On June 20, 2025, Ontario conservation officers conducted a routine inspection near Charlton Lake Camp, a popular fishing spot just south of Espanola. During the inspection, officers discovered that a group of anglers had caught and kept 22 smallmouth bass while the species’ season was still closed.
The anglers, fishing on Frood Lake in Killarney Provincial Park, were a bit hasty. In the area they were fishing, Fisheries Management Zone 10, the smallmouth bass season didn’t open until the following day, June 21. Officers also found two large bags of fish fillets with the skin removed, making species identification difficult and suggesting an attempt to conceal the type of fish caught.
They were charged with taking fish during a closed season and possessing fish that cannot be easily identified under Ontario’s fishing laws. Summons were issued, and the anglers were eventually given a court date in September.
Fined and Banned
The two non-resident anglers, Bradley Barker of Dayton, Ohio and Mark Burger of Grand Ledge, Michigan, pled guilty in the Ontario Court of Justice in Elliot Lake on September 11, 2025. Each man was fined $1,630, resulting in combined penalties of $3,260 for the group.
In addition to financial penalties, both Barker and Burger were banned from fishing anywhere in Ontario for one year and prohibited from holding an Ontario fishing licence during that time. All 22 seized smallmouth bass were forfeited by authorities.
To report suspected natural resource violations or to provide information on unsolved cases, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry encourages the public to contact the TIPS line toll-free at 1-877-847-7667 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Know Before You Go: Ontario Smallmouth Bass Regulations
Ontario offers world-class fishing, but it comes with regulations that vary by zone, species, and date. Knowing where you’re going and understanding the current Fishing Regulations Summary can save you from a ticket.
Ontario divides its lakes and rivers into Fisheries Management Zones (FMZs). Each zone has its own fishing seasons, limits, and rules. Seasons for species like smallmouth bass are designed to protect fish during spawning and other vulnerable times, so timing matters just as much as knowing the limits.
In many northern Ontario zones, including the region where Frood Lake sits, bass must not be kept until the official season opens in late June. In 2025, the area on Frood Lake where the two anglers mentioned were cited and convicted, the smallmouth bass season opened on the third Saturday in June. Just a few hours later and their catch would have been legal.
Some southern and central zones have slightly different rules (earlier openings, catch-and-release periods, or year-round opportunities), but you may not target, retain, or attempt to catch a species while its season is closed. You can’t keep fish in a closed season, even if it’s an incidental catch.
Ontario also has catch and possession limits. For most zones, an angler with a standard Sport Fishing Licence may retain up to six largemouth and smallmouth bass combined per day, with a lower limit for Conservation Licences.
Finally, Ontario law requires that fish kept for consumption or transport be identifiable. Fillets with skin removed can be seized if officers cannot determine species, as happened in the recent enforcement action on Frood Lake.
