- Interactive fish guide
- Updates and additions
- About the guide
- Special advice for women of child-bearing age and children under 15
- Data collection for the guide
- Copies of the guide
- Frequently asked questions
Interactive fish guide
Interactive version of the Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish.
The interactive map displays all of the lakes and rivers from the guide with the corresponding consumption advisories.
The map helps you quickly find information by:
- lake, river or stream name
- address, community, township, or city
- Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates
- fish species
Updates and additions
Updates and additions to consumption advisories published in the 2013-2014 edition of the Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish will be listed here. Please check this section periodically.
About the guide
We publish the Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish every two years to provide detailed information on the quantities of Ontario sport fish that can be safely eaten based on Health Canada’s health protection values.
Fish are an important part of a healthy diet, because they are a source of Omega 3 fatty acids, high in quality protein and low in saturated fat, but in some cases care must be taken because of contaminant levels in the fish.
Anglers can use the guide to identify species and angling destinations with lower contaminant levels. The 2013-2014 edition includes advice for sport fish from more than 2,200 lakes, rivers and streams around the province including Canadian waters of the Great Lakes.
Started in 1976, the province’s program for monitoring contaminants in sport fish is one of the largest of its kind in North America.
Special advice for women of child-bearing age and children under 15
Women of child-bearing age and children under 15 are more sensitive to the effects of contaminants found in some sport fish. The Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish provides more stringent advice for this group (sensitive population).
Learn more from our publication Contaminants in sport fish: important information for protecting your family.
Data collection for the guide
Sport fish samples are analyzed to determine if they contain substances such as mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and furans, mirex and other pesticides, as well as contaminants of emerging concern such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and perfluoroalkyl/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) also known as perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) [including perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)].
The results are used to develop the tables in the guide which give size-specific consumption advice for each species tested from each location. This advice is based on Health Canada's health-protection values.
Copies of the guide
In addition to the online version, copies of the guide are available to the public free of charge at select government offices and retail outlets. To order a guide through the mail, please fill out this form.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I learn more about Ontario’s fishing regulations?
Before you go fishing, check here for the latest information on recreational fishing regulations in Ontario.
How do I get a fishing license?
Check here to learn more about obtaining a fishing license for Ontario.
Whom can I contact for more information on safe levels for eating fish?
Contact the Sport Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program at 416-327-6816, 1-800-820-2716 or sportfish.moe@ontario.ca.
