Last reviewed: 2026-05-28 > Quick answer: A typical Lake Ontario salmon setup runs a Mercury main outboard (150-250 HP for 19-22 ft aluminum) plus a Mercury 9.9 ProKicker for trolling and backup. Plan for a 40-60 A alternator minimum, 70-90 A for comfortable headroom with 4...
Last reviewed: 2026-05-28
Quick answer: A typical Lake Ontario salmon setup runs a Mercury main outboard (150-250 HP for 19-22 ft aluminum) plus a Mercury 9.9 ProKicker for trolling and backup. Plan for a 40-60 A alternator minimum, 70-90 A for comfortable headroom with 4 electric downriggers, sonar, and lights running simultaneously. Dual-battery wiring with a battery isolator or VSR (voltage sensitive relay) is the standard configuration. HBW services Lake Ontario boats from Port Hope (20 minutes) and Cobourg (15 minutes). Build a Mercury quote at mercuryrepower.ca.
Lake Ontario salmon fishing puts more demands on a Mercury outboard setup than almost any other Ontario fishery. Long days at trolling speed. Heavy electrical load from electric downriggers, sonar, and lights. Charging system has to hold voltage at idle. Kicker needs to run for hours at consistent low RPM. Dual-battery management matters.
This guide is the dealer-side perspective on rigging a Lake Ontario salmon boat for the work it actually does. Written from HBW's position at Rice Lake, 15 to 20 minutes drive from the Port Hope and Cobourg ports that most north-shore charter and recreational anglers launch from.
Drive time from HBW to Lake Ontario ports
A clarification because we hear this misread: Port Hope is approximately 20 minutes drive from HBW. Cobourg is approximately 15 minutes. Both ports are well within practical service-destination range for Lake Ontario north-shore salmon anglers. HBW services Lake Ontario boats regularly. We do not provide service calls away from Rice Lake; boats come to us.
For Port Hope and Cobourg boat owners specifically, HBW is often the closer Mercury Platinum service option compared to dealers further west toward the GTA.
The main motor decision
For Lake Ontario salmon work, the main motor sizing depends primarily on boat type and length.
19 to 20 ft aluminum V-hull (Princecraft, Lund, similar): Mercury 150 to 200 HP. The 150 is adequate for most cottage salmon use. The 200 gives better headroom for heavier loads and longer runs to deeper water.
21 to 22 ft aluminum V-hull or hardtop: Mercury 200 to 250 HP. The 200 is the practical sweet spot for most owners. The 250 V8 FourStroke or 250 Pro XS is the upgrade for boats that travel further offshore or run heavier.
Center console or deep-V offshore: typically 250+ HP Mercury Verado V8 or V10, sometimes twin engines for redundancy on longer offshore runs.
Charter captain perspective: Lake Ontario north-shore charter operators we work with typically run Mercury 200 to 250 HP main motors with a Mercury 9.9 ProKicker for trolling. Higher alternator output is spec'd than recreational setups because charter boats run more electronics for longer days.
The kicker conversation: Mercury 9.9 ProKicker
For salmon trolling, the kicker is genuinely critical. Slow trolling for hours on the main motor is hard on the main motor and noisy. A 9.9 ProKicker handles the trolling work and serves as backup if the main fails.
Why Mercury ProKicker specifically:
- Engineered for sustained low-RPM trolling (not just a small outboard pressed into kicker duty)
- High-thrust gear ratio optimized for low-speed control
- Available with electric start and remote control for helm-mounted operation
- Mercury SmartCraft Troll Control compatible on suitable engine families
- Counter-rotating prop versions available for twin-kicker configurations
Kicker sizing: The 9.9 ProKicker is the volume choice. For larger boats (22+ ft) or heavy-load Lake Ontario work, the Mercury 15 or 20 ProKicker provides more thrust margin. We've installed all three across our Lake Ontario customer base.
Common boat brands we set up for Mercury kicker installs: Princecraft is the most-common brand we rig. Lund, Lund Pro-V, MirroCraft, and Sylvan are also frequent. Older Alumacraft hulls come through with kicker upgrades regularly.
Mercury SmartCraft Troll Control
Mercury SmartCraft Troll Control allows fine-grained control of trolling speed through the main motor's SmartCraft network. For boats with the right engine family, it can hold a target speed precisely (e.g., 2.4 MPH for spoon trolling) regardless of wave action or current.
HBW has installed Mercury SmartCraft Troll Control for Lake Ontario salmon anglers. It's not the right choice for every setup. For boats running a 9.9 ProKicker, the kicker handles the trolling work and SmartCraft Troll Control isn't needed. For boats running only a main motor for trolling (uncommon but real), SmartCraft Troll Control can replace the kicker setup at significantly lower cost.
The right answer depends on use case, boat size, and what you're already running. We'll walk through it on a quote.
Alternator capacity for 4-downrigger setups
The electrical math matters. Electric downriggers draw significant current during retrieval cycles. Add a sonar, a chartplotter, navigation lights, courtesy lights, and a livewell, and the total electrical load can exceed what a basic 30-40 amp alternator can sustain.
Per-downrigger draw: Modern electric downriggers (Cannon, Scotty) typically pull 6-10 amps during retrieval, less during deployment. For 4 downriggers running concurrent retrieval cycles, peak draw can hit 32-40 amps just for the riggers.
Add the other electronics: Sonar 1-3 A, chartplotter 0.5-2 A, nav lights 1-2 A, livewell pump 3-5 A, courtesy lights 0.5-2 A. Total ancillary draw 6-14 A.
Practical alternator minimum: A 40 to 60 amp alternator at 12V on the main motor is the realistic floor for a 4-downrigger Lake Ontario setup, assuming typical cycling patterns and a separate cranking battery.
Comfortable headroom: For boats that want "everything on, everything works" without voltage drop concerns, a 70 to 90 amp main alternator is the safer target. For Verado V8 and V10 motors, this is standard. For Mercury 150 to 200 FourStroke, the alternator output is typically in the 35-65 A range stock, depending on model year.
If you're running heavy electrical loads, factor alternator capacity into the main motor selection.
Dual-battery configuration
A separate house battery for the electronics, kept apart from the cranking battery for the main motor, is the standard Lake Ontario salmon configuration. Two main wiring approaches:
Battery isolator / VSR (Voltage Sensitive Relay): Automatically connects the batteries when the main motor is running (alternator outputs above ~13.3V), disconnects when the motor is off. Cranking battery is protected from house-loads when the motor isn't running.
Manual battery switch (1 / 2 / Both / Off): Owner manually selects which battery is in use. Less automated but gives full control. Common on older setups.
For modern Lake Ontario salmon rigs we set up at HBW, we generally recommend the VSR / ACR (Automatic Charging Relay) approach. The Blue Sea Systems ACRs are a known-good option that we install routinely.
House battery sizing: Group 31 deep-cycle marine battery is the standard for a 4-downrigger setup. Two Group 31 deep-cycle batteries wired in parallel for extended trips.
Fuse sizing: Main feed from house battery to electronics distribution: 50 to 70 A fuse depending on total load. Individual circuits fused at appropriate device-specific levels.
This is rigging work we do regularly. Bring your boat, we'll spec and install.
Fishing regulations: zone awareness
Lake Ontario fishing falls under MNRF Zone 18 (with FMZ 19 along the eastern Lake Ontario region). Confirm current regulations at the Ontario Fishing Regulations page before each season.
Note on zone-specific 2026 changes: Rice Lake (where HBW is located) is in FMZ 17, not Zone 18. We don't track Zone 18 regulation changes day-to-day because they don't apply to our home water. Before your Lake Ontario season, verify current Zone 18 (or applicable zone) regulations directly with MNRF rather than relying on dealer summary content.
Common mistakes (the things we push back on)
What HBW checks before delivery
Every kicker install, repower, or dual-battery rigging job at HBW gets a water test on Rice Lake before delivery. We start the main and the kicker. We verify charging system voltage under load with everything running (downriggers, sonar, livewell, lights). If the alternator can't hold voltage with full load, we catch it at our dock and re-spec. If the kicker has an electrical issue at the helm controls, we catch it before the customer is sitting on Lake Ontario.
Customer language we hear
Ready to talk Lake Ontario salmon setup?
If you launch from Port Hope, Cobourg, or anywhere on Lake Ontario's north shore, HBW is closer than you think. We service Lake Ontario boats regularly and we can spec a kicker install, dual-battery rigging, or full repower with the Lake Ontario use case in mind.
Phone: 905-342-2153
Email: info@harrisboatworks.ca
Service appointment: hbw.wiki/service
Harris Boat Works - 5369 Harris Boat Works Rd, Gores Landing, ON. Mercury Marine dealer since 1965, current Platinum Dealer. 15-20 minutes from Port Hope and Cobourg. Largest Mercury and Mercruiser parts inventory in Ontario.
