When Does Bass Season Open in Ontario?
It depends on which zone you are standing in — and there are twenty of them.
There is no single opening day for bass in Ontario. Most of Northern Ontario is open all year. Across the south and the middle of the province the season opens on a Saturday in June — but which Saturday depends on your Fisheries Management Zone, and one zone opens largemouth and smallmouth on different days.
If you fish the south, these are the next opening dates:
Not sure which zone you are in? The zone map on ontario.ca will tell you, and the table below covers all twenty.
Bass Season by Fisheries Management Zone
These are the zone-wide seasons. Individual lakes and rivers can have their own exceptions that override the zone — always check your specific water before you go. Tap a zone number for the official rules.
| Zone | Bass season |
|---|---|
| FMZ 1 | Bass are not present in this zone Closed to fishing all year. |
| FMZ 2 | Open all year |
| FMZ 3 | Open all year |
| FMZ 4 | Open all year A size restriction applies for part of the year — see the zone page. |
| FMZ 5 | Open all year |
| FMZ 6 | Open all year |
| FMZ 7 | Open all year |
| FMZ 8 | Open all year |
| FMZ 9 | Open all year |
| FMZ 10 | Third Saturday in June to November 30 Next opens Saturday, June 19, 2027 |
| FMZ 11 | January 1 to the third Sunday in March, then the third Saturday in May to December 31 Split season — closed between the two windows. |
| FMZ 12 | Friday before the fourth Saturday in June to November 30 Next opens Friday, June 25, 2027 |
| FMZ 13 | Fourth Saturday in June to November 30 Next opens Saturday, June 26, 2027 |
| FMZ 14 | Fourth Saturday in June to November 30 Next opens Saturday, June 26, 2027 |
| FMZ 15 | Fourth Saturday in June to November 30 Next opens Saturday, June 26, 2027 |
| FMZ 16 | Fourth Saturday in June to November 30 Next opens Saturday, June 26, 2027 |
| FMZ 17 | Third Saturday in June to December 15 Next opens Saturday, June 19, 2027 |
| FMZ 18 | Third Saturday in June to December 15 Next opens Saturday, June 19, 2027 |
| FMZ 19 | Fourth Saturday in June to November 30 Next opens Saturday, June 26, 2027 |
| FMZ 20 | Largemouth: third Saturday in June to December 31. Smallmouth: first Saturday in July to December 31. Largemouth next opens Saturday, June 19, 2027Smallmouth next opens Saturday, July 3, 2027Catch-and-release only from January 1 to May 10. |
Why the season is closed in spring
Bass spawn in late spring. The male builds a nest in the shallows and then guards it — first the eggs, then the fry — and he will hit almost anything that comes near it. That is exactly what makes him easy to catch at that time of year, and exactly why the season is shut. Pull him off the nest and the eggs get eaten by panfish within minutes.
Catch and release does not make a closed season legal. In Ontario, “fishing for” a species means targeting it — not just keeping it. Throwing topwater along a shoreline full of spawning smallmouth in May is targeting bass, even if every fish goes back. If you genuinely hook one by accident while fishing for something else, release it carefully and you are fine.
There is more on the targeting rule, licences, and the zones this site covers in detail on the Ontario fishing regulations page.
Season dates transcribed from the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary (2026 edition), one zone page at a time, and last checked against the official source on September 14, 2026. Opening dates on this page are calculated from the rule in the regulation, so they stay correct year to year — but regulations do change. Before you fish, confirm on ontario.ca. This page carries season dates only — for size limits, catch limits and licence rules, use the official summary.
