Matte Lake in Kelsey: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Matte Lake sits within Kelsey in Manitoba. This is boreal forest country. It runs to roughly 80 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Shoreline comes to about 3.6 km, small enough to learn in a day. For a base, Thompson sits 48 km out. Cross Lake 19A is 88 km away, with Snow Lake at 125 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Matte 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. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Kelsey cover white sucker, johnny darter, northern pike and walleye. The county list is broader than any single water. The shape of Matte Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 16°C, while January sits near -24°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid May. Break-up near mid May, freeze-up near early November: that is the shape of an average year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It sets the rhythm of the year at Matte Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Max Lake, 1.3 km away. What applies at Matte Lake may have changed since it was mapped.