Experience Ontario’s number one fishing destination

Beyond the inland lakes speckled throughout Bruce County, lies Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. Containing 115 species of fish and vast opportunity for the experienced angler seeking to test their skills at fetching a catch, either along hundreds of km of shoreline, or out boating or kayaking on the mighty blue sweet water sea. Chinook, coho and pink salmon, as well as lakers and rainbow trout, all await the eager angler and are abundant in Lake Huron.

Calling all Angler’s! Steelhead trout? Salmon?

This anadromous subspecies of Oncorhynchus mykiss, is a trout that looks and behaves like a salmon. Often referred to as a type of Pacific salmon, steelhead belong to the same species as rainbow trout. Only they act a whole lot like salmon. Test your mettle, casting for steelhead in spring or return in the fall and hook a chinook salmon as they run the river.

Cast Your Rod in Southern Bruce County

The Saugeen River and nearby Southampton are also great locations for shoreline or offshore fishing, and well known as the best steelhead fishing in the province. The relatively shallow water surrounding the area are home to bass, salmon, perch and rainbow trout, while a wandering walleye may excite you with a surprise contest on your line. The multiple channels, reefs and shoals that surround the Fishing islands offer phenomenal fishing with over 70 islands that span from Oliphant up to Howdenvale. This area has unique wetlands that expand out into Lake Huron, with translucent waters and sheltered bays between the islands and is a dream zone for kayak anglers looking to explore the rich natural and cultural history of the area. Boat launches in Oliphant, Red Bay and Howdenvale provide water access all around the islands. Experienced paddlers might venture along the outer shores, where more exposed waters await them.

Local Marinas

Here are some of our Bruce County marinas with some great fishing spots:
Kincardine Yacht Club
Port Elgin Harbour
Wiarton Marina
Lion’s Head Marina
Tobermory Harbour Marina
Southampton Harbour
Sauble River Marina

Head Up the Peninsula

Cut the crowds in half near Stokes Bay, an area glutted with northern pike, smallmouth bass and pan fish. Expect clear visibility with few weeds in site with schools of yellow perch and shoals of common carp swimming along the silty bottom. Navigation for boaters in this area can be treacherous, with numerous shallow reefs throughout the shallow bays. Have your charts and navigational aids at hand.

Rounding Tobermory, the nearshore bathymetry of Georgian Bay becomes deep enough to give your depth-finder vertigo, at a maximum depth of 541 feet-off the north coast of the peninsula.
Dyer’s bay is a widely exposed access point. The weather here can change in a flash, making waves at the launch that can land you in trouble on the return. So plan according to the weather and keep your eye on the sky when launching here. Trawl the deep and often crystal clear water for salmon and trout.

Access at Lion’s Head, Barrow Bay and Wiarton offer some of the most spectacular backdrops in the province. Georgian Bay is sated along this coast with largemouth and smallmouth bass, muskie, northern pike, salmon, trout, walleye. Shallow bays will be the go-to areas for pan fish, such as crappie, and yellow perch.
Please refer to the latest edition of the Ministry of Natural Resources Regulations Summary for up-to-date rules pertaining to sport fishing.

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Learn all about visiting Bruce, Grey, and Simcoe counties here.