Gull Lake, Manitoba: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Gull Lake lies within the bounds of Yellowhead, Manitoba. Around the bank it is rolling bush. Roughly 83 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Bank access stretches around 4.6 km in total. Minnedosa lies 32 km from the water. Then Rivers, 50 km, and Neepawa, 53 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Gull Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Yellowhead, recorded fish include northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and Iowa darter. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read Gull Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 18°C in July and bottom out at -19°C in January. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It sets the rhythm of the year at Gull Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Fourteen Lake, 1.8 km away. Where Gull Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.