Atkins Lake, Manitoba: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In Manitoba, Atkins Lake belongs to Kelsey. This is northern bush ground. The water covers some 71 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. There is roughly 5.3 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Snow Lake lies 29 km from the water. It is 555 km to Saskatoon, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Atkins Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name white sucker, johnny darter, northern pike and walleye. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Atkins Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -23°C in January up to 17°C in July. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early May. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about early November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Atkins Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Yukon Lake, 2.3 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Atkins Lake.