Bay of Quinte – Trenton

About this water

The western end of the Bay of Quinte, where the Trent River pours in — quieter than Belleville and loaded with shoreline cover.

River-mouth water with submerged vegetation and wind-blown shorelines. Good largemouth and pike cover around docks and overhanging trees. FMZ 20.

FMZ 20 regulations — Lake Ontario & St. Lawrence River

The Canadian waters of Lake Ontario, the Bay of Quinte, the Niagara River below Niagara Falls (the Lower Niagara), Hamilton Harbour and the St. Lawrence River. Deep cold water supports a world-class salmon and trout fishery, while eastern Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence hold warm- and cool-water species.

• Chinook / coho salmon: open all year in the lake; tributaries have sanctuaries.
• Rainbow trout (steelhead): Apr 1 – Sept 30 & 4th Sat Nov – Mar 31 in tributaries.
• Walleye (Bay of Quinte): 3rd Sat in May – Feb 15; S-2/C-1 – 46 cm min.
• Smallmouth bass: last Sat in June – Nov 30; S-6/C-2.

Zone check: FMZ 20 set by review — Great Lakes water body: shore, harbour, river-mouth or connecting-channel access on Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River or the Niagara River below the falls. Coordinate falls on the land side of the mapped boundary, so the zone is set from the water actually fished. Reviewed 2026-08-12.

Summary only — always confirm current seasons and limits on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 20 page before your trip.

Seasonal availability

Open-season windows for the species found at Bay of Quinte – Trenton, taken from the FMZ 20 regulation summary. Green months are within a published open season — they are not a prediction of how well fish will bite.

No FMZ 20 season line published in our summary for: Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Black Crappie. Check the official page before keeping these species.

Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 20 page before your trip.

Fishing tips

• Bay of Quinte trophy walleye trolling peaks Oct–Dec on shallow flats after dark.
• Toronto Harbour offers year-round shore fishing — pike, bass, salmon all available.
• Skip docks along the river mouth for largemouth, then swing out to the weed edge for pike as the sun climbs.
• Access: Free lot at Centennial Park; Kiwanis Riverside Park launch is just upstream.

Gear setup

Setup:

Medium-heavy casting around cover

Rod:

7' medium-heavy casting rod

Reel:

Size 200 baitcaster

Line:

30 lb braid

Best bait:

Minnows, Worms

Best lures:

Texas rigs, Spinnerbaits, Jerkbaits, Swim jigs