TORONTO FISHING SPOTS

The mouth of the Credit River, from the QEW highway bridge to the open waters of Lake Ontario, offers year-round opportunities to catch a wide variety of fish.

Each spring thousands of migratory rainbow trout ascend the Credit River to spawn, providing excellent angling opportunities as they pass through the river mouth on both their upward journey and upon their return to the lake. Hardy anglers fish from the shorelines and piers right through the winter, but the hottest fishing is from early March to late May. Spoons, spinners and minnowbaits catch many fish, as do natural baits like roe, worms or minnows, fished on bottom or suspended beneath a slender float. A sturdy, long-handled net is needed to land fish in this location, as the pier decking is approximately four feet above water level.

Night fishing, with glow-in-the-dark spoons charged by a flashlight or camera flash, can also be excellent.

Panfish, pike, bullheads, carp and both largemouth and smallmouth bass keep anglers busy through the summer months. Look for smallmouth bass off rocky shoreline areas, or try the marshy shallows between the railway bridge and the QEW highway bridge for largemouth bass, panfish and pike. Carp are liable to be found anywhere, although the protected stretch of river between the railway bridge and Lakeshore Rd. attracts the most fishing pressure. May and June are prime time for carp that sometimes exceed 30 pounds.

Rainbow trout return to the river mouth area in late summer, accompanied by large runs of chinook and coho salmon, brown trout and the occasional lake trout. The action usually starts with the arrival of the first cool nights in mid-August, peaks in October, and lasts into the winter.

Access to the Credit River mouth area is excellent. Plenty of parking is available in large lots found on either side of the river, north or south of Lakeshore Rd. The river mouth is also easily accessed by public transit; the Port Credit GO Station is a short walk east of the river, and includes a Mississauga Transit bus terminal.