Hambone Lake, Manitoba: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Hambone Lake is one of the Kelsey listings for Manitoba. Taiga runs right down to the water. At some 1.00 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. At about 6.0 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Supplies mean a trip to Thompson, 61 km off. The big place round here is Winnipeg, 605 km distant. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Hambone Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Species logged across Kelsey include white sucker, johnny darter and northern pike. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Hambone Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 16°C and January near -24°C on the long-run figures. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid May. From about mid May to around early November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. It holds true on Hambone Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Phillips Lake at 5.3 km is the sensible second choice. For Hambone Lake in particular, ask before you travel.