Lake Huron – Southampton Pier

About this water

Southampton's pier and the adjacent Saugeen River mouth produce some of the best shore-based salmon and steelhead fishing on the Lake Huron coast.

Crystal-clear cold Lake Huron water along the breakwall and Saugeen River mouth. Best fished early morning and late evening. Watch for sudden west winds.

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 – Southampton Pier, 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: Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch. 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.
• Fish first and last light off the end of the south breakwall. Chinooks cruise tight to the pier in September.
• Access: Free municipal lot at the harbour and along High Street. Accessible washrooms and breakwall walking access.

Gear setup

Setup:

9–10 ft medium-heavy spinning rod for casting spoons; 7 ft medium for smallmouth

Rod:

Shimano Convergence Salmon/Steelhead 9' MH

Reel:

Shimano Sahara 4000

Line:

15 lb braid with 12 lb fluoro leader

Best bait:

Salmon roe bags, Live emerald shiners, Worms for perch

Best lures:

Little Cleo spoons 3/4 oz, Cleo silver/blue, Rapala X-Rap 10