American angler fined, banned from fishing in Ontario

A walleye is seen in this April 2008 image. (AP Photo/Eric Engbretson/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

An American angler has been fined thousands of dollars and banned from fishing in Ontario for six years after pleading guilty to possessing a significant overlimit of walleye in northwestern Ontario last summer.

Larry Maples of Beaver Dam, Kentucky, pled guilty to being in possession of 34 walleye over his limit and for possessing fish packaged in a manner that could not easily be counted in a Thunder Bay courtroom on April 2.

Justice of the Peace Jennifer A. Neill presided over the case and imposed a $6,700 fine. The conviction also prohibits Maples from possessing an Ontario fishing licence or engaging in any fishing activities in the province for the next six years.

Discovered at border inspection

The court heard that the infractions occurred on June 15, 2024, when Thunder Bay conservation officers were conducting inspections at the Pigeon River border crossing when they contacted Maples, who was returning from a fishing trip on Greystone Lake near Ignace.

“Conservation officers discovered a cooler containing 21 bags of frozen, skinless fish and determined that Maples was in possession of an overlimit of walleye,” said the Ministry of Natural Resources in a court bulletin released Friday.

Ministry officials say this case underscores the province’s ongoing enforcement efforts.

“The Ontario government is safeguarding walleye populations by ensuring anglers follow recreational fish catch limits,” said the ministry.

The ministry also released another court bulletin on Friday concerning illegal moose hunting.

To report a natural resource problem or provide information about an unsolved case, call the ministry TIPS line toll-free at 1-877-847-7667 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.

For more information about unsolved cases, click here.