Welcome to our Bob Lake fishing resource webpage! Below you’ll find everything you need to know to become a responsible angler on our lake, plus other information we hope you find of interest on the topic of fishing. The ultimate goal of all this is to help preserve and improve the health of our fish stock on Bob Lake. Have any feedback on content you’d like to see here, or some fish stories to share? Just use the form on our Contact Us page or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.

Special Note: See this blog post on the proposed MNRF changes that will effect fishing on Bob Lake.

Quick Facts

• With few exceptions, you require a fishing licence to fish in Ontario. This comes in the form of a valid Ontario Outdoors Card – see the Get an Outdoors Card webpage for details on how to acquire your. Notice there are two types of fishing licences available – Conservation and Sport. An Outdoors Card fishing licence is not required for Canadian residents under 18 or 65 years and older with some form of valid government ID. Other exceptions exist – see Ontario’s Recreational fishing licence information webpage for full details.
• The province of Ontario’s Fishing webpage is your best reference for the complete list of rules and regulations. This includes season start/end dates, catch limits, and slot sizes for each species of fish by region.
• Bob Lake is located in Fisheries Management Zone (FMZ) 15 – see the FMZ15 webpage for the full details on season, catch limits, and slot sizes for our region.
• The predominant fish species in Bob Lake include lake trout and smallmouth bass. See the sections below for a summary of the 2022 regulations for lake trout and smallmouth bass on our lake:

Lake Trout

• Season: January 1 through September 30
• Slot Limit: Fish between 40-55 cm must be released
• Catch Limit:
  • Conservation fishing licence: 1 per day
  • Sport fishing licence: 2 per day

Smallmouth Bass

• Season: June 25 (4th Saturday in June) through November 30
• Slot Limit: None
• Catch Limit:
  • Conservation fishing licence: 2 per day
  • Sport fishing licence: 6 per day

Other Facts and Resources

• While Bob Lake has been part of MNR’s lake trout stocking program in the past, it’s been sustaining its trout population naturally since 1990.
• Bob Lake is said to have a strong population of the highly coveted Haliburton Gold variety of lake trout. See this document posted to CHA’s website for the full history of lake trout in the Haliburton region (a recorded presentation can be watched here).
• The Haliburton Highlands Outdoor Association (HHOA) runs a fish hatchery on Gelert Rd just 20 minutes outside of Minden. Their website is full of great resources and their facility makes for great events and tours (although limited by Covid restrictions currently). The HHOA has been a strong supporter of the BLA’s efforts to restore our public boat launch in the past, and we hope to work with the HHOA in the future to help measure our lake trout population and improve lake trout spawning habitats.
• The Ontario’s fish stocking program webpage has some great information – check out their Fish ON-Line tool and search for Bob Lake. In there you’ll find information on our lake, including the known fish species, along with a survey option to submit your catch information for their records!
• See our Bob Lake Maps webpage for a printable contour/depth map with hazard markings as well as an interactive contour/depth chart from GpsNauticalCharts.com.
• New to fishing or want to introduce your kids to this inexpensive outdoor activity? Check out Ontario’s Family and youth fishing webpage for all kinds of tips and how-to guides. Take advantage of the four family fishing events days each year where family’s can fish for free (no licence required):
  • Family Fishing Weekend in February (February 19–21, 2022)
  • Mother’s Day Weekend in May (May 7–8, 2022)
  • Father’s Day Weekend in June (June 18–19, 2022)
  • Family Fishing Week in July (July 2–10, 2022)