Lake George / Sugar Island – Sault Ste. Marie

About this water

A sheltered arm of the St. Marys River system that stays fishable when the main river is rough — good walleye and a legitimate muskie population.

Sheltered bay off the St. Marys River system on the north side of Sugar Island. Weedy shallows with moderate current. FMZ 13.

FMZ 13 regulations — Lake Huron — main basin

The Ontario waters of Lake Huron's main basin. Its western edge follows the United States border south to the St. Clair River; it edges the south shore of Manitoulin Island and the west coast of the Bruce Peninsula south to the St. Clair River. The boundary extends across river mouths in most cases.

• Chinook / coho salmon: open all year on Huron; check tributary sanctuaries.
• Rainbow trout (steelhead): tributaries typically Sept – Dec 31 & Apr 1 – May 15.
• Walleye: 1st Sat in May – Nov 15 on many waters; S-4/C-2.

Zone check: This location sits on a zone boundary and is awaiting manual confirmation — Coordinate falls in the St. Marys River channel between FMZ 9, 10 and 14 — confirm the intended access point and zone before publishing regulations.

Summary only — always confirm current seasons and limits on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 13 page before your trip.

Seasonal availability

Open-season windows for the species found at Lake George / Sugar Island – Sault Ste. Marie, taken from the FMZ 13 regulation summary. Green months are within a published open season — they are not a prediction of how well fish will bite.

No FMZ 13 season line published in our summary for: Muskie, Yellow Perch, Northern Pike. Check the official page before keeping these species.

Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 13 page before your trip.

Fishing tips

• Saugeen and Maitland rivers offer some of Ontario's best steelhead drifting.
• Sauble surf produces walleye at dusk in summer — try shallow-running crankbaits.
• Troll worm harnesses along the weed edges for walleye, and throw bucktails over the same weed flats at dusk for muskie.
• Access: Free public lot near the ferry dock.

Gear setup

Setup:

Medium spinning for walleye; heavy casting for muskie

Rod:

7' medium spinning rod; 8' heavy casting rod for muskie

Reel:

Size 3000 spinning; 300-size baitcaster

Line:

10 lb braid; 80 lb braid with fluorocarbon leader for muskie

Best bait:

Minnows, Leeches, Worms

Best lures:

Worm harness, Jig & minnow, Bucktail, Large glide bait