Old Lake CottageBluegill fishing near Burlington, ON
630 documented waters within 300 km, 1 of them with bluegill as the primary species.
Where they are biting today
- Canard River (rivière aux Canards)75
- Canard River (rivière aux Canards)75
- Usshers Creek73
- Sinkhole Creek71
- Sinkhole Creek71
- Oswego Creek70
- Oswego Creek70
- Canard River (rivière aux Canards)68
- Beaver Creek68
- Oswego Creek68
Fishing bluegill around Burlington
Anglers based in Burlington have 630 documented waters holding bluegill within a reasonable drive, which makes picking today's water the real decision. That choice is exactly what the daily scores are for: every water on this page is re-scored each morning, so the order reflects current conditions, not last season's stories.
Canard River (rivière aux Canards) leads today's ranking at a score of 75 (about 284 km from Burlington). Canard River (rivière aux Canards) follows at 75 (about 290 km from Burlington). Usshers Creek, scoring 73, rounds out the current leaders. Each number compresses the day's weather, modelled water temperature at depth and how well those conditions suit bluegill into one comparable score.
Bluegill are among the most popular and accessible panfish targets, widely recommended as an entry point for new anglers (especially kids) because of how consistently willing they are to bite and how simple the gear required actually is. Common across southern and eastern Ontario, including the Rideau Lakes, Kawarthas and lower Great Lakes; bluegill favour moderately clear, warm water, holding in shallow weedy bays and around docks, laydowns and brush. Light spinning tackle with a small jig or piece of worm fished beneath a float is the standard presentation; a quiet, low-splash approach matters because noisy casts spook fish in shallow water. After ice-out, schools concentrate in warming sheltered bays; spawning activity peaks around early July and can extend into August, with males guarding shallow nests before fish slide toward deeper weed edges.
These scores are not season-long ratings. They are rebuilt every morning from fresh weather and water-temperature data, most recently for September 14, 2026, so the best bluegill water near Burlington this week may not be the best one next week.