Fishing Bear Lake in Manitoba, Manitoba

• Overview

  Set in Manitoba, Bear Lake is a Manitoba water. Land around it is mixed forest. It runs to roughly 98 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The edge covers about 10 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. The nearest town is Flin Flon, 11 km away. For a city, Saskatoon is 439 km off. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Bear Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shape of Bear Lake decides where the fish sit. Sudden pressure changes tend to shut fish down for a few hours.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 17°C at the top of summer and -21°C at the bottom of winter. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. 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 first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Plan around that when you fish Bear Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Sleep Lake, 1.1 km away. Check the position at Bear Lake before loading the car.