High · Low
Marginal today
reservoir / FMZ 16Laurel Creek Reservoir
Laurel Creek Reservoir is a shallow, turbid urban impoundment — 101 hectares of flood-control water held behind a 1966 dam on Laurel Creek, tucked inside Laurel Creek Conservation Area in Waterloo. Sixty percent of the basin averages about a metre deep; the deepest water, toward the dam, only reaches a 1.
Target Species
02 - Conditions
Today's read.
Quick Summary
Rainy and mild, with a high of 22° and a low of 16°. Breezy, gusts to 45 km/h. Steady pressure should keep the bite consistent.
Daily max · 0-11
Avg · S · gusts to 45 km/h
steady · -1 hPa/24h
14h 56m daylight
Lunar phase
Peak 6.3 mm/h · 10 wet hrs
C+
Marginal today
Choppy — a 15 km/h average over 1.7 km of fetch keeps you on the north shore with short runs. Gusts spike to 45 km/h at times — check the hourly and time your launch. Good bite potential — with bright sun, dawn and dusk are your windows. Fish the north shore where wind stacks bait and keep it tight to cover.
Craft Verdicts
No trailer launch in seed dataCarry-in launch1.7 km max fetchPressure steady (-1.2 hPa/24h)
Powerboat
No trailer ramp here — a powerboat can't launch.
Kayak
Launchable but exposed — a 29 km/h average gust and 1.7 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 45 km/h at times — time your launch.
Canoe
Too rough — a 29 km/h average gust over 1.7 km of fetch overwhelms an open canoe's shallow draft; not a safe launch today. Gusts spike to 45 km/h at times — time your launch.
Hourly Conditions
5:00 a.m.
18°Temp
UV0
Precip3.3mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · S21kph
Gust37kph
Launch ReadCaution
7:00 a.m.
19°Temp
UV0
Precip2.7mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · SW21kph
Gust36kph
Launch ReadCaution
9:00 a.m.
21°Temp
UV1
Precip0.0mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · SW21kph
Gust44kph
Launch ReadDo Not Launch
Windy!11:00 a.m.
22°Temp
UV2
Precip0.3mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · SW18kph
Gust33kph
Launch ReadCaution
1:00 p.m.
22°Temp
UV7
Precip2.5mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityFair
Wind · SW12kph
Gust19kph
Launch ReadFishable
3:00 p.m.
21°Temp
UV7
Precip2.0mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityFair
Wind · S12kph
Gust18kph
Launch ReadFishable
5:00 p.m.
22°Temp
UV5
Precip0.0mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · SW10kph
Gust26kph
Launch ReadCaution
7:00 p.m.
20°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · NW12kph
Gust21kph
Launch ReadFishable
9:00 p.m.
18°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · NW16kph
Gust30kph
Launch ReadCaution
Weekly Outlook
LaunchCaution
BiteHigh
LaunchCaution
BiteHigh
LaunchFishable
BiteFair
LaunchAll Clear
BiteFair
LaunchFishable
BiteHigh
LaunchCaution
BiteMaximum
LaunchFishable
BiteHigh
01
How it fishes
The dam was completed in 1966; the reservoir was built for flood control, low-flow augmentation, and pollution abatement on Laurel Creek, a Grand River tributary.
SourceLaurel is one of only seven large multi-purpose flood-control reservoirs operated by the GRCA across the Grand River watershed.
SourceGRCA's own management plan assesses the fishery as under-producing due to water level fluctuations (winter drawdown).
SourceGRCA's public fishing page lists the fishery as "Carp, bullhead" and characterizes fishing as limited.
SourceNot a stocked fishery — no records in either official MNRF stocking dataset; the warm-water community is self-sustaining.
Source02
Regulations snapshot
This is a summary, not the legal regulation — confirm current rules with the official source before fishing.
Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass (Combined)
Season: fourth Saturday in June to November 30
Limit: S-6 / C-2
Official source03
Access notes
Laurel Creek Conservation Area launch
625 Westmount Road North, Waterloo
Gravel carry-in / non-motorized launch just west of the beach; available May 1 to October 15. No power boats — sailing, windsurfing, and electric trolling motors only. Short-term parking for three vehicles with trailers near the launch. Day-use fee applies. Submerged tree stumps are a navigation hazard, worse during the winter drawdown.
Access source04
Key resources
The actual regs, straight from the source — FMZ 16, Government of OntarioLaunch, gate hours, fees, and camping — Laurel Creek Conservation Area, Grand River Conservation AuthorityBoating rules (paddle and electric trolling motors only, no power boats) — GRCAReservoir levels and seasonal drawdown — GRCA