High · Low
Solid today
river / West Montrose, ON / FMZ 16Grand River at West Montrose
This is where the Grand quits being a trout river. Above West Montrose, the cold tailwater off the Shand Dam runs brown trout under artificial-lures-only rules; slide down under the covered bridge and the water warms, spreads out over 70-odd feet of rock and gravel, and the smallmouth take over.
Target Species
Today's read.
Quick Summary
Mild, with a high of 22° and a low of 7°. Breezy, gusts to 43 km/h. Rising pressure can make for a slower, pickier bite.
Daily max · 0-11
Avg · S · gusts to 43 km/h
rising · 6 hPa/24h
12h 30m daylight
Lunar phase
Dry through the launch window
B+
Solid today
Boatable but breezy — a 11 km/h S average over 0.6 km of fetch builds some chop; the north shore stays cleanest. Gusts spike to 43 km/h at times — check the hourly and time your launch. Good bite potential — the rising barometer leans toward a pickier bite. Work the shoreline edges and lean on the low-light hours.
Craft Verdicts
No trailer launch in seed dataCarry-in launch0.6 km max fetchPressure rising (6.3 hPa/24h)
Powerboat
No trailer ramp here — a powerboat can't launch.
Kayak
Clear to launch — a 11 km/h S average over 0.6 km of fetch stays well within a kayak's low, wind-caught profile; easy to hold position. Gusts spike to 43 km/h at times — time your launch.
Canoe
Clear to launch — a 11 km/h S average over 0.6 km of fetch stays well within an open canoe's shallow draft; easy to hold position. Gusts spike to 43 km/h at times — time your launch.
Hourly Conditions
5:00 a.m.
10°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · SE7kph
Gust7kph
Launch ReadAll Clear
7:00 a.m.
13°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · SE8kph
Gust8kph
Launch ReadAll Clear
9:00 a.m.
15°Temp
UV1
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · NW5kph
Gust5kph
Launch ReadAll Clear
11:00 a.m.
16°Temp
UV2
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · S9kph
Gust18kph
Launch ReadAll Clear
1:00 p.m.
21°Temp
UV3
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · S16kph
Gust40kph
Launch ReadCaution
3:00 p.m.
21°Temp
UV1
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · S17kph
Gust39kph
Launch ReadCaution
5:00 p.m.
22°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · SW12kph
Gust30kph
Launch ReadCaution
7:00 p.m.
20°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · SW12kph
Gust12kph
Launch ReadFishable
9:00 p.m.
18°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureRising
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · SW8kph
Gust8kph
Launch ReadAll Clear
Weekly Outlook
LaunchFishable
BiteHigh
LaunchAll Clear
BiteMaximum
LaunchAll Clear
BiteMaximum
LaunchFishable
BiteMaximum
LaunchCaution
BiteMaximum
LaunchCaution
BiteMaximum
LaunchFishable
BiteHigh
01
How it fishes
West Montrose is the transition point where the Grand's cold brown-trout tailwater gives way to warmwater river — smallmouth bass become the dominant gamefish here and continue downstream.
SourceThe reach runs under the West Montrose Covered Bridge — built 1880–1881 by John Bear, about 205 ft / 62 m over two spans of oak and white pine — the only remaining historic covered bridge in Ontario, a Provincial Historic Site with Ontario Heritage Act designation.
SourceThe Grand is a designated Canadian Heritage River; the West Montrose–to–Bridgeport reach is a documented warmwater fishery for smallmouth bass, northern pike, carp, and panfish.
SourceA public carry-in river access point (#204) opened at West Montrose (West Montrose Family Campground, 6344 Line 86), open mid-May to mid-October.
Source02
Regulations snapshot
This is a summary, not the legal regulation — confirm current rules with the official source before fishing.
Smallmouth Bass
Season: fourth Saturday in June to Nov 30 (2026: Jun 27–Nov 30)
Limit: S-6 / C-2 (Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass combined)
Size: no size limit
Official sourceNorthern 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 source03
Access notes
West Montrose river access point (#204)
West Montrose Family Campground, 6344 Line 86, West Montrose
Carry-in only (canoe/kayak/tube; wade access). Open mid-May to mid-October; ample parking; sign in at the campground front office. No trailer boat launch on this reach; the reach can run too low to paddle in summer.
Access source04