Briscoe Lake in Kelsey: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Briscoe Lake stands in Kelsey, Manitoba. It stands 198 metres above sea level. It measures about 59 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The full circuit measures close to 4.1 km on foot. Ground here is low by Manitoba standards. Nearest place of any size is Thompson, 46 km away. Cross Lake 19A lies 88 km off, Oxford House another 147 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Briscoe Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. 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. Open biodiversity records for Kelsey list white sucker, johnny darter, northern pike, walleye and silver redhorse. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Briscoe Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 16°C and January reads -24°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid May and starts locking again about early November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Time your trip to Briscoe Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Riddoch Lake is 4.3 km off. Check the position at Briscoe Lake before loading the car.