Fishing Keys Lake in Alexander, Manitoba

• Overview

  Keys Lake sits within Alexander in Manitoba. The ground round it is mixed forest. Around 84 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. The shoreline runs about 6.8 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. The nearest town is Lac du Bonnet, 38 km away. After that come Beausejour at 76 km and Selkirk at 98 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Keys Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Alexander include smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye. The county list is broader than any single water. On Keys Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 19°C for July and -19°C for January. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Climate figures give an open season running late April to mid November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on Keys Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Shelson Lake is 2.3 km off. What applies at Keys Lake may have changed since it was mapped.