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    Southwestern OntarioFMZ 19

    Detroit River – Amherstburg

    Public waterfront access near Fort Malden, Amherstburg, ON

    Marker
    Leaflet © OpenStreetMap
    Seasonal availabilityDirections Official FMZ 19 rules

    About this water

    The Detroit River's spring walleye run is one of the largest in the world, with excellent smallmouth and muskie fishing through the rest of the season.

    Fast-flowing connecting channel between Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, with deep river current and rocky structure. Heavy freighter traffic. FMZ 19.

    WalleyeSmallmouth BassMuskieYellow Perch

    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 Detroit River – Amherstburg, 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
    Muskie (St. Clair)3rd Sat in June – Dec 15
    Smallmouth basslast Sat in June – Dec 15 on Erie

    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.
    • Vertical jig on the drift with 3/4 to 1 oz jigs to stay in contact with bottom — the current is far stronger than it looks from shore.
    • Access: Free municipal lots along the waterfront.

    Solunar Calendar— Detroit River – Amherstburg

    🌔

    Waxing Gibbous

    93% illuminated · Age 12.2d

    Solunar rating93/100

    🌔 Tue, Aug 25

    93% · Rating 93
    minor8:57 PM – 9:57 PM
    major2:27 AM – 4:27 AM
    minor8:57 AM – 9:57 AM
    major2:27 PM – 4:27 PM

    🌔 Wed, Aug 26

    97% · Rating 98
    minor9:42 PM – 10:42 PM
    major3:12 AM – 5:12 AM
    minor9:42 AM – 10:42 AM
    major3:12 PM – 5:12 PM

    🌕 Thu, Aug 27

    100% · Rating 100
    minor10:25 PM – 11:25 PM
    major3:55 AM – 5:55 AM
    minor10:25 AM – 11:25 AM
    major3:55 PM – 5:55 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-heavy spinning for vertical jigging
    Rod:
    6'6"–7' medium-heavy spinning rod
    Reel:
    Size 3000 spinning reel
    Line:
    20 lb braid with 12 lb fluorocarbon leader
    Best bait:
    Minnows, Worms
    Best lures:
    Heavy jig & twister, Blade bait, Tube jig, Crankbait
    Directions

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