Fishing at Apple Lake, McCreary, Manitoba

• Overview

  The McCreary end of Manitoba holds Apple Lake. Elevation runs to 686 metres. The water covers some 13 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Roughly 1.4 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. It is one of the smaller waters we list in McCreary. The nearest town is Minnedosa, 42 km away. The nearest city of size is Winnipeg, 193 km away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Apple Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name white sucker, northern pike and Iowa darter. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Treat Apple Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 17°C, with January the cold end at about -19°C. Ice holds for a long stretch, so the open weeks matter more here than further south. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. The lid tends to go about early May and return around mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Apple Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Muskrat Lake, 1.1 km away. Check the position on Apple Lake before loading the car.