Prince Edward County – West Lake, Wellington

About this water

A protected, shallow County lake tucked behind the dunes — excellent for kayaks and small boats when Lake Ontario is rough.

Shallow, warm lake behind the Sandbanks dunes. Calm and weedy in the bays. FMZ 20.

FMZ 20 regulations — Lake Ontario & St. Lawrence River

The Canadian waters of Lake Ontario, the Bay of Quinte, the Niagara River below Niagara Falls (the Lower Niagara), Hamilton Harbour and the St. Lawrence River. Deep cold water supports a world-class salmon and trout fishery, while eastern Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence hold warm- and cool-water species.

• Chinook / coho salmon: open all year in the lake; tributaries have sanctuaries.
• Rainbow trout (steelhead): Apr 1 – Sept 30 & 4th Sat Nov – Mar 31 in tributaries.
• Walleye (Bay of Quinte): 3rd Sat in May – Feb 15; S-2/C-1 – 46 cm min.
• Smallmouth bass: last Sat in June – Nov 30; S-6/C-2.

Zone check: FMZ 20 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 20 page before your trip.

Seasonal availability

Open-season windows for the species found at Prince Edward County – West Lake, Wellington, taken from the FMZ 20 regulation summary. Green months are within a published open season — they are not a prediction of how well fish will bite.

No FMZ 20 season line published in our summary for: Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Black Crappie. Check the official page before keeping these species.

Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 20 page before your trip.

Fishing tips

• Bay of Quinte trophy walleye trolling peaks Oct–Dec on shallow flats after dark.
• Toronto Harbour offers year-round shore fishing — pike, bass, salmon all available.
• When the big lake is blown out, West Lake is fishable — work the inside weed lines with a weightless worm.
• Access: Paid seasonal parking permit (May–October); resident and non-resident rates available at Shire Hall.

Gear setup

Setup:

Medium spinning in shallow weeds

Rod:

7' medium spinning rod

Reel:

Size 2500 spinning reel

Line:

20 lb braid with 12 lb fluorocarbon leader

Best bait:

Worms, Minnows

Best lures:

Weedless frogs, Wacky worms, Spinnerbaits, Crappie jigs