High · Low
Solid today
reservoir / St. Marys, ON / FMZ 16Wildwood Reservoir
Wildwood is flood control first, fishery second — and the flood control runs the fishing. It's nine kilometres of drowned Trout Creek valley, S-shaped and mostly shallow, impounded behind the Wildwood Dam between Stratford and St.
Target Species
Today's read.
Quick Summary
Cool, with a high of 11° and a low of 2°. Breezy, gusts to 40 km/h. Falling pressure often fires up the bite.
Daily max · 0-11
Avg · NW · gusts to 40 km/h
falling · -5 hPa/24h
10h 22m daylight
Lunar phase
Dry through the launch window
B+
Solid today
Choppy — a 12 km/h average over 7.9 km of fetch keeps you on the southeast shore with short runs. Gusts spike to 40 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 launch7.9 km max fetchPressure falling (-5.3 hPa/24h)
Powerboat
Clear to launch — a 12 km/h NW average over 7.9 km of fetch stays well within a powerboat's weight and power; easy to hold position. Gusts spike to 40 km/h at times — time your launch.
Kayak
Launchable but exposed — a 21 km/h average gust and 7.9 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 40 km/h at times — time your launch.
Canoe
Too rough — a 21 km/h average gust over 7.9 km of fetch overwhelms an open canoe's shallow draft; not a safe launch today. Gusts spike to 40 km/h at times — time your launch.
Hourly Conditions
5:00 a.m.
5°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureFalling
Fish ActivityMaximum
Wind · NW11kph
Gust11kph
Launch ReadCaution
7:00 a.m.
3°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureFalling
Fish ActivityMaximum
Wind · NW10kph
Gust10kph
Launch ReadCaution
9:00 a.m.
4°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureFalling
Fish ActivityMaximum
Wind · NW10kph
Gust10kph
Launch ReadFishable
11:00 a.m.
9°Temp
UV1
Precip0.0mm
PressureFalling
Fish ActivityMaximum
Wind · NW12kph
Gust38kph
Launch ReadDo Not Launch
Windy!1:00 p.m.
10°Temp
UV3
Precip0.0mm
PressureFalling
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · NW16kph
Gust40kph
Launch ReadDo Not Launch
Windy!3:00 p.m.
11°Temp
UV3
Precip0.0mm
PressureFalling
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · NW16kph
Gust34kph
Launch ReadCaution
5:00 p.m.
11°Temp
UV1
Precip0.0mm
PressureFalling
Fish ActivityMaximum
Wind · NW17kph
Gust30kph
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 · NW8kph
Gust8kph
Launch ReadFishable
Weekly Outlook
LaunchCaution
BiteMaximum
LaunchFishable
BiteFair
LaunchCaution
BiteHigh
LaunchFishable
BiteHigh
LaunchCaution
BiteMaximum
LaunchCaution
BiteMaximum
LaunchCaution
BiteMaximum
01
How it fishes
Wildwood Dam (built 1962–1965) was among the UTRCA's first major flood-control works; during the February 2018 flood its operations cut Trout Creek's peak flow from 65 m³/s to 21 m³/s (a 68% reduction), helping keep the North Thames below the St. Marys floodwall.
SourceIn dry summers, releases from Wildwood Reservoir supply 25–50% (or more) of the flow in the North Thames River.
SourceWildwood is one of only three large boatable UTRCA reservoirs (with Fanshawe and Pittock), all promoted as perch, bass, and pike fisheries.
SourceNo stocking record exists for Wildwood Lake/Reservoir or Trout Creek in the official MNR Fish ON-Line FMZ 16 dataset; the fishery is 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 sourceYellow Perch
Season: open all year
Limit: S-50 / C-25
Official source03
Access notes
Wildwood Conservation Area boat launch
3995 Line 9, St. Marys
Trailer launch inside the conservation area; paid conservation-area admission. Boating season May–October; motor boats, water skiing, and sailing permitted (no horsepower limit documented for Wildwood); no personal watercraft. A boat pass does not guarantee reservoir access all season — the late-summer/fall drawdown can close arms and eventually the launch itself.
Access sourceWildwood Conservation Area
carry-in / non-motorized access
Canoe/kayak rentals on site; shore access within the conservation area. Winter ice anglers park roadside near the dam for the dam-basin fishery.
Access source04