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    Southwestern OntarioFMZ 19

    Belle River – Lake St. Clair

    Belle River public boat launch, Lakeshore, ON

    Marker
    Leaflet © OpenStreetMap
    Seasonal availabilityDirections Official FMZ 19 rules

    About this water

    A convenient Lake St. Clair access point with a productive spring walleye run right at the river mouth.

    River mouth into Lake St. Clair — moving water near the mouth, calmer and weedier upstream. FMZ 19.

    WalleyeSmallmouth BassYellow PerchBluegill

    FMZ 19 regulations — Lake Erie

    The Canadian waters of Lake Erie — the shallowest and most productive Great Lake — together with Lake St. Clair and the Detroit, St. Clair and Upper Niagara Rivers. It is not the Lake Ontario zone.

    • Walleye: open all year on Erie; S-4/C-2 – 46 cm min (varies by area, check).
    • Yellow perch: open all year; S-50/C-25 (Erie).
    • Muskie (St. Clair): 3rd Sat in June – Dec 15; 137 cm min, S-1/C-0.
    • Smallmouth bass: last Sat in June – Dec 15 on Erie; S-6/C-2.

    Zone check: FMZ 19 set by review — Great Lakes water body: access point on Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair or a connecting channel. 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 19 page before your trip.

    Seasonal availability

    Open-season windows for the species found at Belle River – Lake St. Clair, taken from the FMZ 19 regulation summary. Green months are within a published open season — they are not a prediction of how well fish will bite.

    Best months to plan a tripany listed species open
    WalleyeOpen all year
    • S-4/C-2 – 46 cm min (varies by area, check).
    Yellow perchOpen all year
    Smallmouth basslast Sat in June – Dec 15 on Erie

    No FMZ 19 season line published in our summary for: Bluegill. Check the official page before keeping these species.

    Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 19 page before your trip.

    Fishing tips

    • Erie perch stack tight to structure — bottom rigs with emerald shiners produce.
    • St. Clair muskie sight-fishing shines in the shallow south basin all summer.
    • The spring run is short and weather-dependent — fish the first warm rain of the season for the best action at the mouth.
    • Access: Free or low-cost municipal lot.

    Solunar Calendar— Belle River – Lake St. Clair

    🌔

    Waxing Gibbous

    93% illuminated · Age 12.2d

    Solunar rating93/100

    🌔 Tue, Aug 25

    93% · Rating 93
    minor8:55 PM – 9:55 PM
    major2:25 AM – 4:25 AM
    minor8:55 AM – 9:55 AM
    major2:25 PM – 4:25 PM

    🌔 Wed, Aug 26

    97% · Rating 98
    minor9:40 PM – 10:40 PM
    major3:10 AM – 5:10 AM
    minor9:40 AM – 10:40 AM
    major3:10 PM – 5:10 PM

    🌕 Thu, Aug 27

    100% · Rating 100
    minor10:23 PM – 11:23 PM
    major3:53 AM – 5:53 AM
    minor10:23 AM – 11:23 AM
    major3:53 PM – 5:53 PM

    Major windows (~2 h) cluster around moon transit and antitransit; minor windows (~1 h) around moonrise and moonset. Local approximations — verify against a printed almanac for planning.

    Gear setup

    Setup:
    Medium spinning for walleye and panfish
    Rod:
    6'6" medium spinning rod
    Reel:
    Size 2500 spinning reel
    Line:
    10 lb braid with 8 lb fluorocarbon leader
    Best bait:
    Minnows, Worms
    Best lures:
    Jig & minnow, Small crankbait, Blade bait
    Directions

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