Latest news on regulation

The general sport fishing rules are published every two years on April 1. Here you will find all the new rules in effect on April 1, 2022.

In addition to carrying your valid fishing licence when you fish, you are now also required to carry photo identification to confirm your identity. This identification must be issued by the government, one of its ministers or a public agency. You must be able to show your licence and identification to a Wildlife Officer or Assistant Wildlife Officer on the spot when requested.

The new rules regarding this fishing zone are as follows:​​​​

• Modification of the fishing period and gear permitted for several species, except Atlantic salmon, in several estuaries of salmon rivers.
• Closure of Atlantic salmon fishing in the area downstream of the rivières Saint‑Jean, Bonaventure and Petite‑Cascapédia.
• Modification of the daily catch limit for char in several salmon rivers.
• Implementation of a length limit for char in some salmon rivers: less than 30 cm.
• Modification of the fishing period for striped bass.
• Modification of the daily catch limit for Atlantic salmon in some parts of the rivières Grand Pabos, Grand Pabos Ouest and Petit Pabos.
• Modification of the fishing period for all species in Parc national de la Gaspésie, wildlife santuaries Port‑Daniel and Dunière, and ZECs Baillargeon and des Anses.

See all the particular rules for zone 1.

The new rules regarding this fishing zone are as follows:

• Modification of the fishing periods for striped bass in some parts of the salmon rivers Moulin, Humqui, Kedgwick, Milnikek and Patapedia.
• Modification of the daily catch limit for char in some salmon rivers.

See all the particular rules for zone 2.

Modification of the fishing period for bass and muskellunge: fixed opening on June 15.

See all the particular rules for zone 5.

The new rules regarding this fishing zone are as follows:

• Modification of the fishing period for bass and muskellunge: fixed opening on June 15.
• Reduced daily catch limits in lac Memphrémagog
  • Char, landlocked salmon, lake trout, trout: 2 in total with a maximum of 1 lake trout.
  • Yellow perch: 25.
• Modification to the winter fishing period in lac Memphrémagog: from December 20 to March 31. Fishing can only be carried out through continuous ice of a minimum thickness of 10 cm.

See all the particular rules for zone 6.

The new rules regarding bait fish are as follows:

• Modification of the fishing period for bass and muskellunge: fixed opening on June 15.
• Modification of the fishing period and daily catch limit for char and trout in the rivière Nicolet area in Notre-Dame-de-Ham and Ham-Nord (formerly Pêche Nicolet areas 1 and 2).
• Extension of the moratorium on recreational and commercial yellow perch fishing in lac Saint-Pierre and the fleuve Saint-Laurent area between pont Laviolette and Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets, effective May 4, 2022, for a period of five years.

See all the particular rules for zone 7.

The new rules regarding bait fish are as follows:

• Modification of the fishing period for bass and muskellunge: fixed opening on June 15.
• Extension of the moratorium on recreational and commercial yellow perch fishing in lac Saint-Pierre and the fleuve Saint-Laurent area between pont Laviolette and Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets, effective May 4, 2022, for a period of five years.

See all the particular rules for zone 8.

Modification of the fishing period for bass and muskellunge: fixed opening on June 15.

See all the particular rules for zone 9.

The new rules regarding this fishing zone are as follows:

• Modification of the fishing period for bass and muskellunge: fixed opening on June 15.
• Prohibition of fishing from April 1 to June 14 in an area of the unnamed creek (Post Creek or Passe Crique).
• Reduced daily catch limit for landlocked salmon in Grand lac Nominingue: 1.
• Prohibition of fishing for lake trout and splake trout and modification of the fishing period for all other species in lac des Isles (46°17'18" N., 75°03'16" W.) (municipality of Lac‑Ernest).
• Modification of the fishing period of sturgeon in the ZEC Saint‑Patrice.

See all the particular rules for zone 10.

The new rules regarding this fishing zone are as follows:

• Modification of the fishing period for bass and muskellunge: fixed opening on June 15.
• Modification of the fishing period for all species in lac Moore (Mont‑Tremblant): open one day in the winter on the first Sunday of February.
• Modification of the fishing periods for several species in ZEC Petawaga.

See all the particular rules for zone 11.

The new rules regarding this fishing zone are as follows:

• Modification of the length limits for walleye in the La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve.
• Modification of the fishing period for char and trout in lacs Laniel 1 and 2: fishing opens during March.

See all the particular rules for zone 13.

Modification of the fishing period for bass and muskellunge: fixed opening on June 15.

See all the particular rules for zone 15.

The new rules regarding this fishing zone are as follows:

• Harmonization with zone 13 of the fishing period and daily catch limit for walleye and sauger in lacs Turgeon and aux Loutres.
• Harmonization with zone 14 of the fishing period for walleye and sauger, and walleye length limit, in lac Nelson.

See all the particular rules for zone 16.

Modification of the fishing period for pike: fixed opening on June 1.

See all the particular rules for zone 19.

The new rules regarding this fishing zone are as follows:

• Modification of the fishing period for pike: fixed opening on June 1.
• New fishing conditions in the Tshitassinu – La Romaine sector:
  • Modification of fishing periods, except for réservoir Romaine‑1, for an area of rivière Romaine, for lac Maurice (50°57'41" N., 63°23'27" W.) and for 4 unnamed lakes (50°23'57" N., 63°15'32" W.), (50°57'97" N., 63°24'36" W.), (51°19'43" N., 63°34'10" W.), (51°44'16" N., 63°43'59" W.)
  • There is no longer a requirement to obtain a right of access and report fishing activities.

See all the particular rules for zone 19.

Modification of the fishing period for several species: fixed opening on April 16.

See all the particular rules for zone 20.

The new rules regarding this fishing zone are as follows:

• Modification of the fishing period for bass and muskellunge: fixed opening on June 15.
• Modification of the fishing period and daily catch limit for char in the baie des Chaleurs and along the northern coast of the Gaspé Peninsula, east of pointe Santerre of Rimouski.
• Modification of the fishing period striped bass in some parts of zone 21.
• Closing of landlocked salmon fishing in zone 21. Landlocked salmon is considered to be absent from the zone. Two exceptions still allow landlocked salmon fishing, including a part of the rivière Saguenay and a part of the rivière aux Outardes.
• Modification of the daily catch limit for landlocked salmon in a part of the rivières Saguenay and aux Outardes.
• Closure of Atlantic salmon fishing in a part of rivière du Gouffre.
• Modification of the fishing gear permitted for several species in several estuaries of salmon rivers.

See all the particular rules for zone 21.

The new rules regarding this fishing zone are as follows:

• Modification of the fishing period for bass and muskellunge: fixed opening on June 15.
• Opening of winter fishing in lacs Croche (Sainte-Thècle) and du Pendu (La Tuque).
• Modification of the fishing period for bass in lac du Jésuite (Sainte-Thècle).

See all the particular rules for zone 26.

The new rules regarding this fishing zone are as follows:

• Modification of the fishing period for bass and muskellunge: fixed opening on June 15.
• Opening of fishing in lac au Chien and rivière Ontaritzi at the Station forestière Duchesnay.
• Opening of winter fishing for all species in lac Noir in Saint-Siméon starting in winter 2023.
• Modification of the fishing period for walleye and pike on rivière Jacques-Cartier, between its mouth and the Donnacona dam: opening one week earlier.
• Opening of fishing in an area of rivière Gosford in Saint-Raymond.
• Harmonization of the fishing period for all species in Grands-Jardins National Park.
• Harmonization of the fishing period for all species, except Atlantic salmon, in the rivière Malbaie parts in the ZEC des Martres and the Hautes-Gorges de la Rivière-Malbaie National Park.

See all the particular rules for zone 27.

The new rules regarding this fishing zone are as follows:

• Modification of the fishing period for walleye, sauger and pike: fixed opening on June 1^st.
• Modification of the permitted gear for walleye and sauger fishing in the Lac‑Saint‑Jean communal wildlife area and the ZEC des Passes: prohibition of bow fishing, crossbow fishing and spear fishing while swimming.
• Modification of the permitted gear for char fishing in rivière Éternité and ruisseau Benouche: prohibition of bow fishing, crossbow fishing and spear fishing while swimming.
• Modification of the fishing period for all species in several bodies of water in the Lac-Saint-Jean communal wildlife area: opening and closure on fixed dates.
• Reduced daily catch and possession limit for landlocked salmon in the Lac-Saint-Jean communal wildlife area.
• Modification of the fishing period and catch limit for char in some parts of rivières à Mars and Sainte-Marguerite.
• Harmonization of the fishing period for all species with the Atlantic salmon fishing period for two parts of the rivière Saint-Jean in Saguenay.
• Opening of winter fishing at lacs aux Foins, Kapapameutanu and Mathieu.
• Reduced daily catch and possession limit for char and trout in lac Rhéaume: 10 in total.

See all the particular rules for zone 28.