High · Low
Marginal today
reservoir / 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
02 - Conditions
Today's read.
Quick Summary
Rainy and warm, with a high of 26° and a low of 17°. Breezy, gusts to 47 km/h. Steady pressure should keep the bite consistent.
Daily max · 0-11
Avg · W · gusts to 47 km/h
steady · -1 hPa/24h
14h 54m daylight
Lunar phase
Peak 11.3 mm/h · 5 wet hrs
C+
Marginal today
Choppy — a 16 km/h average over 7.9 km of fetch keeps you on the east shore with short runs. Gusts spike to 47 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 east shore where wind stacks bait and keep it tight to cover.
Craft Verdicts
Trailer launchCarry-in launch7.9 km max fetchPressure steady (-1.3 hPa/24h)
Powerboat
Clear to launch — a 16 km/h W average over 7.9 km of fetch stays well within a powerboat's weight and power; easy to hold position. Gusts spike to 47 km/h at times — time your launch.
Kayak
Launchable but exposed — a 28 km/h average gust and 7.9 km of fetch will test a kayak's low, wind-caught profile; put in on the east shore and stay tight to it. Gusts spike to 47 km/h at times — time your launch.
Canoe
Too rough — a 28 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 47 km/h at times — time your launch.
Hourly Conditions
5:00 a.m.
19°Temp
UV0
Precip4.2mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · S18kph
Gust33kph
Launch ReadDo Not Launch
Windy!7:00 a.m.
20°Temp
UV0
Precip0.1mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · SW13kph
Gust13kph
Launch ReadCaution
9:00 a.m.
21°Temp
UV1
Precip0.0mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · SW18kph
Gust41kph
Launch ReadDo Not Launch
Windy!11:00 a.m.
23°Temp
UV4
Precip0.1mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · SW16kph
Gust36kph
Launch ReadDo Not Launch
Windy!1:00 p.m.
26°Temp
UV7
Precip0.0mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · SW20kph
Gust40kph
Launch ReadDo Not Launch
Windy!3:00 p.m.
19°Temp
UV7
Precip5.7mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityFair
Wind · W27kph
Gust47kph
Launch ReadDo Not Launch
Windy!5:00 p.m.
20°Temp
UV5
Precip0.1mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityFair
Wind · W13kph
Gust22kph
Launch ReadCaution
7:00 p.m.
20°Temp
UV2
Precip0.0mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · NW11kph
Gust23kph
Launch ReadCaution
9:00 p.m.
19°Temp
UV0
Precip0.0mm
PressureSteady
Fish ActivityHigh
Wind · NW15kph
Gust27kph
Launch ReadCaution
Weekly Outlook
LaunchCaution
BiteHigh
LaunchDo Not Launch
BiteHigh
LaunchCaution
BiteFair
LaunchCaution
BiteFair
LaunchCaution
BiteHigh
LaunchDo Not Launch
BiteHigh
LaunchCaution
BiteHigh
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