Nipigon Bay – Lake Superior

About this water

The bay where the Nipigon River — home of the world-record brook trout — enters Lake Superior, with trophy coaster brookies and lake trout close to town.

Cold river-mouth water flowing into Superior, with strong current near the outflow and clear, cold water year-round. FMZ 9.

FMZ 9 regulations — Lake Superior

The Canadian waters of Lake Superior — the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Its northwestern boundary is the international border at the Pigeon River, it is bordered to the southeast by the compensating works on the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie, and its southern boundary is the Canada–US border. It includes Lake Superior islands other than St. Ignace and Simpson Islands (FMZ 6) and Michipicoten Island (FMZ 10). Zone boundaries extend across tributary river mouths in most cases, so most streams flowing into Lake Superior are not FMZ 9 — above the boundary at the river mouth they follow the inland zone (FMZ 6, 7 or 10).

• Chinook / coho salmon: open all year in Lake Superior; check tributary sanctuaries.
• Lake trout: open year-round on Superior with S-3/C-1 (one over 65 cm).
• Brook trout (coaster): tributary sanctuaries protect spawning fish — respect closures.

Zone check: FMZ 9 set by review — Great Lakes water body: Lake Superior shore, bay or harbour. 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 9 page before your trip.

Seasonal availability

Open-season windows for the species found at Nipigon Bay – Lake Superior, taken from the FMZ 9 regulation summary. Green months are within a published open season — they are not a prediction of how well fish will bite.

No FMZ 9 season line published in our summary for: Northern Pike, Walleye. Check the official page before keeping these species.

Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 9 page before your trip.

Fishing tips

• Superior weather turns fast — file a float plan and check marine forecasts.
• Steelhead runs peak in April and again in October in Michipicoten-area rivers.
• Brook trout regulations on the Nipigon system are strict and differ from the general zone rules — read the Nipigon-specific exceptions before you fish.
• Access: Public lots near town and at the marina.

Gear setup

Setup:

Medium spinning or 6-weight fly gear

Rod:

7' medium spinning rod or 9' 6-weight fly rod

Reel:

Size 2500–3000 spinning reel

Line:

10 lb braid with 10 lb fluorocarbon leader

Best bait:

Worms, Minnows

Best lures:

Spoon, Streamer, Spinner, Jerkbait