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    Southern OntarioFMZ 16

    Lake Simcoe – Keswick Pier

    The Queensway S, Keswick, ON L4P 2E1

    Marker
    Leaflet © OpenStreetMap
    Seasonal availabilityDirections Official FMZ 16 rules

    About this water

    One of Ontario's most popular fishing lakes, famous for its jumbo perch and excellent ice fishing.

    Clear to slightly turbid. Moderate depth near shore, drops off quickly. Ice fishing from mid-January to mid-March.

    PerchLake TroutWhitefishSmallmouth BassHerring

    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 Lake Simcoe – Keswick Pier, 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
    Lake Simcoe whitefishDec 1 – Mar 15
    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: Perch, Herring. 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.
    • For ice fishing, use a flasher to locate schools of perch near the bottom. Tip your jigs with a minnow head for best results.
    • Access: Free municipal parking lot at Keswick Pier, approximately 50 spots. Accessible year-round.

    Solunar Calendar— Lake Simcoe – Keswick Pier

    🌔

    Waxing Gibbous

    93% illuminated · Age 12.2d

    Solunar rating93/100

    🌔 Tue, Aug 25

    93% · Rating 93
    minor8:42 PM – 9:42 PM
    major2:12 AM – 4:12 AM
    minor8:42 AM – 9:42 AM
    major2:12 PM – 4:12 PM

    🌔 Wed, Aug 26

    97% · Rating 98
    minor9:27 PM – 10:27 PM
    major2:57 AM – 4:57 AM
    minor9:27 AM – 10:27 AM
    major2:57 PM – 4:57 PM

    🌕 Thu, Aug 27

    100% · Rating 100
    minor10:10 PM – 11:10 PM
    major3:40 AM – 5:40 AM
    minor10:10 AM – 11:10 AM
    major3:40 PM – 5:40 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:
    Light to ultralight spinning setup for perch; medium for lake trout trolling
    Rod:
    6'6" ultralight spinning rod for perch jigging
    Reel:
    Size 1000–2000 spinning reel with smooth drag
    Line:
    4–6 lb monofilament or fluorocarbon
    Best bait:
    Live minnows, Wax worms, Emerald shiners
    Best lures:
    Small tube jigs (1/16 oz), Swedish Pimple, Rapala Jigging Rap, Berkley Gulp Minnow
    Directions

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