Fishing Pistol Lake in Kelsey, Manitoba

• Overview

  Pistol Lake lies in Kelsey, in Manitoba. It stands 231 metres above sea level. At 2.16 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. The margin runs to about 14 km in total. Nearest town is Cross Lake 19A, 78 km off. Beyond it, Snow Lake at 88 km and Thompson at 90 km. If this one is busy: Turner Bay at about 1.4 km, Fish Lake just 9.2 km, August Lake at about 11 km, Setting Lake just 12 km and Bah Lake at about 14 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Pistol Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Public occurrence data for Kelsey names white sucker, johnny darter, northern pike, walleye and silver redhorse. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Take Pistol Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 17°C and January about -24°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about early November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Anyone fishing Pistol Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Turner Bay, 1.4 km away. For Pistol Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.