Muddy York Fly fishing in Ontario: where to go and when
Southern Ontario has some of the best trout and steelhead fly fishing in eastern North America, within an easy drive of most of the province's anglers. Here are the rivers, what they hold, what's open today, and the flies that work.
Tailwaters: trout all season
Cold releases below the dams keep these rivers fishing when others run warm. Brown trout, hatches and dries.
- Grand River, Tailwater: Shand Dam to West MontroseChecking today's season…
- Conestogo River, Tailwater: below Conestogo DamChecking today's season…
Cold creeks and headwaters: wild brook and brown trout
Small, clear, spring-fed water. Light rods, short casts and a quiet approach.
- Credit River, Upper: Forks of the Credit / BelfountainChecking today's season…
- Nottawasaga tributaries, Mad / Boyne / Pine Rivers (cold tribs)Checking today's season…
- Twelve Mile Creek, St. Catharines / Short Hills cold reachChecking today's season…
- Beaver River, Upper: Kimberley to below EugeniaChecking today's season…
- Boyne River, Primrose / Boyne valley cold headwatersChecking today's season…
Lake-run rivers: steelhead, salmon and lake-run browns
Fish run up from Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Georgian Bay in fall, winter and spring. Swing streamers or drift eggs and nymphs.
- Grand River, Lower: Caledonia to Lake Erie (Dunnville)Checking today's season…
- Credit River, Lower: mouth to StreetsvilleChecking today's season…
- Ganaraska River, Lower: Port Hope below the fishwayChecking today's season…
- Nottawasaga River, Main stem: Angus to WasagaChecking today's season…
- Beaver River, Lower: Thornbury below the dam/fishwayChecking today's season…
- Bronte Creek, Lower: Oakville to the lakeChecking today's season…
- Sixteen Mile Creek, Lower: Oakville to the lakeChecking today's season…
- Duffins Creek, Lower: Ajax / PickeringChecking today's season…
- Wilmot Creek, Lower: NewcastleChecking today's season…
- Niagara River, Lower: Whirlpool / Devil's Hole driftsChecking today's season…
- Saugeen River, Lower: Denny's Dam to the mouth (Southampton)Checking today's season…
- Maitland River, Lower: Benmiller to GoderichChecking today's season…
- Credit River, Middle: Norval to Glen WilliamsChecking today's season…
- Humber River, Lower: Old Mill to the mouth (Toronto)Checking today's season…
- Bighead River, Lower: Meaford to Georgian BayChecking today's season…
- Sydenham River, Lower: Owen Sound below the damChecking today's season…
- Rouge River, Lower: Twyn Rivers to the mouth (Toronto)Checking today's season…
- Bowmanville Creek, Lower: Bowmanville to the lakeChecking today's season…
- Sauble River, Sauble Falls to the mouthChecking today's season…
Which river is fishing best tomorrow?
Muddy York Fishing reads water temperature, flow and weather on every river each morning, scores them, and tells you the fly and technique. No more driving two hours to blown-out water.
Try it free for 7 daysOntario fly fishing through the year
- Spring (March to May): steelhead on the lake-run rivers, then the trout opener on the fourth Saturday in April across most of Zones 16 and 17. Nymphs and streamers in cold water.
- Early summer (June): the best hatches of the year on the Grand and the cold creeks. Caddis, sulphurs and evening spinner falls.
- Summer (July and August): fish the tailwaters and spring creeks early and late, and stop when water passes 20°C.
- Fall (September to November): salmon runs, then steelhead and lake-run browns. Egg patterns, stoneflies and swung streamers.
- Winter: a few stretches stay open for steelhead all year. Mild afternoons, slow and deep.
Flies that work in Ontario
- Brown trout: Pheasant Tail and Hare's Ear nymphs, Elk Hair Caddis and mayfly dries, and sculpin or Woolly Bugger streamers at dawn and dusk.
- Brook trout: small Adams and Elk Hair Caddis dries, beadhead nymphs and tiny streamers.
- Rainbow trout: Pheasant Tail and Hare's Ear nymphs, Elk Hair Caddis and Adams dries.
- Steelhead: egg patterns (Nuke Eggs, Sucker Spawn), stonefly and Pheasant Tail nymphs, and Woolly Buggers or Intruder style streamers.
- Chinook salmon: large, bright streamers and egg patterns swung slowly through holding pools.
Water temperature for fly fishing
Water temperature decides where trout and salmon hold and how hard they feed. Ontario's river gauges report level and flow, but very few report temperature, so Muddy York Fishing estimates the river's water temperature every morning from live air temperature, recent weather and the river's flow. Members can add a thermometer reading when they log a trip, which keeps the estimate honest.
| Water temp | What the fish do |
|---|---|
| Below 4°C | Slow. Fish deep, slow pools at midday with small flies. |
| 4 to 10°C | Cool. Steelhead and browns feed, mostly near the bottom. |
| 10 to 18°C | Prime. Trout feed actively; hatches and dries come into play. |
| 18 to 20°C | Warm. Fish early, play fish fast, keep them in the water. |
| Above 20°C | Too warm. Trout are stressed; leave them be or find colder water. |
More: fly fishing near Toronto · trout and fly fishing spots near you · the Muddy York Fishing app · steelhead rivers
Frequently asked
Where is the best fly fishing in Ontario?
In Southern Ontario, the Grand River below Shand Dam, the Credit River, the Saugeen, the Nottawasaga and its cold tributaries, and the Beaver and Bighead rivers are the best-known fly water. The right one depends on the week: water temperature, flow and the season on each stretch.
When is the best time to fly fish in Ontario?
For resident trout, late April to June and again in September, in water between about 10 and 18°C. For steelhead, October to December and March to April. Tailwaters like the Grand below Shand Dam fish through summer.
Do I need a licence to fly fish in Ontario?
Yes. Most anglers need an Outdoors Card and a fishing licence, and every stretch has its own season, limits and gear rules. Check the stretch before you fish.
Is there an app for fly fishing in Ontario?
Muddy York Fishing scores Southern Ontario trout and steelhead rivers each morning from water temperature, flow and weather, shows the official season for each stretch, and picks the fly for the day.