Grand River Access

Intro | Access | Hatches | Tackle | Other Rivers

The trout waters of the Grand River extend approximately 30 kilometers downstream from Shand Dam, which is about 5 kilometers upstream from the town of Fergus, to the tiny village of West Montrose with its historic covered bridge. This area is a one-hour drive from Toronto, two hours from Buffalo, and a bit over three hours from Detroit.

Most of the river is accessible by walking up or downstream from public access points, and the Grand River Conservation Authority has large land holdings in the flood plain. Permission is needed to cross private land, but few land owners object to anglers who move along the river banks from a public access point.

The river above Fergus is accessible at signed areas through the courtesy of the land owner, and in the GRCA Belwood Lake park. From Fergus to below the GRCA Elora Gorge Park, the river runs in a limestone gorge, where access is limited by steep cliffs. Popular access points in the Gorge area are the abandoned railway trestle between Elora and Fergus, and by trails and the low-level bridge in Elora Gorge Park. Below the Gorge, the river runs through rolling farmland, and is accessed mostly at road bridges.

More than half of the trout water is subject to special regulations--no-kill, with barbless single fly or lure. Three special regs areas are designated by signs. Furthest upstream is the stretch from the first bridge below Shand Dam (West Garafraxa Second Line bridge) to the Scotland St. bridge in Fergus. Next is the stretch from the Tower St. bridge in Fergus to the Bissel Dam in Elora, and the third area runs from just below the Low-Level bridge in Elora Gorge Conservation Area to Regional Road (formerly Provincial Highway) 86. Within 100 metres of bridges in this lowest Special Regs area, bait fishing and trout harvest are permitted.

Fishing licences are available from area tackle shops and at Ontario Information Centres which are located on major highways just inside the border. A Conservation Licence, which has a lower creel limit, is cheaper than a regular licence. For non-residents, a 7-day Conservation Licence is $15 (CND) and a season licence is $22.50 (CND).

Guiding is available through Grand Guides Co-op in Elora (Kitchener) 519-846-8448--as well as through local fly shops. Grand Guides also hosts a river report at www.flyfisherman.com. There are also flyshops in Fergus, Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo, Toronto, and the Hamilton area, some of which offer guiding as well as tackle, and licences. Guiding in Ontario is not a regulated business, so be sure to ask how long the guide has been fly fishing and how well they know the river.

At peak fishing times, popular spots can be crowded, with some anglers staking out a pool for the evening rise. Those fishing nymphs and streamers tend to be more mobile. The popular Tombstone Pool on the river above Fergus is almost always busy, but fishing is often just as good upstream in the faster, shallow riffles where the trout have less time to inspect your offerings. As on most rivers, the farther you walk, the fewer anglers you will encounter.

Accommodation choices are many, from bed & breakfast homes to motels or luxurious country inns in Elora, Fergus, and Elmira (Woolwich). Contact the Elora and Fergus Information Centre (toll free 1-877-242-6353, ), or Woolwich Township Visitor Services (toll free 1-877-969-0094, ) for details on accommodation and other local services. At the other end of the scale, camping in Elora Gorge Conservation Area (1-866-ONT-CAMP; 519-846-9742) is available in either basic or serviced sites.