Finger Lake in Kelsey: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Kelsey in Manitoba is where Finger Lake sits. It sits in taiga. The water covers some 86 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The margin runs to about 7.5 km in total. Nearest place of any size is Flin Flon, 58 km away. Beyond it, Creighton at 61 km and Snow Lake at 72 km. Close by you also have: Gwillam Lake 1.8 km away, Bess Lake at 2.9 km, Bartlett Lake 4.8 km away, Dumbell Lake at 5 km and Lilyroot Lake 5.2 km away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Finger Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Kelsey, recorded fish include white sucker, johnny darter, northern pike and walleye. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. At Finger Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 17°C and January near -23°C. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near early November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. On Finger Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. 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. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Gwillam Lake, 1.8 km away. For Finger Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.