Makate Lake, Manitoba: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Manitoba, sits Makate Lake. The water sits 352 metres up. Surface area is around 28 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The edge runs 3.4 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Nearest town is Pelican Narrows, 212 km off. After that come Snow Lake at 216 km and Thompson at 224 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Makate Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Makate Lake gives up more to patience than to distance. Cover your ground slowly and you will find the productive stretch.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 16°C in July and bottom out at -25°C in January. A short, intense season is the rule this far north. Ice-out usually falls in mid May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid May until roughly early November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Makate Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Foster Lake, 1.5 km out. Treat Makate Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.