Fishing at McCafferty Lake, Kelsey, Manitoba

• Overview

  Within Kelsey, Manitoba, you have McCafferty Lake. It lies 279 metres above sea level. The water measures roughly 5 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is a small entry by Kelsey standards. Nearest town is Snow Lake, 23 km off. Cross Lake 19A is 125 km away, with Flin Flon at 140 km. Others close at hand: Rose Lake out at 1.8 km, Judge Lake at 1.8 km, Morgan Lake out at 2.3 km, Lost Frog Lake at 2.7 km and Mary Lake out at 2.9 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on McCafferty Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Kelsey, recorded fish include white sucker, johnny darter, northern pike and walleye. The county list is broader than any single water. At McCafferty Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 17°C and January near -23°C. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about early November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. On McCafferty Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Rose Lake, 1.8 km away. What applies at McCafferty Lake may have changed since it was mapped.