Fishing Cottier Lake in Kelsey, Manitoba

• Overview

  Set in Kelsey, Cottier Lake is a Manitoba water. It sits at 204 metres above sea level. At 1.45 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. At about 5.2 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Manitoba listings. Thompson lies 69 km from the water. The big place round here is Winnipeg, 666 km distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Cottier Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Kelsey, recorded fish include white sucker, johnny darter and northern pike. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Cottier Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 16°C and January near -24°C on the long-run figures. A short, intense season is the rule this far north. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid May until roughly early November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. On Cottier Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Ministik Lake is 4.4 km distant. For Cottier Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.