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    Eastern OntarioFMZ 12

    Britannia Bay – Ottawa River

    Britannia Beach launch, 2805 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON

    Marker
    Leaflet © OpenStreetMap
    Seasonal availabilityDirections Official FMZ 12 rules

    About this water

    Ottawa's best-known urban muskie water — big-river current, rock, and rapids inside the city limits.

    Open river bay with current and rapids just north of the swimming area. Wade with caution. FMZ 12.

    MuskellungeSmallmouth BassWalleyeNorthern PikeChannel CatfishYellow Perch

    FMZ 12 regulations — Ottawa River & Lake Temiskaming

    A long, narrow zone along the Ontario–Quebec border. It includes the Ontario portions of Lake Temiskaming and the Ottawa River, plus the Madawaska and Mississippi Rivers upstream to the first dam. It is not a Georgian Bay zone.

    • Walleye: 3rd Sat in May – March 1; S-4/C-2.
    • Northern pike: open all year; S-6/C-2 (one over 86 cm).
    • Lake trout: Jan 1 – Sept 30; S-2/C-1.

    Zone check: FMZ 12 set by review — Ottawa River water is managed as FMZ 12; the access pin sits in adjacent FMZ 18. Reviewed 2026-08-21.

    Summary only — always confirm current seasons and limits on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 12 page before your trip.

    Seasonal availability

    Open-season windows for the species found at Britannia Bay – Ottawa River, taken from the FMZ 12 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
    Walleye3rd Sat in May – March 1
    Northern pikeOpen all year

    No FMZ 12 season line published in our summary for: Muskellunge, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Yellow Perch. Check the official page before keeping these species.

    Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 12 page before your trip.

    Fishing tips

    • Timiskaming's big-water walleye respond to trolled spinner rigs on wind-blown points.
    • Massive shoreline drops — use quality electronics.
    • The current below the rapids is dangerous — fish from the bay side or from a boat with a reliable motor.
    • Access: Free municipal lot at the beach.

    Solunar Calendar— Britannia Bay – Ottawa River

    🌔

    Waxing Gibbous

    93% illuminated · Age 12.2d

    Solunar rating93/100

    🌔 Tue, Aug 25

    93% · Rating 93
    minor8:28 PM – 9:28 PM
    major1:58 AM – 3:58 AM
    minor8:28 AM – 9:28 AM
    major1:58 PM – 3:58 PM

    🌔 Wed, Aug 26

    97% · Rating 98
    minor9:13 PM – 10:13 PM
    major2:43 AM – 4:43 AM
    minor9:13 AM – 10:13 AM
    major2:43 PM – 4:43 PM

    🌕 Thu, Aug 27

    100% · Rating 100
    minor9:56 PM – 10:56 PM
    major3:26 AM – 5:26 AM
    minor9:56 AM – 10:56 AM
    major3:26 PM – 5:26 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:
    Heavy casting for muskie; medium spinning for bass
    Rod:
    8' heavy casting rod / 7' medium spinning
    Reel:
    Size 300 baitcaster / size 3000 spinning
    Line:
    65 lb braid with 100 lb fluorocarbon leader (muskie)
    Best bait:
    Large suckers, Minnows, Crayfish
    Best lures:
    Bucktails, Glide baits, Tube jigs, Blade baits
    Directions

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