McRaes Lake, Manitoba: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  McRaes Lake is a Rosedale water, Manitoba side. It sits in lake country bush country. It covers about 10 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Supplies mean a trip to Minnedosa, 16 km off. Neepawa is 31 km away, with Rivers at 50 km. Round about: McKerrells Lake at 1.2 km, McKays Lake 2 km, Kaufmans Lake at 3 km, Coulsons Lake 3.9 km and Hilliards Lake at 4.1 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on McRaes Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Rosedale, recorded fish include white sucker, northern pike, yellow perch, johnny darter and Iowa darter. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Anyone new to McRaes Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 18°C and January near -19°C. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That shapes the year on McRaes Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Mapping flags this water as intermittent: it can be dry for part of the year, so check before travelling. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, McKerrells Lake is 1.2 km off. Treat access at McRaes Lake as something to verify.