FMZ 17 confusion about walleye fishing

[Tjames09]

I’ve talked to quite a few people lately and they all believe walleye is open January 1st on Balsam lake. I’ve read the FMZ 17 and the wording is very confusing because it’s listed below Crowe Lakes exceptions. Here’s the wording:

Walleye

Season: January 1 to March 1 and second Saturday in May to December 31

Limits: Zone-wide limits apply

• Crowe Lake (44°29′00″N., 77°44′00″W.) - Marmora Township, and the waters of the Crowe River (Marmora and Rawdon Townships)

Season: Zone-wide seasons apply

Limits: S-3 and C-1; none between 37-55 cm

• Balsam Lake (44°34′54″N., 78°51′10″W.) - Bexley Township, including the waters of the Gull River upstream to the dam at Coboconk, the waters of the Rosedale River between the Trent dam at Rosedale upstream to Balsam Lake, the waters of the Trent Canal between the upstream lock at Rosedale upstream to its junction with the Rosedale River and the waters of the Trent Canal between Balsam Lake and Mitchell Lake
• Mitchell Lake (44°34′46″N., 78°56′54″W.) - Eldon Township, including the waters of the Trent Canal between Mitchell Lake and Balsam Lake, and the waters of the Trent Canal between Mitchell Lake and lock number 36 at Kirkfield
   

 

[Terry]

Wow  I need to read again, seems open at first glance

[Fisherman]

Look to the left side of the page,  Jan 1 to Mar 1 and 2nd saturday May to Dec 31

Edited January 3, 2020 by Fisherman

[Fisherman]

38 minutes ago, Tjames09 said:

I’ve talked to quite a few people lately and they all believe walleye is open January 1st on Balsam lake. I’ve read the FMZ 17 and the wording is very confusing because it’s listed below Crowe Lakes exceptions. Here’s the wording:

 

 

Nothing confusing at all.   I think it's misleading where the first section under exemptions is for Salmonids (light blue), one part open all year, second part date exemptions.  Then it goes to Walleye Seasons for the 3 listed lakes.   Crowe Lake, then Balsam, then Mitchell Lake.  Can't figure out how Balsam landed between Crowe and Mitchell, normally follows alphabetically.

Edited January 3, 2020 by Fisherman

[Terry]

But it’s always been closed during winter.  
I read the ood list of changes for some 17 and the did have anything for balsam 

[Fisherman]

Ok, got it,  Balsam and Michell have different possession limit but Don't open until May.  Only gov't could make it difficult.

[porkpie]

Looks like zone wide seasons apply to balsam.  No winter open season dates.

[GBW]

30 minutes ago, porkpie said:

Looks like zone wide seasons apply to balsam.  No winter open season dates.

Correct.  Hence the line between after Crow lake

[Ronzo]

Man, these people must be the same ones who read 2 lines of a 12 line work email and reply "Yeah, got it". Then you realize, when you see the work they did, that they only read the first two lines. I don't see anything that confusing if you read the regulations start to finish. "Zone-wide seasons apply" is pretty straightforward.

[Sinker]

Its clear to me, but I've been reading the regs for 40 years. To the average joe who fishes once or twice a year its a gong show. I was looking up a lake in zone 15 over the holidays, and it took me an hour to check every thing, every exception, and then double check to make sure the lake was open. Its silly. They  need to arrange it by lake, and then list the exceptions for that specific body of water.