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    Southern OntarioFMZ 20

    Cootes Paradise – Princess Point, Hamilton

    Princess Point, 200 Longwood Rd S, Hamilton, ON (Royal Botanical Gardens area)

    Marker
    Leaflet © OpenStreetMap
    Seasonal availabilityDirections Official FMZ 20 rules

    About this water

    A restored marsh with a rebounding walleye population, huge carp, and easy calm-water access for canoes and kayaks.

    Shallow, marshy wetland at the west end of Hamilton Harbour. Muddy launch points and calm water. FMZ 20.

    CarpWalleyeLargemouth BassPanfish

    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 Cootes Paradise – Princess Point, Hamilton, 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.

    Best months to plan a tripany listed species open
    Walleye (Bay of Quinte)3rd Sat in May – Feb 15
    Smallmouth basslast Sat in June – Nov 30

    No FMZ 20 season line published in our summary for: Carp, Panfish. 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.
    • Carp are the main draw — a simple hair rig with corn on the bottom near the shoreline reeds will get you into fish quickly.
    • Access: Free lot at Princess Point, with additional parking off Olympic Dr.

    Solunar Calendar— Cootes Paradise – Princess Point, Hamilton

    🌔

    Waxing Gibbous

    93% illuminated · Age 12.2d

    Solunar rating93/100

    🌔 Tue, Aug 25

    93% · Rating 93
    minor8:44 PM – 9:44 PM
    major2:14 AM – 4:14 AM
    minor8:44 AM – 9:44 AM
    major2:14 PM – 4:14 PM

    🌔 Wed, Aug 26

    97% · Rating 98
    minor9:29 PM – 10:29 PM
    major2:59 AM – 4:59 AM
    minor9:29 AM – 10:29 AM
    major2:59 PM – 4:59 PM

    🌕 Thu, Aug 27

    100% · Rating 100
    minor10:12 PM – 11:12 PM
    major3:42 AM – 5:42 AM
    minor10:12 AM – 11:12 AM
    major3:42 PM – 5:42 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; heavy gear for carp
    Rod:
    7' medium spinning rod
    Reel:
    Size 3000 spinning reel
    Line:
    12 lb braid
    Best bait:
    Sweet corn, Boilies, Worms
    Best lures:
    Ned rig, Chatterbait, Small swimbait, Slip-bobber jig
    Directions

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