Jay Lake in Kelsey: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Jay Lake falls in Kelsey, part of Manitoba. It sits at 332 metres above sea level. The water covers around 1.08 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. You are looking at roughly 7.0 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. Flin Flon sits 65 km from here and is the nearest stop. It is 496 km to Saskatoon, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Jay Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. County-wide records name white sucker, johnny darter, northern pike, walleye and silver redhorse. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Work Jay Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 17°C, with January the cold end at about -23°C. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. The season between ice runs from about early May to early November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. On Jay Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try James Clarke Lake, 3.8 km away. What applies at Jay Lake may have changed since it was mapped.