MNR Bait Fish Regulations
Types of Bait
Generally, only the following fish may be used as bait-fish:
- Mudminnow family
- Sucker family
- Stickleback family
- Lake herring of the whitefish family
- Darter subfamily
- Sculpin family
- Minnow family except carp and goldfish
Crayfish, leeches, northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens), green frogs (Rana clamitans), and worms may be used as bait.
NOTE: Salamanders may not be used as bait in Ontario. It is illegal to possess live or dead smelt while recreational fishing.
Capture of Bait by Anglers
Only resident anglers with a valid fishing licence may capture their own bait-fish for personal use. It is illegal to sell angler caught bait-fish, crayfish or spawn. Only holders of commercial bait licences may sell live bait-fish. It is illegal for tourist camps to capture bait for guests or for non-residents to capture their own bait-fish.
Non-resident anglers cannot take bait-fish for personal use by any means.
Frogs
Resident and Non-Resident anglers with a valid fishing license may capture their own frogs for personal use, subject to the following conditions:
- recreational anglers who catch their own frogs for personal use may have no more than 12 northern leopard frogs - or one (1) of any other species that is not a specifically protected amphibian - caught under the authority of a recreational fishing license in their possesion at any time.
- Blanchard's cricket frog, Fowler's toad, and the gray treefrog are specially protected amphibians in Ontario and may not be captured or used as bait.
Worms
There are no restrictions on the capture of worms for use as bait.
Import of Bait
It is illegal to bring live fish, crayfish, or salamanders into Ontario for use as bait.
It is illegal to bring live leeches into Ontario for use as bait, unless you are the holder of a commercial bait licence.
Release of Bait
Release of bait-fish, crayfish or other types of live bait can seriously damage fish populations. Anglers MUST NOT release live bait into waters other than the waterbody where the bait was originally captured.
