Claw Lake Fishing Guide, Kelsey, Manitoba

• Overview

  Out in Kelsey, Manitoba, sits Claw Lake. It sits in taiga country. Roughly 8.19 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. There is roughly 44 km of bank, and each arm behaves like its own water. Size puts it in the front rank of our Kelsey list. Snow Lake lies 47 km from the water. Saskatoon is the closest city, 490 km away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Claw Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Kelsey include white sucker, johnny darter, northern pike and walleye. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Claw Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 17°C and January near -22°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. Open water usually runs from early May until about early November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. At Claw Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Eriksons Lake is 3.4 km off. Check the current arrangement for Claw Lake.