St. Clair River – Point Edward, Sarnia

About this water

One of Ontario's best shore fisheries — cold, fast Lake Huron water carrying walleye, trout, salmon and sturgeon past the Blue Water Bridge.

Fast, deep connecting channel flowing out of Lake Huron. Very strong current near the bridge; popular shore fishing along the government docks. FMZ 19.

FMZ 19 regulations — Lake Erie

The Canadian waters of Lake Erie — the shallowest and most productive Great Lake — together with Lake St. Clair and the Detroit, St. Clair and Upper Niagara Rivers. It is not the Lake Ontario zone.

• Walleye: open all year on Erie; S-4/C-2 – 46 cm min (varies by area, check).
• Yellow perch: open all year; S-50/C-25 (Erie).
• Muskie (St. Clair): 3rd Sat in June – Dec 15; 137 cm min, S-1/C-0.
• Smallmouth bass: last Sat in June – Dec 15 on Erie; S-6/C-2.

Zone check: FMZ 19 set by review — Great Lakes water body: access point on Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair or a connecting channel. Coordinate falls on the land side of the mapped boundary, so the zone is set from the water actually fished. Reviewed 2026-08-12.

Summary only — always confirm current seasons and limits on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 19 page before your trip.

Seasonal availability

Open-season windows for the species found at St. Clair River – Point Edward, Sarnia, taken from the FMZ 19 regulation summary. Green months are within a published open season — they are not a prediction of how well fish will bite.

No FMZ 19 season line published in our summary for: Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Chinook Salmon, Lake Sturgeon, Northern Pike. Check the official page before keeping these species.

Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 19 page before your trip.

Fishing tips

• Erie perch stack tight to structure — bottom rigs with emerald shiners produce.
• St. Clair muskie sight-fishing shines in the shallow south basin all summer.
• You need weight to hold bottom here — 3/4 to 1.5 oz jigs are standard. Lake sturgeon are protected: release them in the water without lifting.
• Access: Public lots along the Sarnia waterfront.

Gear setup

Setup:

Medium-heavy spinning for the heavy current

Rod:

7'–8' medium-heavy spinning rod

Reel:

Size 3000–4000 spinning reel

Line:

20 lb braid with 15 lb fluorocarbon leader

Best bait:

Minnows, Roe bags, Nightcrawlers

Best lures:

Heavy jig, Blade bait, Spoon, Crankbait