Fishing

Licence

Be sure to have a valid Ontario fishing license before you head out.

Fish off the harbour wall

Owen Sound has thousands of metres of easily accessible harbour to fish off. Come, pick your favourite spot! You'll find Chinook Salmon in late summer and fall, best caught in late evening or at night. Rainbow trout run in the spring and late fall.

Further upstream you can fish in the Sydenham River through to Harrison Park. During the Salmon migration in September and October the river is declared a sanctuary for spawning fish and is off-limits to anglers from just north of the Mill Dam to Inglis Falls.

Pick your season

In spring, the hottest salmon fishing in Owen Sound Bay can be experienced over Thompson's Hole from ice-out until early July. Here the big kings are found in 80-120' depths of water. Slow trolling and downriggers are the only method to catch them.

In summer Thompson's Hole is a likely location to pick up Chinook Salmon but most of the angling pressure begins to shift to Squaw Point and the west shore from the mouth of Indian River to Cape Commodore. Approximately six miles from the inner harbour, watch for Cobble Beach Golf Links along the west shore. Here, excellent trout and salmon fishing can be found.

Plenty of Chinook Salmon are still present in the outer bay until mid-October. There are excellent drifting opportunities for Chinook and Rainbow in the lower stretches of the Sydenham and Pottawatomi Rivers.

In winter, the best ice fishing can be found approximately three miles from the inner harbour across from the former Goodyear plant located on the east shoreline. Parking is available at the East Side Boat Launch.