Butterfly Lake, Manitoba: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Butterfly Lake is one of the Kelsey listings for Manitoba. It sits in pine and birch. It covers about 21.65 sq km, which means weather matters as much as tactics. There is roughly 100 km of bank, and each arm behaves like its own water. On our Kelsey list it sits near the top for size. The nearest town is Cross Lake 19A, 39 km away. Norway House follows at 62 km, then Oxford House at 142 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Butterfly Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Kelsey cover white sucker, johnny darter, northern pike, walleye and silver redhorse. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. The near bank of Butterfly Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 17°C; by January the average is down near -23°C. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. The lid tends to go about early May and return around early November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Butterfly Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Hairy Lake at 9.9 km is the sensible second choice. Treat access at Butterfly Lake as something to verify.