The Credit River The Credit River is a jewel set in the heart of southern Ontario, Canada. The Credit boasts huge runs of chinook salmon and steelhead as well as coho, and growing runs of brown trout and Atlantic salmon. The river also has a tremendous resident brook trout fishery and a popular freestone resident brown trout fishery.  With 1.2 million human inhabitants in the watershed the Credit is a true gem that needs our protection.

The Credit River boasts one of the greatest fighting wild steelhead in the Great Lakes.  These fish average 5-18 pounds and are well know to be powerful fish often jumping even in fridged winter conditions.  The steelhead run is estimated to be in the 3,000 to 5,000 per year range and mostly wild fish thanks to CRAA's massive efforts.

Atlantic salmon have begun to return to the Credit River in small numbers in 2008 and 2009 thanks to a new stocking program by MNR and OFAH with CRAA as the main local partner.  Our goal is to develop a wild, self sustaining Atlantic salmon run in the Credit River in the next twenty years!

The chinook salmon run is estimated to be around 10,000 adults every year (a mixture of wild and hatchery fish). Coho salmon are returning thanks to increased stocking, with runs anticipated in the 1,000 or more range.

The Atlantic salmon were once incredibly abundant in the Credit River (runs estimated to exceed 100,000 fish in the Credit), as they were all over Lake Ontario 200 years ago. Unfortunately they were extinct from Lake Ontario by 1896. However, since 1988 the MNR and CRAA have been actively involved in the re-establishment of this fabulous game fish into the Credit River. Recent increases in stocking and new egg sources led by MNR and OFAH has given the program the needed boost to succeed!

In addition to this incredible migratory salmonid fishery there is a phenomenal resident fishery for brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. From the headwaters of the river to a small town called Inglewood the water is perfectly suited for brook trout and brown trout to thrive. Every year there are 18" brook trout taken by anglers and brown trout up to 26".

The Credit has two main sources, one outflowing from Orangeville, the other from Hillsburg to the west. The two branches have excellent groundwater inputs all the way along keeping the water cold and clean. They join in the Forks Provincial Park, after separately flowing over the escarpment with two beautiful falls. Above the escarpment the brook trout are available and below the falls is where the brown trout reside. As the river travels through this section there are some excellent summer fishing opportunities in the park and in private land that a CRAA and TU have set up.

From Inglewood to Norval the river has many beautiful pools and runs, however there is little fishing available due to an access problem with the Norval Dam. Due to the MNR Management Plan the steelhead are not allowed past the dam so they are prevented from reaching the prime spawning water above the dam.

Since 2004 CRAA volunteers have manually transported adult wild steelhead past the Norval dam in a controlled manner to reach prime spawning grounds.  This has increased natural reproduction by several thousand percent and increased wild steelhead numbers exponentially.

Just upstream of the Norval Dam is a significant cold water tributary, Silver and Black Creek. This creek flows through the town of Georgetown and yet is completely untouched by anglers. CRAA's work has ensured that the lower sections of this creek are producing thousands of steelhead (due to adult transfers and our hatchery), however there is a phenomenal brook trout fishery available in the headwaters of these creeks.

From Norval to Streetsville the steelhead fishery is mainly during May due to fishing regulations. This is still extremely worth while with some anglers hooking fifty steelhead in a day and never seeing another angler.

Below the Streetsville Dam to Erindale Park sees most of the fishing pressure. Erindale Park situated in the middle of Mississauga is open to salmon and trout fishing all year and it produces a lot of fish. It is not uncommon to see 250 anglers in this section when a big run is on, but there is plenty of room for all. CRAA is currently trying to have more river opened with more conservation oriented regulations to increase the area for anglers while not harming the fish.

We have been very lucky that with the incredible development the area has seen that it has been so well protected. Our laws have meant that the entire river valley is free from development and is left in a natural state. There are deer, coyotes, fox and many other animals that live in the valley surrounded by the city. In fact, you would not know you are in a city at all when you are in the park, let a lone being 20 minutes away from Toronto.