect. Owner of Onaping Lake Lodge is not happy!
Another error in the 2019 fishing regulations is the provincial possession limit for Yellow Perch. This limit states 10 but should be 100.
Do seniors ,when fishing m need to have an outdoor card as ststed in the new regulations ?
Hi Ralph,
Could you please tell us where you are reading this? The bottom right hand side of page 6 in the regulations addresses deemed licences, including those for seniors. Thank you!
Good grief – let’s get things right BEFORE posting the new regulations next time.
Zone 17 – Sunfish Limits S:300, C:15 must be a typo. Either 300 is way too many or 15 is way too low.
Hi , I am a subscriber but unable thru my PC or my ipad to access fully the comment section in “Errors in 2019 Ontario fishing regs” found in NEWS.
The second reply by Ontario Out of Doors dated January 18, 2019 at 9:28 am concerning deemed licences including those for seniors is not available. This issue concerning deemed licences and seniors has caused A LOT OF UNNECESSARY ANXIETY in my neck of the woods and we would appreciate CLARIFACATION !!
Would it be possible for a responsible officer within Ontario Out of Doors to reply by return email? Thank you
Hi Jim,
Some good news: you are successfully posting to the comment section. The matter of deemed licences is pretty straightforward. Here’s a copy/paste from the government’s website (and its in print regs summary too):
“If you are under 18 years old or 65 and older you do not need to purchase an Outdoors Card or licence to fish. You will need to carry your government-issued identification with you, that includes your name and date of birth, at all times while fishing. Your identification acts as your licence to fish, if you belong to one of these age ranges.”
There is more info available about fishing licences here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/fishing-licence-canadian-residents
Lastly, OOD is just a magazine, without any official authority. We’re happy to point you in the right direction where we can though. Hope this helps.
Hi I was wondering what category of the fishing license ,is relevant to seniors (65yrs.) sportsman or conservation?
Hi, as we read it, page 6 of the 2019 Fishing Ontario regs summary states under Deemed Licences, “Catch and possession limits for a Sport Fishing Licence apply in these situations.”
Fmz 16 has no listed season or listing for walleye
I believe you will find walleye and sauger on page 118.
Yellow perch too.
The fish identification pages have been removed in the new regs. A basic one is provided by lucky strike company in an advertisement pn page 142. But lacks several fish species encountered. The identification between lake herring and whitefish was also beneficial.
I fish in the saint Mary’s water way east of the soo locks and I think it’s in zone 14 but 14and 9 both say they are west of the locks
All I’m looking for is the book about regulations. Please & thank you! Let me know where I could pick one up.
Dirk, printed copies are in short supply, as several years ago the MNRF reduced the number of regs it prints. We suggest trying stores that sell licences. You could also call 1-800-387-7011 to ask about print availability or you could go online to read the regs at https://www.ontario.ca/document/ontario-fishing-regulations-summary or https://www.ontario.ca/document/ontario-hunting-regulations-summary.