Fishing at Jackfish Lake, St. Clements, Manitoba

• Overview

  In Manitoba, Jackfish Lake belongs to St. Clements. The water sits 236 metres up. Surface area is around 86 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. About 3.9 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. On size it sits at the modest end of our St. Clements list. Gimli is the closest town at 38 km. Lac du Bonnet is 43 km away, with Selkirk at 51 km. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Jackfish Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Survey and observation records for St. Clements include common carp, channel catfish, goldeye and walleye. The county list is broader than any single water. The shape of Jackfish Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 19°C; the cold one sits at -18°C. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Anyone fishing Jackfish Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Jackfish Lake Game Bird Refuge covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. Walleye come to jigs worked slow near bottom, and to trolled crankbaits along the drops at dusk. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Beaconia Lake is 13 km distant. Where Jackfish Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.