Mink Lake Fishing Guide, St. Andrews, Manitoba

• Overview

  You will find Mink Lake in St. Andrews, Manitoba. Rolling bush runs right down to the water. Small at around 8 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Most waters listed here for St. Andrews are larger. Selkirk sits 16 km from the bank. Winnipeg sits 50 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Mink 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 productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for St. Andrews cover black bullhead, common carp, freshwater drum, bigmouth buffalo and longnose dace. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Mink Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 19°C for July and -18°C for January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Climate figures give an open season running late April to mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Mink Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Netley Provincial Park runs up to the bank here, which usually means extra restrictions. Catfish want bait on the bottom: cut bait or worms, a simple running rig, and patience after dark. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Goldeye Lake at 2 km is the sensible second choice. Where Mink Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.