Fishing Max Lake in Manitoba, Manitoba

• Overview

  Set in Manitoba, this is Max Lake. The bank is 190 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to some 17.88 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. There is roughly 64 km of bank, and each arm behaves like its own water. Size puts it in the front rank of our Manitoba list. The town to know is Oxford House, 64 km out. Cross Lake 19A is 116 km and Norway House 136 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Max Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. At Max Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach. Its catchment runs to roughly 107 sq km, and levels follow the weather.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 17°C at the top of summer and -22°C at the bottom of winter. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about early November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. On Max Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, Opiminegoka Lake is 5.1 km distant. For Max Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.