Cooks Lake in St. Andrews: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The St. Andrews entry here is Cooks Lake, in Manitoba. Height above sea level is 216 metres. It measures about 72 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Our St. Andrews list holds plenty of bigger water. Selkirk sits 17 km from the bank. For a city, Winnipeg is 51 km off. Round about: Starr Lake 1.4 km off, Upper Devil Lake just 1.4 km, Boyd Lake 2.2 km off, Morrison Lake just 2.5 km and Mink Lake 3.4 km off. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Cooks Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Species logged across St. Andrews include black bullhead, common carp, freshwater drum, bigmouth buffalo and longnose dace. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Cooks Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 19°C, the coldest about -18°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It sets the rhythm of the year at Cooks Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Starr Lake at 1.4 km is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Cooks Lake in what we hold.