Niagara river smelt dipping

[Anatz]

I was wondering if smelt scooping is illegal? I heard there's a certain time of the year where it is open at a specific week where you could scoop as much smelts you want from the Niagara river.

 

Can someone confirm this?

I remember when I was young, my next door neighbour gave us a bag load of smelts and my parents would fry them up.

And the thought of this makes me crave for them.

 

 

If anyone have any experience of this, please share

[Tdel]

Hi Anatz,

 

I wish I could help you but I haven't fished smelts near Niagara in a long time. Actually it was when I was in my late teens and early twenties at Niagara-On-The-Lake a long, long, time ago. When you mentioned Niagara it brought back fond memories of the good times and of friends who are no longer here. Smelts were plentiful and were legal to net when the run came in the spring as they were in most areas of Ontario if not all.

 

I am sure someone on this site will bring you up to date on the current regulations and the different size of nets you are allowed to use.

 

Thanks for bringing back fond memories!!!

 

Tom.

[Tdel]

I looked up some info on the Niagara area and thought this might help you with the Divisions around the Niagara area. The Grey colour to the left of the 20 and 19 with an arrow is Division 16.

 

 

Here are the regulations for smelting and the different divisions. All taken from the 2008 regulations.

 

 

In the last image the OFC logo is covering this>No Open season>Zone>1,2,3,4,5, Algonquin Park in Zone 15. Limit>N/A.

 

I hope this helps you.

 

Tom.

[Greencoachdog]

You did real good finding and posting that info here Tom D!!!

 

Are you learning anything Anatz?

[Billy Bob]

For anyone who has a taste for smelt here's a deal you can't pass up.

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/other/fi...ory/332989.html

[Anatz]

thanks a lot guys. More knowledge doesn't hurt

[johnnyb]

Hmmm....Lewiston, eh??? That could be worth the drive!