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
Cool, with a high of 11° and a low of 1°. Breezy, gusts to 43 km/h. Falling pressure often fires up the bite.
Daily max · 0-11
Avg · NW · gusts to 43 km/h
falling · -6 hPa/24h
10h 20m daylight
Lunar phase
Dry through the launch window
C+
Grind today
Choppy — a 13 km/h average over 7.1 km of fetch keeps you on the southeast shore with short runs. Gusts spike to 43 km/h at times — check the hourly and time your launch. The bite should be firing — a falling barometer often trips a pre-front feed. Fish the southeast shore where wind stacks bait and keep it tight to cover.
Craft Verdicts
Trailer launchCarry-in launch7.1 km max fetchPressure falling (-6 hPa/24h)
Powerboat
Clear to launch — a 13 km/h NW average over 7.1 km of fetch stays well within a powerboat's weight and power; easy to hold position. Gusts spike to 43 km/h at times — time your launch.
Kayak
Launchable but exposed — a 26 km/h average gust and 7.1 km of fetch will test a kayak's low, wind-caught profile; put in on the southeast shore and stay tight to it. Gusts spike to 43 km/h at times — time your launch.
Canoe
Too rough — a 26 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 43 km/h at times — time your launch.
Hourly Conditions
5:00 a.m.
6°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureFalling
Fish ActivityMaximum
Wind · NW13kph
Gust13kph
Launch ReadCaution
7:00 a.m.
6°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureFalling
Fish ActivityMaximum
Wind · NW10kph
Gust10kph
Launch ReadCaution
9:00 a.m.
7°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureFalling
Fish ActivityMaximum
Wind · NW10kph
Gust26kph
Launch ReadCaution
11:00 a.m.
8°Temp
UV1
Precip0.0mm
PressureFalling
Fish ActivityMaximum
Wind · NW14kph
Gust36kph
Launch ReadCaution
1:00 p.m.
9°Temp
UV2
Precip0.0mm
PressureFalling
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · NW17kph
Gust43kph
Launch ReadDo Not Launch
Windy!3:00 p.m.
11°Temp
UV3
Precip0.0mm
PressureFalling
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · NW17kph
Gust43kph
Launch ReadDo Not Launch
Windy!5:00 p.m.
10°Temp
UV1
Precip0.0mm
PressureFalling
Fish ActivityMaximum
Wind · NW16kph
Gust33kph
Launch ReadCaution
7:00 p.m.
7°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureFalling
Fish ActivityMaximum
Wind · NW13kph
Gust13kph
Launch ReadCaution
9:00 p.m.
4°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureFalling
Fish ActivityMaximum
Wind · NW9kph
Gust9kph
Launch ReadFishable
Weekly Outlook
LaunchCaution
BiteMaximum
LaunchFishable
BiteFair
LaunchFishable
BiteFair
LaunchFishable
BiteHigh
LaunchFishable
BiteMaximum
LaunchCaution
BiteMaximum
LaunchCaution
BiteMaximum
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