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Which Ontario lakes and rivers carry a fish advisory

2,370waterbodies with an advisory on file
51species on file
47contaminants named
109,974advisory rows on file

This site does not tell you how much fish to eat

The Guide to Eating Ontario Fish publishes, for each waterbody, species and size, how many meals of that fish are advised. Those meal numbers are not reproduced here, and this site does not give consumption advice.

The reason is specific. The published data records the advisory as a numeric code whose meaning is defined in the Guide's own codebook. Turning that number into "so many meals a month" without the codebook would be this site inventing health advice from a number it cannot read — and if it read the number wrongly, it would be telling people the wrong thing about fish they are about to eat.

So this site does the part it can do from the record alone: it tells you whether a waterbody carries an advisory, for which species, and which contaminant the advisory is named against. Then it hands you to the publisher for the numbers.

For the actual advice, read the guide: Guide to Eating Ontario Fish on ontario.ca. It is the authority. This site is not, and nothing here should be used as a substitute for it.

Browse

By waterbody
2,370 lakes and rivers
By species
51 species
By contaminant
47 named

Waterbodies with the most advisory rows

A count of advisory rows recorded, not a ranking of how polluted any water is. A large lake fished for many species has more rows simply because more combinations are checked.

Ottawa River
20 species · Arsenic, Mercury, PFAS, Arsenic, PFAS, Mercury
Welland River
18 species · Mercury, Mercury, PCB, PFAS, Mercury, PFAS, PC
Thames River
20 species · Mercury, Mercury, PCB, Mercury, PCB, PFAS, Mer
Grand River
21 species · Dioxins/Furans, Mercury, Mercury, PCB, Mercury
Mattagami River
7 species · Mercury, Mercury, PCB, PCB, PCB, Mercury, Prec
Long Lake
16 species · Arsenic, Arsenic, Mercury, PFAS, Arsenic, PFAS
Lake Erie
26 species · Mercury, Mercury, PCB, PFAS, Mercury, PFAS, PC
Lake Ontario (Eastern Basin)
28 species · Mercury, Mercury, PCB, Mercury, PCB, PFAS, Mer
Trout Lake
14 species · Mercury, Mercury, PCB, Mercury, PFAS, PCB, PFA
Wabigoon River
12 species · Dioxins/Furans, Mercury, Mercury, Dioxins/Fura
Lake Huron (Main Basin)
27 species · Mercury, Mercury, PCB, Mercury, PCB, PFAS, Mer
Round Lake
15 species · Chromium, Mercury, Mercury, PCB, PCB, Precauti

What the advisories are recorded against

The contaminant named on the advisory. This counts advisory rows, not risk.

What the advisory is recorded againstThe contaminant named on the advisory. A waterbody can carry more than one, in which case the row names each.MercuryMercury: 81691 advisory rows81,691PFASPFAS: 7918 advisory rows7,918PCBPCB: 6992 advisory rows6,992PrecautionaryPrecautionary: 6905 advisory rows6,905Mercury, PCBMercury, PCB: 1737 advisory rows1,737Mercury, PFASMercury, PFAS: 1512 advisory rows1,512SeleniumSelenium: 937 advisory rows937ArsenicArsenic: 567 advisory rows567PCB, PFASPCB, PFAS: 503 advisory rows503Mercury, SeleniumMercury, Selenium: 304 advisory rows304Mercury, ArsenicMercury, Arsenic: 144 advisory rows144Mercury, PCB, PFASMercury, PCB, PFAS: 123 advisory rows123ChromiumChromium: 123 advisory rows123Dioxins/FuransDioxins/Furans: 108 advisory rows108LeadLead: 79 advisory rows79PCB, SeleniumPCB, Selenium: 50 advisory rows50Arsenic, MercuryArsenic, Mercury: 45 advisory rows45Arsenic, PFASArsenic, PFAS: 27 advisory rows27Selenium, ArsenicSelenium, Arsenic: 26 advisory rows26Mercury, PCB, SeleniumMercury, PCB, Selenium: 24 advisory rows24Arsenic, Mercury, PFASArsenic, Mercury, PFAS: 19 advisory rows19Arsenic, Mercury, SeleniumArsenic, Mercury, Selenium: 17 advisory rows17Dioxins/Furans, PFASDioxins/Furans, PFAS: 15 advisory rows15Arsenic, SeleniumArsenic, Selenium: 13 advisory rows13Mercury, PCB, ArsenicMercury, PCB, Arsenic: 13 advisory rows13Mercury, Dioxins/FuransMercury, Dioxins/Furans: 9 advisory rows9Dioxins/Furans, PCBDioxins/Furans, PCB: 7 advisory rows7Dioxins/Furans, PCB, PFASDioxins/Furans, PCB, PFAS: 6 advisory rows6PFAS, SeleniumPFAS, Selenium: 6 advisory rows6Mercury, Arsenic, SeleniumMercury, Arsenic, Selenium: 5 advisory rows5PFAS, PCBPFAS, PCB: 5 advisory rows5Dioxins/Furans, Mercury, PFASDioxins/Furans, Mercury, PFAS: 5 advisory rows5PCB, MercuryPCB, Mercury: 5 advisory rows5Dioxins/Furans, Mercury, PCBDioxins/Furans, Mercury, PCB: 5 advisory rows5Mercury, Selenium, ArsenicMercury, Selenium, Arsenic: 4 advisory rows4Mercury, PFAS, SeleniumMercury, PFAS, Selenium: 4 advisory rows4Arsenic, Mercury, PFAS, SeleniumArsenic, Mercury, PFAS, Selenium: 4 advisory rows4Dioxins/Furans, MercuryDioxins/Furans, Mercury: 4 advisory rows4PCB, ArsenicPCB, Arsenic: 3 advisory rows3PCB, Selenium, ArsenicPCB, Selenium, Arsenic: 2 advisory rows2Arsenic, Mercury, PCB, PFAS, SeleniumArsenic, Mercury, PCB, PFAS, Selenium: 2 advisory rows2PCB, Mercury, PFASPCB, Mercury, PFAS: 1 advisory rows1Mercury, PCB, Selenium, ArsenicMercury, PCB, Selenium, Arsenic: 1 advisory rows1PCB, Dioxins/FuransPCB, Dioxins/Furans: 1 advisory rows1Mercury, PCB, Dioxins/FuransMercury, PCB, Dioxins/Furans: 1 advisory rows1Arsenic, Mercury, PCB, PFASArsenic, Mercury, PCB, PFAS: 1 advisory rows1Arsenic, ChromiumArsenic, Chromium: 1 advisory rows1Source: Guide to Eating Ontario Fish advisory database, Ontario.

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Source: Ontario — Guide to Eating Ontario Fish: Advisory Database.

Species with the most advisory rows

A count of rows recorded — not a ranking of which fish are worse to eat.

Species with the most advisory rows on fileA count of advisory rows recorded for the species — not a ranking of which fish are worse to eat.Northern PikeNorthern Pike: 24993 advisory rows24,993WalleyeWalleye: 23552 advisory rows23,552Lake TroutLake Trout: 11209 advisory rows11,209Smallmouth BassSmallmouth Bass: 9805 advisory rows9,805White SuckerWhite Sucker: 8088 advisory rows8,088Lake WhitefishLake Whitefish: 5297 advisory rows5,297Largemouth BassLargemouth Bass: 3578 advisory rows3,578Burbot (Ling)Burbot (Ling): 2748 advisory rows2,748Yellow PerchYellow Perch: 2509 advisory rows2,509Common CarpCommon Carp: 2262 advisory rows2,262Brook TroutBrook Trout: 2103 advisory rows2,103Cisco (Lake Herring)Cisco (Lake Herring): 1805 advisory rows1,805Brown BullheadBrown Bullhead: 1416 advisory rows1,416Rainbow TroutRainbow Trout: 1035 advisory rows1,035Rock BassRock Bass: 990 advisory rows990Black CrappieBlack Crappie: 984 advisory rows984Source: Guide to Eating Ontario Fish advisory database, Ontario.

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Source: Ontario — Guide to Eating Ontario Fish: Advisory Database.

Waterbodies with the most advisory rows

A count of rows recorded. A bigger lake has more rows because more combinations are sampled.

Waterbodies with the most advisory rows on fileA count of advisory rows recorded for the waterbody, across all species and length categories in it.Ottawa RiverOttawa River: 671 advisory rows671Welland RiverWelland River: 580 advisory rows580Thames RiverThames River: 556 advisory rows556Grand RiverGrand River: 554 advisory rows554Mattagami RiverMattagami River: 534 advisory rows534Long LakeLong Lake: 434 advisory rows434Lake ErieLake Erie: 422 advisory rows422Lake Ontario (Eastern Basin)Lake Ontario (Eastern Basin): 422 advisory rows422Trout LakeTrout Lake: 416 advisory rows416Wabigoon RiverWabigoon River: 406 advisory rows406Lake Huron (Main Basin)Lake Huron (Main Basin): 404 advisory rows404Round LakeRound Lake: 402 advisory rows402Abitibi RiverAbitibi River: 388 advisory rows388Georgian Bay (Lake Huron)Georgian Bay (Lake Huron): 376 advisory rows376Source: Guide to Eating Ontario Fish advisory database, Ontario.

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Source: Ontario — Guide to Eating Ontario Fish: Advisory Database.

By fish length and population group

The length category and population group as published in the guide.

Advisory rows by fish length category, split by population groupThe length category is the size range the advisory is recorded for. The two population groups are the ones the Guide publishes.04,0008,00012,00016,00020,00040-45 cm — Sensitive: 652240-45 cm — General: 648540-45 cm45-50 cm — Sensitive: 628145-50 cm — General: 625345-50 cm35-40 cm — Sensitive: 608435-40 cm — General: 604135-40 cm50-55 cm — Sensitive: 539450-55 cm — General: 537850-55 cm30-35 cm — Sensitive: 532430-35 cm — General: 528030-35 cm55-60 cm — Sensitive: 450055-60 cm — General: 449255-60 cm25-30 cm — Sensitive: 439725-30 cm — General: 434525-30 cm60-65 cm — Sensitive: 371660-65 cm — General: 371160-65 cm20-25 cm — Sensitive: 350420-25 cm — General: 346020-25 cm65-70 cm — Sensitive: 302165-70 cm — General: 301965-70 cm70-75 cm — Sensitive: 235170-75 cm — General: 235070-75 cm15-20 cm — Sensitive: 226515-20 cm — General: 223315-20 cm>75 cm — Sensitive: 1784>75 cm — General: 1784>75 cmSensitiveGeneralSource: Guide to Eating Ontario Fish advisory database, Ontario.

Scroll the chart sideways to see all of it.

Source: Ontario — Guide to Eating Ontario Fish: Advisory Database.

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About this record

Which Ontario lakes and rivers carry a fish consumption advisory, for which species, and which contaminant the advisory is recorded against. The guide that publishes the meal advice is linked on every page.

Source: Ontario — Guide to Eating Ontario Fish: Advisory Database — Open Government Licence – Ontario. Data refreshes as published. Every page links the row it came from.

What this site is not. It is a copy of an official record. It is not a judgement about any business, building or person, and it is not advice. If the record is wrong, the source above is where it is corrected.