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    Southern OntarioFMZ 17

    Rice Lake – Bewdley Public Access

    7139 Mill St, Bewdley, ON (west shore of Rice Lake)

    Marker
    Leaflet © OpenStreetMap
    Seasonal availabilityDirections Official FMZ 17 rules

    About this water

    The west-end village access to Rice Lake — shore-friendly, sheltered from prevailing winds, and a solid panfish and walleye starting point.

    Same Trent-Severn lake system as Gores Landing, but calmer west-end bays with easy shore access near shops. FMZ 17.

    WalleyeMuskieSmallmouth BassLargemouth BassCrappieSunfishCarp

    FMZ 17 regulations — Kawartha Lakes & Trent watershed

    The smallest FMZ, in southern Ontario. It includes the Kawartha Lakes, the Trent and Crowe River watersheds, and the eastern rivers and streams of the Oak Ridges Moraine. It is bordered by Lake Ontario to the south (FMZ 20).

    • Walleye: 3rd Sat in May – Dec 15; S-4/C-2 with slot on many lakes.
    • Muskie: fourth Saturday in June – Dec 15; 137 cm min, S-1/C-0.
    • Largemouth / smallmouth bass: 4th Sat in June – Nov 30; S-4/C-2.

    Zone check: FMZ 17 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 17 page before your trip.

    Seasonal availability

    Open-season windows for the species found at Rice Lake – Bewdley Public Access, taken from the FMZ 17 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
    Walleye3rd Sat in May – Dec 15
    • S-4/C-2 with slot on many lakes.
    Muskiefourth Saturday in June – Dec 15
    Largemouth / smallmouth bass4th Sat in June – Nov 30

    No FMZ 17 season line published in our summary for: Crappie, Sunfish, Carp. Check the official page before keeping these species.

    Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 17 page before your trip.

    Fishing tips

    • Kawarthas are shallow and weed-heavy — punch mats for summer largemouth.
    • Muskie love the Trent's weed edges and lock approaches.
    • Fish the slip bobber and minnow under the dock lights after dark in spring — Bewdley crappie come shallow before the walleye do.
    • Access: Free to low-cost lot at the marina, plus public shoreline access in the village.

    Solunar Calendar— Rice Lake – Bewdley Public Access

    🌔

    Waxing Gibbous

    93% illuminated · Age 12.2d

    Solunar rating93/100

    🌔 Tue, Aug 25

    93% · Rating 93
    minor8:38 PM – 9:38 PM
    major2:08 AM – 4:08 AM
    minor8:38 AM – 9:38 AM
    major2:08 PM – 4:08 PM

    🌔 Wed, Aug 26

    97% · Rating 98
    minor9:23 PM – 10:23 PM
    major2:53 AM – 4:53 AM
    minor9:23 AM – 10:23 AM
    major2:53 PM – 4:53 PM

    🌕 Thu, Aug 27

    100% · Rating 100
    minor10:06 PM – 11:06 PM
    major3:36 AM – 5:36 AM
    minor10:06 AM – 11:06 AM
    major3:36 PM – 5:36 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 spinning for panfish; medium spinning for walleye
    Rod:
    6'6" medium-light spinning rod
    Reel:
    Size 2500 spinning reel
    Line:
    8 lb fluorocarbon or 10 lb braid
    Best bait:
    Minnows, Worms, Leeches
    Best lures:
    1/16 oz crappie jigs, Small swimbaits, Slip-bobber rig, Rapala Shad Rap
    Directions

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