Rideau River – Kars

About this water

An easy, sheltered stretch of the Rideau River south of Ottawa — ideal for small boats, kayaks, and shore anglers.

Slow-moving river water with good shoreline access near the locks. FMZ 18.

FMZ 18 regulations — Eastern Ontario — Rideau & inland southeastern watersheds

Southeastern Ontario, built around the connecting lakes and rivers of the Rideau waterway, with the Canadian Shield at its heart and the St. Lawrence Lowlands to the east and west. It covers the Crowe, Mississippi, Napanee, Cataraqui, Rideau, Salmon, South Nation and Raisin River watersheds. It ends at Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River to the south (FMZ 20) and follows the Ottawa River (FMZ 12) to the north and east — the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers themselves are not in FMZ 18.

• Walleye: 3rd Saturday in May – March 15; S-4/C-2.
• Muskie: 3rd Saturday in June – Dec 15; 137 cm min, S-1/C-0.
• Bass (large & small): 3rd Saturday in June – Nov 30; S-6/C-2.
• Lake trout (Big Rideau, Charleston): Jan 1 – Sept 30; S-2/C-1.

Zone check: FMZ 18 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 18 page before your trip.

Seasonal availability

Open-season windows for the species found at Rideau River – Kars, taken from the FMZ 18 regulation summary. Green months are within a published open season — they are not a prediction of how well fish will bite.

No FMZ 18 season line published in our summary for: Northern Pike, Yellow Perch. Check the official page before keeping these species.

Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 18 page before your trip.

Fishing tips

• St. Lawrence smallmouth relate to current — drop-shot the drop-offs.
• Thousand Islands muskie respond to figure-8s at boatside — always finish the retrieve.
• Slow current means the fish relate to cover — target laydowns, docks, and the outside weed line.
• Access: Free public lot at the launch.

Gear setup

Setup:

Medium spinning

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:

Senkos, Spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, Small crankbaits