Mustoe Lake in Kelsey: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Kelsey, Manitoba. Country round the bank runs to northern bush. At some 1.65 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Roughly 4.7 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. It lies lower than most water we list in Manitoba. Cross Lake 19A is the closest place, 48 km off. For a city, Winnipeg is 553 km off. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Mustoe Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name white sucker, johnny darter, northern pike, walleye and silver redhorse. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Read Mustoe Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 17°C and January about -24°C. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about early November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Mustoe Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Muhigan River sits 9.3 km off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Mustoe Lake if anything is unclear.