Lake Simcoe cheat sheet
Every fish, the licence and limits, the four rigs and the one box of tackle. One page to take to the water.
Lake Simcoe
Winter (about January to mid-March) is the main event for perch, trout and whitefish. Trout close 15 March, reopen the second Saturday in May. Perch are open all year.
Licence
You need an Ontario fishing licence and (unless it is a 1-day licence) an Outdoors Card, from the MNRF. Buy them at Hunt & Fish Ontario or ServiceOntario. Non-resident 2026: one-year sport about CAD $83.19, 8-day $54.38, 1-day $24.86; Outdoors Card $8.57 (listed fees; 13% HST added at checkout). The licence applies on the ice.
Sizes and bag limits
FMZ 16, Sport / Conservation: lake trout S-2 / C-1, whitefish S-2 / C-1, yellow perch S-50 / C-25 (Sport possession 100), walleye S-4 / C-2, not more than one over 46 cm. Check the FMZ 16 summary for the openers and pike limit.
Eating / handle with care
Whitefish, perch and lake trout are good eating within the limits. Before you keep a larger trout or pike, check the Ontario Guide to Eating Sport Fish for the size-based advice. Wet hands, release carefully.
Bank vs boat · season · time → rig
| Fish | On the ice (winter) | In open water (boat) | Best time / where | Rig |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake trout | Yes, humps and shoals early, deep later | Yes, deep over the main basin | Ice Jan – 15 Mar; open 2nd Sat May – 30 Sep; deep in summer | Ice fishing rig (winter) or trolling rig (open) |
| Lake whitefish | Yes, the same marks, sliding deeper | Deep and harder to target | Ice Jan – mid-Mar; bites softly, watch closely | Ice fishing rig with a light vertical jig |
| Yellow perch (jumbo) | Yes, over weed and flats, 3 – 12 m | Yes, from a boat | Ice all winter; open water all year; first and last light | Ice fishing rig (ice) or drop shot (open) |
| Northern pike | Yes, on a tip-up with a trace | Yes, weedy bays and cover | Low light; weedy bays; livebait or deadbait | Pike rig (trace, lure or bait) |
Winter is an ice trip for perch, trout and whitefish over the right depth. Open water is a deep troll for trout and a drop shot for perch.
The rigs
Short ice rod → light braid/mono → small jigging spoon or tear-drop jig (3–14 g) worked by hand; a tip-up or dead-stick nearby with a still minnow at depth
Palomar (spoon/jig/swivel) · non-slip loop (free-swinging spoon)Downrigger or leadcore to set the depth → mono/fluoro leader → spoon for deep lake trout; a boat-and-gear method (charter or your own)
Palomar (the workhorse)Braid → swivel → light fluoro leader → hook in-line (#4–#1) point-up, tag to a 3–14 g weight; a 2–3" soft plastic for perch
Palomar (everything)Braid → swivel → pike trace (wire or 0.50–0.90 mm fluoro) → big shad/spoon on a jighead, or a deadbait under a float (or a tip-up on the ice)
Palomar (trace and swivel) · non-slip loop (lure, optional)What you need
One light spin outfit and a small terminal box cover open-water perch and pike. A short ice rod, spoons, an auger (or a booked hut) and the ice-safety kit cover winter. The deep troll is a charter's gear.
The knots
| Knot | Ties | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| Palomar | Hook, swivel, jig, spoon, trace; strong on braid and fluoro, the workhorse. | Every rig |
| Dropper loop | A standing loop for a dropper above the jig. | Ice fishing rig (dropper) |
| Non-slip loop | A fixed loop at a spoon or jig for free movement. | Ice fishing rig, pike lures (optional) |
Learn the Palomar first; it ties most of this. Wet every knot before you pull it tight.
This one page is the printable I take to the water.
Give me an email and I will show it to you, ready to print. A one-page reference: what's on by month, the licence and rules, a rig for every fish, the shared tackle box and the knots.
I'll send you the cheat sheet, and email you when I add a new place to fish. Nothing else.