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    Southern OntarioFMZ 16

    Credit River – Belfountain Conservation Area

    Belfountain Conservation Area, Credit Valley Conservation, Belfountain, ON (Caledon)

    Marker
    Leaflet © OpenStreetMap
    Seasonal availabilityDirections Official FMZ 16 rules

    About this water

    Classic escarpment headwater trout water in the upper Credit — small, technical, and best fished with light gear or a short fly rod.

    Cold, clear Niagara Escarpment headwater stream. Brook trout above the dam, brown trout below. FMZ 16.

    Brook TroutBrown Trout

    FMZ 16 regulations — Southwestern Ontario & Lake Simcoe

    The most southerly inland zone in the province. It includes all of southwestern Ontario, is predominantly made up of large river systems, and includes Lakes Simcoe and Couchiching. It has the largest urban population of any fisheries management zone. The Great Lakes themselves are separate zones (13, 14, 19 and 20).

    • Lake Simcoe lake trout: Jan 1 – Sept 30; S-2/C-1 (one over 45 cm).
    • Lake Simcoe whitefish: Dec 1 – Mar 15; S-2/C-1.
    • Smallmouth bass: 4th Saturday in June – Nov 30; S-4/C-2.
    • Rainbow trout (tributaries): Apr 1 – Sept 30 & 4th Sat Nov – Mar 31; check specific rivers.

    Zone check: FMZ 16 confirmed from this water's coordinates against the official Ontario zone boundaries (reviewed 2026-08-12).

    Summary only — always confirm current seasons and limits on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 16 page before your trip.

    Seasonal availability

    Open-season windows for the species found at Credit River – Belfountain Conservation Area, taken from the FMZ 16 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
    Lake Simcoe lake troutJan 1 – Sept 30
    Rainbow trout (tributaries)Apr 1 – Sept 30 & 4th Sat Nov – Mar 31
    • check specific rivers.

    Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 16 page before your trip.

    Fishing tips

    • Simcoe ice fishing is world-class — perch on shallow flats, lakers on deep rock piles.
    • Grand River smallmouth respond to tube jigs in current seams.
    • Approach from downstream and stay low — the water is gin clear and these fish spook easily. Barbless hooks strongly recommended.
    • Access: Paid on-site parking; entry by reservation with limited spots — book a vehicle permit in advance.

    Solunar Calendar— Credit River – Belfountain Conservation Area

    🌔

    Waxing Gibbous

    93% illuminated · Age 12.2d

    Solunar rating93/100

    🌔 Tue, Aug 25

    93% · Rating 93
    minor8:45 PM – 9:45 PM
    major2:15 AM – 4:15 AM
    minor8:45 AM – 9:45 AM
    major2:15 PM – 4:15 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
    minor10:13 PM – 11:13 PM
    major3:43 AM – 5:43 AM
    minor10:13 AM – 11:13 AM
    major3:43 PM – 5:43 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:
    Ultralight spinning or 3–4 weight fly rod
    Rod:
    6' ultralight spinning rod or 7'6" 4-weight fly rod
    Reel:
    Size 1000 spinning reel
    Line:
    4 lb fluorocarbon
    Best bait:
    Worms, Wax worms
    Best lures:
    Mepps Aglia #0, Small Panther Martin, Elk hair caddis, Bead-head pheasant tail nymph
    Directions

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