Martins Lake in North Norfolk: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Martins Lake is set in North Norfolk, Manitoba. The ground round it is rolling bush. It covers about 8 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Our North Norfolk list holds plenty of bigger water. The nearest town is Portage la Prairie, 37 km away. After that come Carberry at 47 km and Carman at 60 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Martins Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Open biodiversity records for North Norfolk list yellow perch, shorthead redhorse, white sucker, blackside darter and silver redhorse. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The shape of Martins Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 19°C, while January sits near -18°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It holds true on Martins Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Mapped as intermittent, it fills after rain and shrinks between. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the perch, a small jig tipped with worm, dropped along the edges, is hard to beat. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Hidden Valley Lake is 20 km distant. What applies at Martins Lake may have changed since it was mapped.