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    Southwestern OntarioFMZ 19

    Port Burwell – Lake Erie

    Port Burwell public harbour, Port Burwell, ON

    Marker
    Leaflet © OpenStreetMap
    Seasonal availabilityDirections Official FMZ 19 rules

    About this water

    A north-shore Erie harbour with pier fishing for perch and walleye plus boat access to the central basin.

    Open Lake Erie shoreline at the mouth of Big Otter Creek; the harbour offers more sheltered casting. FMZ 19.

    WalleyeYellow PerchSmallmouth BassSteelhead

    FMZ 19 regulations — Lake Erie

    The Canadian waters of Lake Erie — the shallowest and most productive Great Lake — together with Lake St. Clair and the Detroit, St. Clair and Upper Niagara Rivers. It is not the Lake Ontario zone.

    • Walleye: open all year on Erie; S-4/C-2 – 46 cm min (varies by area, check).
    • Yellow perch: open all year; S-50/C-25 (Erie).
    • Muskie (St. Clair): 3rd Sat in June – Dec 15; 137 cm min, S-1/C-0.
    • Smallmouth bass: last Sat in June – Dec 15 on Erie; S-6/C-2.

    Zone check: FMZ 19 set by review — Great Lakes water body: access point on Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair or a connecting channel. 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 19 page before your trip.

    Seasonal availability

    Open-season windows for the species found at Port Burwell – Lake Erie, taken from the FMZ 19 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
    WalleyeOpen all year
    • S-4/C-2 – 46 cm min (varies by area, check).
    Yellow perchOpen all year
    Smallmouth basslast Sat in June – Dec 15 on Erie

    No FMZ 19 season line published in our summary for: Steelhead. Check the official page before keeping these species.

    Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 19 page before your trip.

    Fishing tips

    • Erie perch stack tight to structure — bottom rigs with emerald shiners produce.
    • St. Clair muskie sight-fishing shines in the shallow south basin all summer.
    • Pier fishing is best at first light and after dark in summer — perch schools move tight to the harbour walls.
    • Access: Public lot near the harbour and lighthouse.

    Solunar Calendar— Port Burwell – Lake Erie

    🌔

    Waxing Gibbous

    93% illuminated · Age 12.2d

    Solunar rating93/100

    🌔 Tue, Aug 25

    93% · Rating 93
    minor8:48 PM – 9:48 PM
    major2:18 AM – 4:18 AM
    minor8:48 AM – 9:48 AM
    major2:18 PM – 4:18 PM

    🌔 Wed, Aug 26

    97% · Rating 98
    minor9:33 PM – 10:33 PM
    major3:03 AM – 5:03 AM
    minor9:33 AM – 10:33 AM
    major3:03 PM – 5:03 PM

    🌕 Thu, Aug 27

    100% · Rating 100
    minor10:16 PM – 11:16 PM
    major3:46 AM – 5:46 AM
    minor10:16 AM – 11:16 AM
    major3:46 PM – 5:46 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:
    Medium spinning from the pier; trolling offshore
    Rod:
    7' medium spinning rod
    Reel:
    Size 2500–3000 spinning reel
    Line:
    10 lb braid with 10 lb fluorocarbon leader
    Best bait:
    Minnows, Worms
    Best lures:
    Perch rig, Jig & minnow, Spoon, Crankbait
    Directions

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