North Salt Lake in Yellowhead: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  North Salt Lake is one of the Yellowhead waters in Manitoba. The bank is 564 metres above sea level. At some 1.89 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. You are looking at roughly 8.1 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. The nearest place of any size is Rivers, 47 km away. The big place round here is Winnipeg, 243 km distant. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on North Salt Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Survey and observation records for Yellowhead include northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of North Salt Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -19°C and July at about 18°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. North Salt Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. For a change of water, Williamsons Lake is 8.9 km distant. Treat access at North Salt Lake as something to verify.