Manawan Lake Fishing in Sturgeon County, Alberta

• Overview

  Look for Manawan Lake in the Sturgeon County part of Alberta. Around the bank it is spruce and muskeg. At 8.71 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. There is roughly 15 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Of the waters listed here in Sturgeon County, this is the largest. Supplies mean a trip to Morinville, 11 km off. After that come Bon Accord at 19 km and Gibbons at 24 km. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Manawan Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Sturgeon County records list rainbow trout, yellow perch and black crappie among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Manawan Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 16°C on average, January about -15°C. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It sets the rhythm of the year at Manawan Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Records show it does not hold water year-round. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Low Water Lake sits 20 km off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Manawan Lake before loading the car.