Fishing Barb Lake in Kelsey, Manitoba

• Overview

  In Manitoba, Barb Lake belongs to Kelsey. The surface lies 289 metres up. It measures some 4.38 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. There is roughly 28 km of bank, and each arm behaves like its own water. Head to Snow Lake, 54 km away, for anything you forgot. It is 481 km to Saskatoon, the nearest city. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Barb Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Kelsey records list white sucker, johnny darter, northern pike, walleye and silver redhorse among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Fish Barb Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 17°C; by January the average is down near -22°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about early November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Anyone fishing Barb Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Iskwasum Lake at 7.4 km is the sensible second choice. For Barb Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.