Port Colborne, Ontario
Niagara’s South Coast
Sport Fishing Destination
Port Colborne offers...
World-Class Fishing
in Port Colborne!
Fishing in Port Colborne is an amazing experience, offering yearround world-class sport fishing. With access to Lake Erie and the
Upper Niagara River, Port Colborne offers beautiful scenery and
excellent fishing, as anglers from near and far have been coming
to Port Colborne for decades to enjoy some of the best fishing
in Southern Ontario. Well known for its trophy fish: Trout, Walleye
and Bass, the upper Niagara River provides some of the best Bass
fishing from June to November.
One of Canada’s top fishing towns!
Fishing enthusiasts across North America are taking notice of
Niagara’s South Coast and the world-class fishing that can be
found on Lake Erie.
In a recent competition hosted by the World Fishing Network –
an all-fishing television network, Port Colborne was recognized
as one of the top ‘ultimate’ fishing towns in Canada. We’re
extremely proud of this honour and welcome new visitors to
come and experience all that Niagara’s South Coast has to offer.
Lake Erie
Lake Erie, the smallest of the Great Lakes in volume, measures
241 miles across and 57 miles from north to south, with a depth
of 62 feet. Because it warms rapidly in the spring and summer
and freezes frequently in the winter, Lake Erie is an ideal location
to catch the Spring and Fall Salmon and Trout Run. Lake Erie is
recognized as one of Ontario’s best fishing spots for Perch but
anglers have a variety of options, as Walleye, Salmon and Trout are
also thriving in Lake Erie.
Year-round fishing
Some of the greatest fishing in Port Colborne can be had in the
winter. Despite being so cold outside, from January 1 to March 15,
anglers can venture out on the ice (conditions permitting) and
drop their lines for Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, tasty Whitefish and
feisty Northern Pike.
ŸAn oversized, paved, well maintained boat ramp that will
accommodate almost all sizes of watercraft.
ŸAmple parking for trucks and trailers on-site.
ŸTwo full service marinas with transient and seasonal slips.
ŸMarine supplies and fuel are available on-site at our marinas.
ŸFish cleaning facilities at our boat ramp.
ŸSeveral tackle and bait shops and outfitters in the area.
ŸCharter companies to take you to the fish.
ŸSeveral multi-day tournaments with great prizes and
entertainment.
NIAGARA’S SOUTH COAST
Sport Fishing
Port Colborne, ON
Port Colborne is located at the entrance of the Welland Canal,
20 minutes south of St. Catharines, 90 minutes from Toronto or
20 minutes from the Peace Bridge and Buffalo, NY.
On Lake Erie, we are located on the north-eastern shore,
between the Niagara River and the Grand River, right where the
Welland Canal meets the lake.
Ice fishing in Gravelly Bay has long been popular as it is typically
frozen for several months every winter.
Top tournament fishing
Anglers of all ages come to Niagara’s South Coast to enjoy the
waters off Port Colborne, catch some fish, and win prizes by
competing in local fishing derbies and tournaments.
Several local derbies and major tournaments bring new visitors
to Port Colborne all year long. The 444 International Walleye
Tournament is one of the most popular fishing tournaments on
Lake Erie. Organized by the Port Colborne & District Conservation
Club, this is an exciting event for professional and amateur anglers
as well as the public.
Visit www.portcolborne.ca/page/fishing for the latest tournament
dates, details and links.
Uncharted
Unexpected
Port Colborne’s Sugarloaf Marina
Do you need a licence?
The Province of Ontario requires most people to possess a
valid fishing licence. You must have this licence with you at all
times when you are fishing. While licences are required for both
residents and non-residents, some restrictions do apply.
The City of Port Colborne suggests contacting the Ministry of
Natural Resources for more information about fishing licences.
Call 1-800-387-7011, or visit www.outdoorscard.mnr.gov.on.ca.
PORT COLBORNE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,
TOURISM & MARKETING
296 Fielden Avenue
Port Colborne, ON L3K 4T6
Tel.: 905-834-1668
[email protected]
SUGARLOAF MARINA
3 Marina Road
Port Colborne, ON L3K 6C6
Tel.: 905-835-6644
[email protected]
www.PortColborne.ca
Top Catches of
Niagara’s South Coast
Lake Erie is home to many different species of fish and
offers recreational anglers and sport fishing enthusiasts
a wide range of fishing experiences.
WARM WATER SPECIES AND THEIR HABITATS
CARP
Key Identifying Characteristics:
“Whiskers” (barbels) beside
mouth; colour varies from silver
to olive-green, brassy or grey on the back and
sides; belly is yellowish; lower fins are orange-red.
Distribution/Habitat: Carp thrive in warm, shallow
lakes and rivers that contain an abundance of
aquatic vegetation. They adapt to a variety of
conditions, tolerating all types of bottoms and
water from clear to murky.
Angling Tips: Carp are large, tough fish, capable
of great speed and power. Place your bait directly
on the bottom to hook these often-overlooked fish.
Early in the morning and late in the evening are
prime times for catching carp with rod and reel.
Hot Spot Fishing Locations in Port Colborne, ON
This map illustrates some of the better known fishing spots in
Port Colborne. However, there are many great fishing locations
throughout Niagara’s South Coast. We encourage you to
consider the locations highlighted on the map, and also seek
out your own favourite spots.
Fly-fishing along the shores of Lake Erie is increasing in
popularity with fly-fishers from across Southern Ontario.
The conservation areas of Mud Lake and the Wainfleet
Wetlands are also great destinations for fly-fishing, as well
as passive shore fishing.
In Gravelly Bay, Muskie fishing is superb for the month of June.
Carp up to 40 lbs can be caught in the same area from May to
August, with May and June being the best months.
In the areas surrounding Port Colborne, excellent Perch
fishing can be experienced in the waters off Point Abino
(not marked on the map) to the east of Port Colborne.
May and June are the best months at this location, although
ice fishing can also be successful here. Year-round, the upper
Niagara River is plentiful in numerous species, including
Muskie, Pike, Walleye, Lake Trout, Brown Trout, Perch,
and Bass.
Ice fishing in Gravelly Bay has long been popular. Gravelly Bay
is typically frozen for several months every winter. Blue Gill,
Northern Pike, Perch, Crappie, and Bass have all been caught in
great abundance during winter ice fishing. There is also good
ice fishing off Sugarloaf Point for Perch.
CHANNEL CATFISH
Key Identifying Characteristics:
Large, elongated fish; 4 pairs
of dark barbels around the
mouth; back is pale blue, pale olive, or grey; sides
are lighter, often with black spots, and belly is grey
to yellow to silver white.
Distribution/Habitat: Channel catfish are found in
a wide variety of warm water habitats in both lakes
and streams.
Angling Tips: Fish for channel cats in deep holes
below riffles as well as under drift piles or
overhanging banks and other protected areas.
Although channel cats are active feeders all day
long, they are often active during low light periods
(dawn and dusk) and even through the night.
LARGEMOUTH BASS
Key Identifying Characteristics:
Medium sized, deep bodied
fish; back and sides green to
olive, belly is yellow to white; body often has a
broken horizontal stripe.
Distribution/Habitat: Largemouth bass are
adapted to a variety of habitats from clear, rocky
lakes to shallow muddy ponds and slow-moving
rivers. Largemouth bass prefer warm water with
abundant aquatic vegetation. Angling Tips: Largemouth are often found in thick
weeds and near sunken wood. Overhanging trees
and docks also provide good largemouth hideouts. In most of the province bass season opens
the 4th Saturday in June. Fishing is often best in
the early morning and late evening as they tend to
take shelter during the day.
SMALLMOUTH BASS
Key Identifying Characteristics:
Medium sized, deep bodied
fish; back and sides green to
olive, belly is yellow to white; body often has dark
vertical broken bars.
Distribution/Habitat: Smallmouth bass are found
in lakes and rivers that are clear and rocky. Bass
concentrate around shoreline rocks and points
as well as offshore shoals, often in deep water.
Smallmouth bass are often found in habitat that is
suitable for trout, but throughout a wider range of
temperatures. Angling Tips: Fishing is often best in the early
morning and late evening. Smallmouth bass can
be found near deep underwater points, rocky
shoals, submerged islands and weed edges.
BLUEGILL
Key Identifying Characteristics:
Small, very deep bodied fish;
back and sides green to brown
with faint dark bars; belly is silver to yellow; ear flap
is entirely black without a pale edge and a black
spot can be found at the rear end of dorsal fin.
Distribution/Habitat: Bluegills are generally found
in warmer lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams
that are vegetated. Clear waters with moderate
weed growth support the best bluegill populations.
Angling Tips: Bluegill are part of a group of fish
known as sunfish. Catching sunfish is generally
easy, as they are aggressive feeders, take bait
readily and fight well on light tackle. These fish
are easily caught from shore and are accessible
to most anglers. They will feed all day and can
provide excellent action for children.
in the summer and will bite all day. Strong sunlight
will force them into covered areas so look for them
near docks and sunken wood. These fish are
easily caught from shore and are accessible to
most anglers. Rock bass spend most of their time
in a relatively small area. In late fall, they become
nearly dormant, feeding very little.
MUSKELLUNGE
Key Identifying Characteristics:
Very large, elongated fish; dark
vertical bands on light
background; at times spotted or clear; back may
be green-gold, brown, grey or silver; sides are
lighter and belly is beige to white. Distribution/Habitat: The muskellunge (or muskie)
is usually found concealed among aquatic plants
at the sides of channels, or off rocks and offshore
shoals in lakes and rivers in summer. Less than
one per cent of the world’s fresh water is home to
muskellunge and much of that water is in Ontario. Angling Tips: Peak periods occur in June and
again in the fall when water temperatures begin
to cool. However, the summer months produce
substantial numbers of medium-sized muskellunge.
Key fishing times include the morning and evening
when baitfish activity peaks. Because of its large
size and fighting qualities, the muskellunge is one
of Ontario’s most renowned game fish.
NORTHERN PIKE
COOL WATER SPECIES AND THEIR HABITATS
Key Identifying Characteristics:
Very large, elongated fish; light,
yellowish or white spots on
dark green background; background colour varies
from green to brown and is dark on the back
fading to creamy white on the belly.
Distribution/Habitat: In lakes, pike prefer vegetated
bays, creek mouths and shoals where they can
ambush prey. In the summer, large pike move to
deeper water to avoid higher water temperatures. Angling Tips: Pike are aggressive feeders and can
be caught year round. Key fishing times include
the morning and evening when baitfish activity
peaks; however, pike will bite throughout the day.
ROCK BASS
WALLEYE
Key Identifying Characteristics:
Small, very deep bodied fish;
back and upper sides are
brown to olive with golden tints and there are often
dark saddles; large, red eye. Distribution/Habitat: Rock bass prefer the cool
waters of lakes and slow-moving streams and are
often found over rocky bottoms. They are often
found in groups with other sunfishes and basses,
including smallmouth bass and pumpkinseed. Angling Tips: Rock bass are excellent targets
for young anglers because they are aggressive
feeders and take bait readily. They are most active
Key Identifying Characteristics:
Large, elongated fish; back is
olive-green to brown, sides
paler with yellow flecks; no distinct blotches or
bands on adults. Distribution/Habitat: Walleye (also known as pickerel), thrive in a range of river and lake conditions
from cold, clear water to warm, weedy and stained
water. Preferred cover includes weed, wood and
rock. Bottom types can be anything from soft mud
to flooded timber, rubble or bedrock. Angling Tips: Walleye are a light-avoiding fish,
caught most often under low light conditions.
Fishing is generally best on cloudy or overcast
days, or on days when waves keep light from
penetrating too deeply into the water. Prime
times include morning and evening. In springtime
walleye will take almost any bait or lure, but may
be more challenging to catch through the summer
months. Fall often brings another peak of walleye
feeding activity.
YELLOW PERCH
Key Identifying Characteristics:
Light yellow background with
6 to 8 dark, vertical bands on
sides; mouth large, extending to below the middle
of the eye.
Distribution/Habitat: Perch are most numerous
where there are areas of open water and moderate
amounts of vegetation. They often share habitat
with species such as walleye and bass. Angling Tips: After ice-out in late April and May,
perch are plentiful near shore, where they spawn.
Fishing weedlines and large, flat sandy or silty
areas with scattered vegetation near deeper water
pays off through the summer. Perch are comfortable in bright light and do not see well in dim light.
Schools of perch begin feeding in mid-morning
and they may continue to feed off and on throughout the day. Schools break up during the evening.
COLD WATER SPECIES AND THEIR HABITATS
BROWN TROUT
Key Identifying Characteristics:
White mouth and gums; back
is brown, blue, or green; sides
silvery; belly is white; dark spots on body. The only
salmon or trout with orange on adipose fin. Distribution/Habitat: In southern Ontario, brown
trout frequent pools or ponds fed by streams.
Although they hold their own in many turbulent,
fast-flowing streams, they appear to prefer quiet,
calm waters.
Angling Tips: In the Great Lakes, brown trout are
often best targeted by trolling. Brown trout are
often found in areas that are shallower and nearer
to shore than other species like rainbow trout and
Chinook salmon. Browns can also be targeted by
anglers casting from piers and break-walls. Brown
trout feed most aggressively at night.
and harbour mouths and off sandy and gravely
windward shorelines. During the summer, fish
disperse into deeper, cooler depths. Rainbow trout,
unlike other trout, are spring spawners, moving
up streams where the young remain, eventually
leaving to the lake to feed and mature.
CHINOOK SALMON
Key Identifying Characteristics:
Elongated, moderately
deep-bodied fish; back is blue
or green; sides are silvery; belly is white. Distribution/Habitat: In Ontario, Chinook salmon
spend most of their life in the cold waters of the
Great Lakes until they return to tributary streams
to spawn.
Angling Tips: Chinook salmon are extremely strong
fighters, with potential size being the main attraction for anglers. Chinooks are extremely sensitive
to light, and so are not likely to feed on the surface.
Salmon are migratory fish. In the late summer and
early fall, salmon are found at the mouth of rivers
waiting to move upstream to spawn. Once salmon
move upstream in the fall, they generally stop
feeding but are aggressive and territorial and will
hit the lure to defend.
LAKE STURGEON
Key Identifying Characteristics:
Underslung mouth, whiskers
and bony plates on sides
Length: 90-145 cm. (3-5 ft.)
Distribution/Habitat: Larger rivers and lakes, usually less than 30 feet deep.
Angling Tips: Sturgeon are a very resilient fish
and can be caught many times over. Hooking and
landing them, especially using circle hooks, will
not harm them. It’s how the fish is handled that will
determine its fate. Don’t pick them up vertically by
the gills or tail, a large treated landing net can be
used to avoid injury to the fish.
NOTE: Information provided by the Ontario Ministry of
Natural Resources. Illustrative purposes only.
Fish not to scale in reference to each other.
RAINBOW TROUT
Key Identifying Characteristics:
White mouth and gums; body
silver with dark spots; spots all
over tail in radiating rows.
Distribution/Habitat: Rainbows (often called steelhead) are widely distributed in the Great Lakes.
Angling Tips: Rainbow trout, as with other trout,
can be found in warmer, near-shore areas during
the spring. In particular, seek them near river
There’s always good fishing on
Niagara’s South Coast!
Lake Erie
Fishing Facts
Walleye range in size
from 16 to 22 inches, with
catch rates rivaling any
country
Yellow Perch has been
voted as the “tastiest
table fish” and the most
fun to catch
Lake Erie’s Perch range in
size from 7 to 12 inches
Late April, May, June,
August and September
are the best months to
fish for “smallies”
Small-mouth Bass are also
known as “bronzebacks