Saugeen River – Denny's Dam Conservation Area
Dennys Dam Rd, Southampton, ON N0H 2L0 (5 km north of Southampton, off Hwy 21)
About this water
Ontario's most famous southwestern salmon and steelhead staging pool — Denny's Dam stacks migrating fish every fall and spring.
Wide river about 1.5 km above the Lake Huron mouth. Rocky bottom with strong current near the dam. Best known for fall salmon and spring steelhead runs. FMZ 16.
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 Conservation Area
- Denny's Dam sanctuary: The Saugeen River is FMZ 16 water, including the Denny's Dam reach — Lake Huron (FMZ 13) rules begin at the river mouth, not upstream of it. Sanctuary closures apply near the dam during migration; check the current Ontario summary before fishing.
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 Conservation Area, 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, Coho Salmon, Muskie, Walleye, Catfish. 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.
- Float roe through the seam below the dam at first light. Expect crowds during the peak of the fall Chinook run — arrive early and give people room.
- Access: Free conservation area lot; a day-use/parking fee of roughly $2 per vehicle applies.
Solunar Calendar— Saugeen River – Denny's Dam Conservation Area
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-heavy float rod or 8-weight fly rod
- Rod:
- 11'–13' centrepin/float rod
- Reel:
- Centrepin or 4000-size spinning reel
- Line:
- 12 lb mainline with 8–10 lb fluorocarbon leader
- Best bait:
- Roe bags, Dew worms, Shrimp
- Best lures:
- Little Cleo spoon, Jig and worm, Egg pattern flies, Kwikfish
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