Fishing Kidney Lake in Ethelbert, Manitoba

• Overview

  Set in Ethelbert, Manitoba, this is Kidney Lake. It lies 732 metres above sea level. Surface area is around 33 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The edge runs 2.4 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It sits higher than most water we list in Manitoba. Roblin sits 58 km from the bank. Dauphin lies 68 km off, Swan River another 68 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Kidney Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Ethelbert cover Iowa darter, yellow perch and northern pike. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Kidney Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -18°C to 17°C. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. Winter locks it down, and early May brings it back. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly early November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Kidney Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Storm Lake, 1.3 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Kidney Lake if anything is unclear.