Harts Lake in Oakview: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Harts Lake sits in Oakview, out in Manitoba. Elevation runs to 597 metres. At 1.04 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. Around 9.9 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. Few waters listed in Oakview are bigger. Nearest town is Minnedosa, 21 km off. It is 208 km to Winnipeg, the nearest city. Nearby alternatives: Munros Lake 1.6 km off, Londrys Lake at 2.2 km, Kite Lake 2.9 km off, King Lake at 3.3 km and Elsie Lake 3.3 km off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Harts Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Oakview include northern pike, walleye and johnny darter. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Read Harts Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -19°C and July at about 18°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. 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 strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. It sets the rhythm of the year at Harts Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Munros Lake, 1.6 km away. Signs at Harts Lake carry more weight than any list.