Port Maitland – Grand River Mouth
Port Maitland Esplanade and Pier, Dunnville, ON N1A 2W6
About this water
A productive pier fishery at the mouth of the Grand, with walleye, drum and steelhead all available from shore at different times of year.
River mouth where the Grand enters Lake Erie — river current meets open lake water, creating a distinct mixing zone. FMZ 19.
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 — Grand River mouth at Lake Erie — river-mouth water managed with Lake Erie (FMZ 19). 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 Maitland – Grand River Mouth, 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.
- S-4/C-2 – 46 cm min (varies by area, check).
No FMZ 19 season line published in our summary for: Rainbow Trout, Freshwater Drum. 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.
- The current line where river water meets the lake concentrates bait — cast across it and retrieve back through the seam.
- Access: Public lot at the pier.
Solunar Calendar— Port Maitland – Grand River Mouth
Waxing Gibbous
93% illuminated · Age 12.2d
🌔 Tue, Aug 25
93% · Rating 93🌔 Wed, Aug 26
97% · Rating 98🌕 Thu, Aug 27
100% · Rating 100Major 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
- Rod:
- 7'–8' medium spinning rod
- Reel:
- Size 3000 spinning reel
- Line:
- 12 lb braid with 10 lb fluorocarbon leader
- Best bait:
- Minnows, Worms
- Best lures:
- Jig & minnow, Spoon, Crankbait, Blade bait
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