Saugeen River – Denny's Dam
Denny's Dam Conservation Area, Southampton, ON N0H 2L0
About this water
The Saugeen is Ontario's premier drive-to steelhead river, with big fall chinook runs and world-class spring rainbow trout fishing below the dam.
Fast-flowing river below the dam with deep pools and gravel runs. Blown-out after heavy rain; fishes best 2–4 days later.
FMZ 16 regulations — Southwestern Ontario & Lake Simcoe
The most southerly inland zone in the province. It includes all of southwestern Ontario, is predominantly made up of large river systems, and includes Lakes Simcoe and Couchiching. It has the largest urban population of any fisheries management zone. The Great Lakes themselves are separate zones (13, 14, 19 and 20).
- Lake Simcoe lake trout: Jan 1 – Sept 30; S-2/C-1 (one over 45 cm).
- Lake Simcoe whitefish: Dec 1 – Mar 15; S-2/C-1.
- Smallmouth bass: 4th Saturday in June – Nov 30; S-4/C-2.
- Rainbow trout (tributaries): Apr 1 – Sept 30 & 4th Sat Nov – Mar 31; check specific rivers.
Water-specific exceptions at Saugeen River – Denny's Dam
- Denny's Dam sanctuary: The Saugeen River is FMZ 16 water. Sanctuary closures apply immediately above and below Denny's Dam during the migration period — confirm the dates in the current Ontario summary.
Zone check: FMZ 16 set by review — Verified regulatory override: Saugeen River water, FMZ 16. Reviewed 2026-08-21.
Summary only — always confirm current seasons and limits on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 16 page before your trip.
Seasonal availability
Open-season windows for the species found at Saugeen River – Denny's Dam, taken from the FMZ 16 regulation summary. Green months are within a published open season — they are not a prediction of how well fish will bite.
- check specific rivers.
No FMZ 16 season line published in our summary for: Chinook Salmon. Check the official page before keeping these species.
Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 16 page before your trip.
Fishing tips
- Simcoe ice fishing is world-class — perch on shallow flats, lakers on deep rock piles.
- Grand River smallmouth respond to tube jigs in current seams.
- Drift roe bags at the tail-outs of pools during high, coloured water. Barbless hooks required — check the annual regs for open seasons.
- Access: Free conservation area lot with 40+ spots and pit toilets. Fills fast during the salmon and steelhead runs.
Solunar Calendar— Saugeen River – Denny's Dam
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:
- Centerpin or medium-light float setup for steelhead; medium-heavy spinning for salmon
- Rod:
- 10'6"–13' float rod
- Reel:
- Centerpin or 3500 spinning reel
- Line:
- 10 lb main, 8 lb fluoro leader
- Best bait:
- Roe bags, Wax worms, Egg imitations
- Best lures:
- Small spinners, Bead rigs, Jig and wax worm
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