Plum Lakes Fishing Guide, Sifton, Manitoba

• Overview

  Plum Lakes is a Sifton water, Manitoba side. Beyond the shoreline you have rolling bush. Roughly 6.95 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Some 27 km of shoreline means conditions can differ from one end to the other. Virden lies 28 km from the water. Souris is 34 km away, with Melita at 45 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Plum Lakes

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name black bullhead, northern pike, tadpole madtom, white sucker and channel catfish. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Plum Lakes fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 19°C and January near -16°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. On Plum Lakes the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. A phone call first saves an afternoon. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Oak Lake at 4.6 km is the nearest alternative. For Plum Lakes in particular, ask before you travel.