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    Southern OntarioFMZ 16

    Grand River – West Montrose

    Letson Dr, West Montrose, ON N0B 2V0

    Marker
    Leaflet © OpenStreetMap
    Seasonal availabilityDirections Official FMZ 16 rules

    About this water

    A scenic river stretch near Ontario's last covered bridge, offering excellent trout fishing in stocked and natural populations.

    Flowing river with riffles and pools. Clarity varies with rain. Best wading conditions in summer and early fall.

    Brown TroutRainbow TroutSmallmouth BassPike

    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 Grand River – West Montrose, 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
    Smallmouth bass4th Saturday in June – Nov 30
    Rainbow trout (tributaries)Apr 1 – Sept 30 & 4th Sat Nov – Mar 31
    • check specific rivers.

    No FMZ 16 season line published in our summary for: Pike. Check the official page before keeping these species.

    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.
    • In spring, drift roe bags through deeper pools for rainbow trout. Switch to spinners in faster water. Barbless hooks are recommended for catch and release.
    • Access: Small gravel lot at the covered bridge access point. Street parking also available on Letson Dr.

    Solunar Calendar— Grand River – West Montrose

    🌔

    Waxing Gibbous

    93% illuminated · Age 12.2d

    Solunar rating93/100

    🌔 Tue, Aug 25

    93% · Rating 93
    minor8:46 PM – 9:46 PM
    major2:16 AM – 4:16 AM
    minor8:46 AM – 9:46 AM
    major2:16 PM – 4:16 PM

    🌔 Wed, Aug 26

    97% · Rating 98
    minor9:31 PM – 10:31 PM
    major3:01 AM – 5:01 AM
    minor9:31 AM – 10:31 AM
    major3:01 PM – 5:01 PM

    🌕 Thu, Aug 27

    100% · Rating 100
    minor10:14 PM – 11:14 PM
    major3:44 AM – 5:44 AM
    minor10:14 AM – 11:14 AM
    major3:44 PM – 5:44 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-light spinning rod or 5-weight fly rod
    Rod:
    7' medium-light spinning rod with fast action for drift fishing
    Reel:
    Size 2500 spinning reel
    Line:
    6 lb fluorocarbon leader with 8 lb braid mainline
    Best bait:
    Worms (dew worms), Roe bags, Wax worms, Creek chub minnows
    Best lures:
    Mepps Aglia #2 spinner, Small Rapala Original F5, Roostertail spinner, Micro jigs
    Directions

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