Lake Ontario trout and steelhead near St. Catharines.

Lake Ontario is a world-class trout fishery, and the water off Port Dalhousie holds rainbow, brown, and lake trout most of the season. For a lot of crews, this is the better first trip: steady action, calmer water, and fish that fight without the long hunt of a king-salmon morning.

The trout species

Rainbow trout, known as steelhead in their lake-run form, are acrobatic and hard-running, with strong spring and fall runs; the spring steelhead bite is one of the best beginner windows of the year. Brown trout fish nearshore and willing through spring and fall, a reliable early-season target right off the piers. Lake trout follow the open season for FMZ 20: January 1 to September 30 and December 1 to 31. Their season is closed October 1 to November 30.

A good option for a first-timer

Because trout charters fish closer to the harbour and the action is steadier, the trout trip is the one most captains point new anglers and families toward. The water is usually calmer, the bites come more often, and there is plenty of time to learn the gear without the pressure of waiting all morning for one big fish. In spring and fall, many captains run a mixed troll that takes trout and the season's salmon on the same trip.

When the trout fish best

Steelhead and brown trout run strongest in spring, April through June, and again in the fall. Ontario's general fishing regulations prohibit targeting a species while its season is closed, even for catch-and-release.