The colder the better

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/11/2020 (2049 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As the weather turns colder this week, anglers in this part of the world are gearing up for another ice fishing season. Many will be relatively new to the sport as we look for ways to be outside. What could be better isolation than on a frozen body of water in the middle of nowhere?

In this pandemic time, information on where to go and how to do things properly are on top of mind. Ryan Suffron, who is in charge of outdoor product marketing for Travel Manitoba, commissioned prolific vlogger and filmmaker Jay Siemens to produce a ten-part series. It is the beginner’s introduction to ice fishing. Starting with ice safety, the short series of videos goes through all the equipment options and ends with how to find fish. This is a quick, easy guide to get you pointed the right direction

You can find the series on the Hunt/Fish Mb website or on Jay’s own YouTube channel. It’s well done and worth the look.

If you can travel a bit of a distance from your home, try the stocked trout waters we have in the province. One area that I have never been to (not sure why) are the Reynolds Ponds.

Located approximately 10 kilometres north of Richer on Forestry Road 13, there are nine ponds to choose from. The ponds are stocked by Manitoba Conservation every spring and their proximity to the city makes them a popular destination. The various ponds have a combination of rainbow, brook, and brown trout. There are also some massive largemouth bass that exist in the larger ponds. Nobody is quite sure how they got there but these fish have become a huge attraction.

In talking to fisheries managers in the province, despite the pandemic, the Whiteshell Fish Hatchery was running at full speed this year. Myriad lakes and ponds were stocked across the province.

Two close to the hatchery received some brood stock. Hunt Lake got some monster brook trout while Lyons got a few massive brown trout. These are two great choices right now.

The La Forge pits, located right next door to the Reynolds ponds, also received some tiger trout. If you are heading to this area for the first time, I recommend you go on Google Earth or satellite to find exactly where it is.

The old La Farge site has three pits, two quite large and deep. These hold a variety of species including smallmouth, largemouth, rainbow, brown and now Tiger Trout. This beautiful hybrid has been a hit in the province, with Twin Lakes in the Duck Mountains the shining star.

For more information on Twin and others in that part of the world visit the Swan Valley Sport Fishing Enhancement website. This award-winning non-profit group has assembled a staggering amount of information on bodies of water in this region. If you go to their Go Fish page you will be able to find lake specific information including species available, location and for some, hydrographic maps for anglers.

One lake that continues to provide excellent stocked trout fishing is Barbe Lake up by The Pas. I would have to say of all the stocked water that I have fished this would have to be my favourite by far. With travel restrictions to the north I will have to wait awhile for a return visit.

The Manitoba Fisheries Department is currently redoing their website, which means more lake information will be coming back online. There is currently fish stocking data on the Lake Information for Anglers site. Missing are the lake maps which provide information such as bathymetric data, fish stock assessment data, and launch photos. The province is almost done on its relaunch.

Central and northern Manitoba got hit with the recent snowstorm that swept across Alberta and Saskatchewan.

With low water levels in the central and southern part of Manitoba a heavy snow cover would jeopardize the smaller, shallower lakes. This will reduce oxygen levels and in some cases of a long, cold winter cause total depletion resulting in winter kill. Low oxygen levels slow activity level in these lakes. That’s another reason to target stocked trout water before Christmas. These fish are much more active at first ice and the success ratio is better.

Anglers Notes: Anglers are venturing out already on the smaller lakes in the Duck Mountains, but another week of cold temperatures will make things a lot safer. No need to rush, especially with the province in Code Red. In the meantime I recommend watching Giants of the Boreal Forest featuring Dr. Vince Crichton. Produced by Electric Monk Media, it provides a fascinating life story of the man whose mission it is to save in this province. You can stream it for free on the CBC Gem channel.

dlamont46@gmail.com