High · Low
Grind today
reservoir / Belwood, ON / FMZ 16Belwood Lake
Belwood is the upper Grand River backed up behind the Shand Dam and held there. The reservoir runs long and narrow up the old valley north of Fergus, murky and hard-limestone water the whole way — nutrient-rich, stained, mildly stratified in summer.
Target Species
Today's read.
Quick Summary
Mild, with a high of 21° and a low of 8°. Breezy, gusts to 46 km/h. Rising pressure can make for a slower, pickier bite.
Daily max · 0-11
Avg · S · gusts to 46 km/h
rising · 6 hPa/24h
12h 31m daylight
Lunar phase
Peak 0.1 mm/h · 0 wet hrs
C+
Grind today
Choppy — a 13 km/h average over 7.1 km of fetch keeps you on the north shore with short runs. Gusts spike to 46 km/h at times — check the hourly and time your launch. Good bite potential — the rising barometer leans toward a pickier bite. Fish the north shore where wind stacks bait and keep it tight to cover.
Craft Verdicts
Trailer launchCarry-in launch7.1 km max fetchPressure rising (6.4 hPa/24h)
Powerboat
Clear to launch — a 13 km/h S average over 7.1 km of fetch stays well within a powerboat's weight and power; easy to hold position. Gusts spike to 46 km/h at times — time your launch.
Kayak
Launchable but exposed — a 22 km/h average gust and 7.1 km of fetch will test a kayak's low, wind-caught profile; put in on the north shore and stay tight to it. Gusts spike to 46 km/h at times — time your launch.
Canoe
Too rough — a 22 km/h average gust over 7.1 km of fetch overwhelms an open canoe's shallow draft; not a safe launch today. Gusts spike to 46 km/h at times — time your launch.
Hourly Conditions
5:00 a.m.
10°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · S9kph
Gust9kph
Launch ReadFishable
7:00 a.m.
12°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · SE12kph
Gust12kph
Launch ReadCaution
9:00 a.m.
14°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · W4kph
Gust4kph
Launch ReadFishable
11:00 a.m.
16°Temp
UV2
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · S12kph
Gust22kph
Launch ReadCaution
1:00 p.m.
20°Temp
UV2
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · S18kph
Gust46kph
Launch ReadDo Not Launch
Windy!3:00 p.m.
20°Temp
UV1
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · S20kph
Gust43kph
Launch ReadDo Not Launch
Windy!5:00 p.m.
20°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · SW13kph
Gust24kph
Launch ReadCaution
7:00 p.m.
19°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · SW14kph
Gust14kph
Launch ReadCaution
9:00 p.m.
18°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · SW10kph
Gust10kph
Launch ReadFishable
Weekly Outlook
LaunchCaution
BiteHigh
LaunchFishable
BiteMaximum
LaunchFishable
BiteMaximum
LaunchCaution
BiteMaximum
LaunchDo Not Launch
BiteMaximum
LaunchCaution
BiteMaximum
LaunchCaution
BiteHigh
01
How it fishes
Reservoir best known for northern pike and smallmouth bass; pike is the most-logged species by anglers, ahead of smallmouth and walleye.
SourceA long-running annual pike-and-walleye derby, run with the GRCA, requires all fish be caught "in Belwood Lake above the Shand Dam," with a 20-inch minimum on pike and a length-based catch-and-release format.
SourceThe basin bottoms out near 20.7 m (about 68 ft) at the dam face — substantial depth for a southern-Ontario impoundment, holding cooler water through summer.
SourceNo stocking record exists for the reservoir in the Fish ON-Line FMZ 16 dataset; the gamefish here are self-sustaining.
Source02
Regulations snapshot
This is a summary, not the legal regulation — confirm current rules with the official source before fishing.
Northern Pike
Season: Jan 1–Mar 31 and second Saturday in May to Dec 31 (2026: May 9–Dec 31)
Limit: S-6 / C-2
Size: no size limit
Official sourceSmallmouth Bass
Season: fourth Saturday in June to Nov 30 (2026: Jun 27–Nov 30)
Limit: S-6 / C-2 (combined with Largemouth)
Size: no size limit
Official source03
Access notes
Belwood Lake Conservation Area
8282 Wellington County Road 18, Fergus
Double-ramp concrete boat launch with docks; trailer-capable, motorized boats permitted. Day-use admission plus launch fee required; open year-round, full service May 1–Oct 15. Fluctuating reservoir levels (fall/maintenance drawdown) can affect access and expose hazards — GRCA posts hazard signage at the launch.
Access sourceBelwood village launch (north end), near 5 George Street, Belwood
Public ramp at the reservoir's north end — secondary trailer/carry access.
Access sourceCarry-in / canoe access along the main road near the village
Small-boat/canoe entry along the main road near the village.
Access source04