Last reviewed: 2026-05-23 > Quick answer: Rice Lake still fishes well in 2026, but the smart move is to adjust your expectations. Smallmouth bass (season opens June 20), muskellunge (opens June 6) and crappie are the strong bets right now. Walleye (opens May 9) are still in...
Last reviewed: 2026-05-23
Quick answer: Rice Lake still fishes well in 2026, but the smart move is to adjust your expectations. Smallmouth bass (season opens June 20), muskellunge (opens June 6) and crappie are the strong bets right now. Walleye (opens May 9) are still in the lake but harder to box, with many fish falling outside the 35 to 50 cm keeper slot. Always confirm current regulations at ontario.ca before you launch.
Rice Lake earned its name as a walleye lake in an era most of today's anglers never fished. The 1970s reputation still pulls people in. The 2026 reality is more interesting, and more honest, than the brochure version.
Here is the short version from the south shore. The lake is still very much worth your weekend. The species mix has shifted. Smallmouth, muskie and crappie are in good shape. Walleye are complicated. And there is a stretch of 1850s railway sitting just under the surface that will end your day early if you do not know it is there.
Harris Boat Works has sat on the south shore of Rice Lake since 1947. That is a long time to stand on a dock and listen to anglers tell you what is biting, where, and on what. This guide is built from that: real spots, honest species talk, and regulations confirmed straight from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
What Rice Lake Actually Is
Rice Lake runs roughly 32 km from Bewdley at the west end to Hastings at the east, covering about 100 square kilometres. It is shallow, with a maximum depth of only about 8 metres (27 feet) and large areas far shallower than that. It is warm, weedy and fertile. That shallowness is not a weakness. It is exactly why the lake grows the fish it does. Heavy weed growth, warm summer water and a deep food chain all stack up in an angler's favour.
The lake sits at the south end of the Kawartha chain and drains through the Trent-Severn Waterway. The Otonabee River feeds in from the north near Peterborough, and the Trent River flows out to the east at Hastings. Hiawatha First Nation occupies the north shore and Alderville First Nation the southeast shore. Both communities were here long before the anglers.
Rice Lake takes its name from the wild rice that the Mississauga Anishinaabe harvested from these waters for generations. When the Trent-Severn Waterway raised water levels in the 1920s, most of that wild rice was lost. It was a permanent change to the lake's ecology, and as you will see in the walleye section, the same water management that drowned the rice still shapes the fishing today.
Rice Lake Fishing Regulations for 2026
Rice Lake sits in Fisheries Management Zone 17 (FMZ 17). The seasons and limits below are confirmed against the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources FMZ 17 summary. Regulations are the one part of this guide you should never take on trust from any blog, including ours. Confirm everything at ontario.ca/fishing before you go.
| Species |
2026 Season |
Sport Limit |
Conservation Limit |
Notes |
| Walleye and sauger |
May 9 to Nov 15 |
4 |
1 |
Keep only fish 35 to 50 cm |
| Bass (largemouth and smallmouth) |
June 20 to Dec 15 |
6 |
2 |
Combined limit, both species |
| Muskellunge |
June 6 to Dec 15 |
1 |
0 |
Must be over 112 cm (44 in) |
| Northern pike |
Open all year |
6 |
2 |
- |
| Yellow perch |
Open all year |
50 |
25 |
- |
| Black crappie |
Open all year |
30 |
10 |
- |
| Channel catfish |
Apr 25 to Nov 15 |
12 |
6 |
- |
A few things worth spelling out:
The walleye slot. You may keep walleye only if they measure between 35 cm and 50 cm, roughly 14 to 20 inches. Anything under 35 cm goes back. Anything over 50 cm goes back. On a Sport licence the limit is 4 walleye. On a Conservation licence it is 1. If you find yourself releasing fish after fish over the 50 cm mark, that is the lake telling you something. More on that below.
Muskie is a big-fish-only fishery. A muskellunge must be over 112 cm, about 44 inches, to keep, and the Conservation licence limit is zero. The honest expectation here is catch, photo and release. A Rice Lake muskie over the size limit is the fish of the season for most anglers.
The Otonabee River sanctuary. The stretch of the Otonabee from the Trent-Severn dam at Peterborough down to Bensfort Bridge is a fish sanctuary closed to all fishing through the spring. It reopens the Friday after the walleye opener, which makes it May 16, 2026. There is also sanctuary water around the dam at Hastings. Watch for posted signs.
Licence-free weekends. In 2026 you can fish Ontario without a licence on May 9 to 10, June 20 to 21, and June 27 to July 5. Conservation limits and all size and sanctuary rules still apply on those days.
Walleye: The Complicated One
Rice Lake built its name on walleye, and that reputation was earned. The honest 2026 version is more nuanced.
What anglers actually report now is fewer fish overall, and a frustrating number of the fish that do come over the side measuring above the 50 cm slot. Large, healthy adults that look at you with complete indifference as you slide them back. Keeper-slot fish between 35 and 50 cm are there, but they take real effort.
Why? The Trent-Severn Waterway's water management has worked against walleye spawning for decades. Gates release cold, fast water during the spring spawn. Winter drawdowns lower the lake and can freeze shallow bays to the bottom. Hatched fry get swept into current they cannot fight. The walleye that are in the lake are there despite the system, not because of it.
So the 2026 mindset is to fish walleye for the experience as much as the cooler. A 55 cm Rice Lake walleye is a legitimate trophy. Releasing the over-slot fish carefully is part of what keeps this fishery from sliding further. Treat every keeper-slot fish like the gift it is.
Where to find them:
- Spring opener (May 9): Weed flats northwest of Bewdley in 5 to 8 feet. Cover water with silver lipless crankbaits at a medium retrieve. The mouth of the Otonabee where it meets the lake is the other early option, with jigs tipped with worms or minnows worked through the deeper holding water.
- Early summer: Weed edges and transition zones. Troll crankbaits or cast jerkbaits along the weed lines as they fill in through June.
- Midsummer: The channels on the south end, roughly 17 to 21 feet of water south of Gores Landing. A chartreuse worm harness on a slow troll behind a kicker is the classic move. When you catch one, anchor and switch to jigs with bait, because these are school fish.
- Fall: Pre-winter feeding in the main channel east of Gores Landing, 15 to 22 feet. Bigger fish, trolling and jigging.
Smallmouth Bass: The Best Bet Right Now
Time for the honest 2026 ranking. If you want to go home having caught fish and enjoyed yourself, come for the smallmouth. Rice Lake smallmouth are in excellent shape. The population is healthy, 2 to 4 pound fish are routine, and 5 pound smallmouth turn up every season.
Bass season opens June 20, 2026, and runs to December 15.
Where and how:
- The railway drop-off near Tic Island: The rubble of the old sunken railway is the most reliable smallmouth structure on the lake. The rock holds crayfish, and crayfish are exactly what Rice Lake smallmouth want. Tube jigs in natural colours and a drop-shot rig both produce here.
- Rocky points on the north shore: Look for the spot where sand meets rock meets weed. That three-way transition is where Rice Lake smallmouth set up.
- Deep structure in summer: As the water climbs into the low 20s Celsius, smallmouth slide out to 15 to 17 feet on rock and gravel. Finesse jigs, small tubes and a drop-shot worm get them when surface traffic pushes everything down.
Tournament anglers run events on Rice Lake regularly, and the programs that win are exactly this: jigs, drop-shots and small finesse baits over rock. If that is what the tournament crowd trusts, the rest of us should take the hint.
Largemouth Bass: Buried in the Bewdley Weeds
Largemouth are the other half of that combined bass limit, and in summer they are deep in the salad. The weed flats north of Bewdley get thick enough by July to choke the southwest bay. That is not a problem. That is a largemouth hotel.
How to fish it:
- Texas-rigged worms and jigs in the holes and pockets: Motor-oil and smoke colours. Run 14 pound test or heavier, because you are pulling fish out of vegetation, not playing them through it.
- Soft stick worms on a wacky or Neko rig: Open pockets and shallow hard bottom near weeds in 6 to 8 feet. A slow fall keeps the bait in the strike zone.
- Topwater at dawn: Early-morning surface feeds along the weed edges are some of the most fun fishing on the lake. Poppers, walking baits and frogs. Be quiet about it.
- The Otonabee stumps and Bensfort Bridge pads: The stumpy water up the Otonabee holds good largemouth early in the season, and the lily pads near Bensfort Bridge are made for frogs.
Muskellunge: Why Serious Anglers Make the Drive
If you want a real shot at muskie in southern Ontario without a five-hour drive north, Rice Lake is the answer. The population runs the full length of the lake from Bewdley to Hastings. Fish in the 10 to 15 pound range are common, 20 to 25 pounds is not a surprise, and the lake has given up muskie around the 30 pound mark.
Muskie season opens June 6, 2026. The size limit is 112 cm, about 44 inches. Bring the proper gear before you start: a long-handled net, a release tool, and the willingness to finish every cast with a figure-8.
Where and how:
- The submerged railway near Tic Island: The old railway rubble creates exactly the ambush cover muskie love, with hard-to-soft transitions and depth changes. It holds fish all year. It also holds props, so read the railway section below before you run it.
- Weed edges on a chop: Cast large bucktails along the weed lines when there is wind on the water. Wind puts muskie on the feed. Glass-calm and 28 degrees is the time to lower your expectations.
- Deep-channel trolling in midsummer: Pull 6 to 9 inch crankbaits in perch patterns along the deeper south channel. The troll covers water, and covering water is how you find muskie.
Crappie and Panfish: The Underrated Catch
Ask a local where to take the kids, or where to get a steady bite when the walleye are sulking, and the answer is crappie. Rice Lake holds a large crappie population. The warm, fertile, weedy water is ideal habitat.
Small jigs under a float in white or chartreuse, worked around submerged timber, dock edges and weed openings in 6 to 12 feet, is all it takes. Crappie school hard. When you find one, you have usually found fifty. Put a ten-year-old on a school like that and you have a fishing partner for life.
Yellow perch are available all year and spread through the lake. Sunfish and rock bass fill out the shallow weed zone and will eat almost anything small you throw. These fish do not get the respect they deserve.
Northern Pike and Catfish: The Overlooked Two
Pike get ignored on Rice Lake because walleye and muskie take all the attention. Use that. The weedy north-shore bays hold pike through spring and fall, the season is open all year, and spring pike on spinnerbaits and jerkbaits in warming bays is good, simple fun that most anglers drive straight past.
Channel catfish are real here too, they grow large, and almost nobody targets them. The east end near Hastings, in the deeper Trent River channel, is the spot. Cut bait on the bottom after dark. Mind the sanctuary water around the Hastings dam and fish below it.
The Submerged Railway: Know It Before You Run It
The Cobourg and Peterborough Railway crossed Rice Lake in 1854, connecting Harwood on the south shore to the north side near Hiawatha. Ice damaged the crossing badly, and by the early 1860s the Rice Lake section was finished for good.
It left two structures you need to know about. The Harwood causeway runs from the south shore toward Tic Island as a solid fill, and parts of it sit above water where you can see the embankment. The deeper trestle sections north of Tic Island are the problem. They sit roughly 4 feet under the surface. The original berm was built about 4 feet above the old high-water mark, and when the Trent-Severn raised the lake in the 1920s, it went under.
Local anglers know where it is. The fish know even better, because the rubble holds crayfish and baitfish, which means it holds smallmouth, walleye and muskie year round. It is some of the best structure on the lake. It is also one of the fastest ways to wreck a prop and end your day.
The practical rule: the first time you fish that part of the lake, run it at idle until you have the structure marked on your chartplotter. Locals run it with confidence because they know it. After one careful pass, so will you.
Rice Lake Fishing Season by Season
| Window |
What Is Happening |
Best Targets |
| May 9 to June 5 |
Walleye opener, cold water, slow but catchable at dawn and dusk |
Walleye, pike, crappie, perch |
| June 6 to June 19 |
Muskie opens, water warming, fish active |
Muskie, walleye, panfish |
| June 20 onward |
Bass opens, full season, summer patterns set in |
All species |
| July to August |
Heat pushes fish deep, fish early and late |
Smallmouth, largemouth, walleye |
| September to October |
Muskie prime, cooling water, aggressive fish |
Muskie, smallmouth, walleye |
| Ice season |
Hard-water perch, crappie and pike; no walleye after Nov 15 |
Perch, crappie, pike |
One seasonal warning worth its own line. Rice Lake runs east to west, so a west wind builds fetch across the entire 32 km length. A pleasant morning can turn into a rough afternoon in about 90 minutes on a hot summer day. Launch early, keep an eye on the sky, and make sure you have enough motor to get a full boat home against a chop. Our Rice Lake boating guide covers navigation and conditions in more depth.
Rigging a Boat for Rice Lake
Rice Lake does not ask for an exotic boat. It asks for a sensible one.
Best fit: 16 to 18 ft aluminum, 90 HP, plus a kicker
The standard Rice Lake fishing rig is a 16 to 18 foot aluminum console boat, a Mercury 90 HP FourStroke as the main motor, and a Mercury 9.9 ProKicker for trolling. The 90 handles the open-water runs and the afternoon chop. The kicker handles the slow walleye trolls without running your main engine for hours at low RPM. Together they cover everything the lake throws at you.
Most Rice Lake fishing boats are correctly powered at 90 HP. Step up to 115 HP if you regularly run with four or more people aboard. Your capacity plate sets the legal maximum horsepower, so check it before you shop. If you are weighing a kicker against an electric trolling motor, or thinking about the right main motor for Rice Lake fishing, we have separate guides on both.
What We See at HBW
The kicker question is the one we settle most often for Rice Lake anglers, so here is the shop-floor version.
The walleye channels south of Gores Landing are 17 to 21 feet deep, and a productive troll over that weedy bottom can run four to six hours. A main outboard is not built to idle at trolling speed for that long, day after day. A dedicated Mercury 9.9 ProKicker is built for exactly that job, it sips fuel doing it, and if your main motor quits at the Hastings end of the lake, the kicker is a 32 km tow you do not have to pay for. It tends to pay for itself the first time either of those things happens.
The other thing we see is underpowered boats. Someone buys a hull, puts the smallest motor that will technically push it on the transom, and then meets a west wind with a full boat and a long way back to the ramp. Power the boat for the lake's worst afternoon, not its calmest morning. When in doubt, build a live Mercury quote for your exact hull and we will talk it through.
Boat Launches on Rice Lake
| Launch |
Why Use It |
| Bewdley (west end) |
Closest to the walleye weed flats and the Otonabee River mouth |
| Harwood (south shore) |
Mid-lake access, closest to the railway structure |
| Gores Landing (south shore) |
Mid-lake, near the south-channel walleye water, and home to HBW |
| Hastings (east end) |
East-end access for muskie and catfish water |
| Hiawatha First Nation (north shore) |
Check the current public access policy before you use it |
For ramp details, parking and conditions, see our full Rice Lake boat launch guide.
Common Mistakes
- Running the railway blind. The trestle north of Tic Island sits about 4 feet down and is invisible from the surface. First time through, idle until it is on your screen.
- Misreading the walleye slot. The 35 to 50 cm window is a keep window. Fish under it and over it both go back. The big ones you are proud of are usually over-slot releases.
- Treating the Otonabee sanctuary as open on the walleye opener. That stretch reopens the Friday after the opener, May 16 in 2026, not May 9. Watch for posted signs.
- Underpowering the boat. Rice Lake's afternoon west wind is the real test. Rig for that, not for the calm launch.
- Skipping the kicker for trolling. Hours of low-RPM idling is hard on a main outboard. A kicker does that work and doubles as your get-home motor.
- Trusting a blog for regulations. Including this one. Confirm seasons and limits at ontario.ca/fishing every season.
A Note on the Lake's Future
The walleye situation on Rice Lake is not a secret, and it is not fixing itself. The Trent-Severn Waterway's water management continues to compromise the spawn year after year, and the Trent-Severn is run by Parks Canada. A local Save the Walleye effort has spent years pushing for changes to how water is moved during the spawning window. It has drawn attention. It has not yet produced a change in practice.
What is left in the meantime is anglers doing their part. Release the over-slot fish without a second thought. Handle every fish carefully. Fish with a bit of patience for what the lake can actually offer in 2026 rather than what it offered in 1975.
And here is the thing worth remembering: the bass, the muskie, the crappie and the pike are all in good shape. The lake is still worth every trip. It is simply asking you to be a slightly different angler than the one who grew up on walleye stories. Learn the railway drop-offs. Find the crappie schools. Photograph a big muskie and let it swim. That is the 2026 Rice Lake experience, and it is a good one.
Related guides
- Rice Lake Boating Guide 2026: Launches, Hazards, Fish, and a Local's Notes: A local's guide to Rice Lake, launches, the sunken railway hazard, fishing seasons (FMZ 17), launches.
- Why Boat Rentals and Shared Access Are Booming in 2026: How Harris Boat Works Gets You on the Water: The boat rental market is surging across North America. Here's why shared boating is exploding, what's.
- Trent-Severn Waterway 2026: Free Lockage, Hours, and a Local's Trip Plan: 2026 Trent-Severn boating guide, free lockage dates, hours, locking-through tips, and a trip plan from a.
- Best Mercury Outboard for Rice Lake Fishing: A Local's Complete Guide (2026): A local's complete guide to Rice Lake fishing in 2026: species, seasons, FMZ 17 regulations, the sunken.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does walleye season open on Rice Lake in 2026?
Walleye season in Fisheries Management Zone 17 opens May 9, 2026 and closes November 15. Retained walleye must measure between 35 and 50 cm. The limit is 4 on a Sport licence and 1 on a Conservation licence. Always confirm at ontario.ca/fishing before you go.
When does bass season open on Rice Lake in 2026?
Bass season opens June 20, 2026, the third Saturday in June, and runs to December 15. Largemouth and smallmouth share a combined limit of 6 on a Sport licence and 2 on a Conservation licence.
Is Rice Lake still a good walleye lake?
Rice Lake still holds walleye, but 2026 anglers should expect fewer fish and a lot of them over the 50 cm slot. Keeper-slot fish take real effort. The lake's strongest fisheries right now are smallmouth bass, muskellunge and crappie.
What is the walleye slot size on Rice Lake?
You may keep walleye only if they measure between 35 and 50 cm, roughly 14 to 20 inches. Fish under 35 cm and over 50 cm must be released. The slot is a keep window, not a release window.
Where is the sunken railway on Rice Lake?
The old Cobourg and Peterborough Railway crossed near Tic Island. The deeper trestle sections north of the island sit about 4 feet underwater and are invisible from the surface. Run that area at idle until you have the structure marked on your chartplotter.
What size motor do I need for a Rice Lake fishing boat?
A 16 to 18 foot aluminum fishing boat is well matched to a Mercury 90 HP FourStroke, stepping up to 115 HP for heavier loads. A 9.9 ProKicker is worth adding for walleye trolling. Always stay within the maximum horsepower on your capacity plate.
Does Harris Boat Works sell fishing licences?
No. Ontario fishing licences and the Outdoors Card are sold through the province. Get yours at ontario.ca/fishing. We are happy to help with boats, motors and rigging.
Can I fish Rice Lake without a licence in 2026?
Ontario has licence-free fishing weekends on May 9 to 10, June 20 to 21, and June 27 to July 5, 2026. Conservation limits and all size and sanctuary rules still apply on those days.
Sources
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fisheries Management Zone 17 regulations summary: seasons, limits and sanctuaries (ontario.ca)
- Ontario family fishing and licence-free fishing dates (ontario.ca)
- Cobourg and District Historical Society: Cobourg and Peterborough Railway history
- Save the Walleye committee: Rice Lake walleye spawning concerns
- On-the-water spots and techniques: decades of Rice Lake angler reports through the Harris Boat Works dock
Always confirm current regulations at ontario.ca/fishing before you fish.
Plan Your Rice Lake Season
Whether you are rigging a new boat for the lake or repowering the one you have, we can help you match the motor to the water. Harris Boat Works has been on the south shore of Rice Lake since 1947, and a Mercury dealer since 1965.
Phone: 905-342-2153
Build a quote: mercuryrepower.ca
Address: 5369 Harris Boat Works Rd, Gores Landing, ON
Related guides:
