Fishing at Mawdesley Lake, Kelsey, Manitoba

• Overview

  Mawdesley Lake lies in Kelsey, Manitoba. Everything around it is pine and birch. At 81.32 sq km you are fishing a fraction of it whatever you do. The edge bends in and out, so one side is usually calmer than the other. Size puts it in the front rank of our Kelsey list. The nearest place of any size is The Pas, 47 km away. It is 455 km to Saskatoon, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Mawdesley Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Kelsey cover white sucker, johnny darter, northern pike, walleye and silver redhorse. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The near bank of Mawdesley Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 18°C, the coldest about -21°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early May. The lid tends to go about early May and return around early November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Expect Mawdesley Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Kapiskitowakomak Lake, 8 km away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Mawdesley Lake may have changed since it was mapped.