Lake Huron – Goderich Harbour

About this water

Goderich's harbour and the Maitland River mouth host strong chinook and rainbow trout runs in late summer and fall, with a winter perch fishery from the piers.

Deep harbour with rip-rap walls and the Maitland River mouth. Best fished from the south pier and breakwall. Cold, clear water year-round.

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: FMZ 13 set by review — Great Lakes water body: Lake Huron shore, harbour or tributary below the first barrier. 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 13 page before your trip.

Seasonal availability

Open-season windows for the species found at Lake Huron – Goderich Harbour, 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: Yellow Perch, Smallmouth Bass. 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.
• Cast Cleos parallel to the south pier at dawn. In winter, slip-bobber minnows under the lighthouse for jumbo perch.
• Access: Free parking at the harbour and Snug Harbour lot. Boat launch with trailer parking available.

Gear setup

Setup:

Medium-heavy spinning for salmon; light spinning for perch

Rod:

St. Croix Triumph 8'6" MH

Reel:

Shimano Sedona 4000

Line:

20 lb braid with 15 lb fluoro leader

Best bait:

Minnows for perch, Salmon roe bags, Worms

Best lures:

Cleo Wabbler 3/4 oz, Bomber Long A, Rapala Husky Jerk 14