Safe to eat fish caught near downtown Ottawa?

Post by **Thompson** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:52 pm

Hi everyone,

Just moved out here from BC this winter, and I'm thinking about trying some fishing this spring. I don't have a car out here yet though, and I'm wondering if it's safe to eat fish caught in the rivers, canal, Dow's Lake and other areas near downtown.

My experience in BC is pretty much exclusively rainbow trout fishing (and I haven't even done a lot of that since the 1980s), so I'm sure I'll be on here looking for tips. I've never fished for pike, crappie, bass or any of the other common species around Ottawa.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!

Post by **matcole** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 10:25 pm

Welcome aboard Thompson! I know my self that i never eat anything that i catch in town.

Post by **Andy_L** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 10:34 pm

welcome Thompson

I hope you enjoy things here at our lil fishing home on the web

I might eat something out of the ottawa....but out of the canal or dows lake??? naaaaa...i don't think so

our health care system sucks and i would rather not test it out any

Post by **Tsoukan** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 10:47 pm

http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/guide/ might have some answers for you....

Post by **Thompson** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:11 pm

Thanks for the replies so far.

How about the Rideau river near town (like Strathcona park, or further out towards Hogs Back, etc.?

Any recommendations for good spots to fish from shore near downtown? I'm looking for places I can walk/cycle to. How is Victoria Island for fishing?

BTW, I just found this article about urban fishing in Ottawa - does it sound accurate to the Ottawa locals on here?

http://www.outdoorcanada.ca/fish/hot_spots07f.shtml

Post by **TrollingThunder** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:23 pm

Personally I wouldn't keep anything from the inner city Rideau; Mooney's Bay area has been shut down many times over the years for high bacteria (I think ecoli, but im not sure) levels in the water. Odds are you probably won't get sick from it but if it were me I would be extremely selective of the fish I kept from the Rideau, if I kept anything at all...which I don't haha. Yet again this is just my opinion, I'm sure if you kept fish you'd be alright....hopefully haha. Other than that the Rideau has some great fishing.

P.S welcome to the site, I'm just a F/H newbie myself but so far it's been a great wealth of information

Post by **YakAttack** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 12:56 pm

I think that biological grossness like e-coli, parasites, etc, is usually not harmful as long as the fish is cooked properly. The stuff that you need to be aware of are non-bio crap like mercury, dioxins, pesticides, etc.

Post by **Bass Addict** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 1:12 pm

You might want to stay away from Petrie Island area, lot of raw human
sewage flowing around there. Even the beach is closed year round.

Post by **joco** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 1:39 pm

I do eat fish frome the ottawa or the rideau.

and i am ok............i think..

.

the main thing would be to eat small fish .and not to often.

byt the way the rideau and the ottawa river is cleaner then ever...mabe some part is not that clean but generaly it is.

plus the fish people buy at the market those not mean its better...some off them come frome ottawa river..(dont forget there some commercial fishing on the ottawa river and the st lawrence) so those fish go to fish market..

.

some species are worst ten others for contaminent and same for size..bigger is more likely to be more harmfull then smaller ones.

so to make it clear.if you keep some to eat keep small ones. better for you and better for the fish population.

i eat it and will keep eating some.

suposely eathing fish is good for the brain...if i keep eating some mabe one day my english writhing will be better......

.

joco

Post by **YakAttack** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 2:21 pm

joco wrote:suposely eathing fish is good for the brain...if i keep eating some mabe one day my english writhing will be better...... .

That would be a shame...I really do enjoy reading your French accent joco

Post by **Bass Addict** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 3:13 pm

C'mon now joco lets get real..............

theres raw sewage emptying in the ottawa river all the time......

the river is not clean

i mean would you drink the water

Post by **waynerb66** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 4:58 pm

I would imagine most rivers have a certain degree of pollution in them. You are bound to get sewage run off from cities and cattle who graze along side, or run off from the ferilizer that is spread on the land. How much pollution do our boat motors put into the water? The only truly clean waters would be ones that are untouched by man. And they are not clean for long once they are discovered. Just my two cents. I would just use some caution when eating fish from the local waterways.

Post by **joco** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 5:44 pm

hi bass addict..say'mon now joco lets get real..............

theres raw sewage emptying in the ottawa river all the time......

the river is not clean Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes

i mean would you drink the water Question Question Question Question Question

its not clean but beter then it was 30 years ago and behond.

no i wont drink that water...actualy dont any water in any lakes. just in case.

yes theres is some runoff in it and some extra stuff going into the water ..but its still better then it was.

imagine how it was.

40 years ago.it was full off wodds.plus everything was going right in to the river..all the snow truck was dumping into the rivers.etc etc.

but it could be better a lot better.

i got cooworker that work in james bay and have tons off probleme up there wit water.......the ecolie is a lot a lot more theen the ottawa river...why..caribou c$$$T........that is right.100S off towsend caribou crossing the river and dumping in it and the river is fully contaminated..

plus the % off mercury is very hight to.

lets face it............not ,many place where the water is still pure if anyplce at all....

here is a great link to read about the ottawa river..

http://ottawariverkeeper.ca/index.html

joco

Post by **joco** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 6:02 pm

here a link to the consomtion off fish..

http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/guide/

nothing better then a little shore luch.mmmmmm

joco

Post by **Andy_L** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:12 pm

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA JOCO....I'm sureeeee that saying "Caribou chit" HAS to be a violation of the rules here!!!! I just can't seem to stop laughing long enough to edit your post hahahahahahahaha

btw...if anyone thought that eating ottawa river fish wasn't bad for you, I just want to point out that Joco has a masters degree in english

(hehehehe before you roast me, Joco knows i'm just kidding him)