Phillips Lake in Kelsey: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Phillips Lake is one of the Kelsey waters in Manitoba. Country round the bank runs to boreal forest. This is sizeable water at about 5.40 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. The shoreline runs to about 27 km, far more than one trip can cover. It ranks high for size among our Kelsey listings. Thompson at 61 km is the nearest place to stop. Further out sit Cross Lake 19A (74 km) and Snow Lake (119 km). It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Phillips Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Kelsey include white sucker, johnny darter and northern pike. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Take Phillips Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 16°C in July and bottom out at -24°C in January. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid May. Break-up near mid May, freeze-up near early November: that is the shape of an average year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Expect Phillips Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Hambone Lake sits 5.3 km off and takes the overflow. Where Phillips Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.