Portage Lake in Kelsey: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Portage Lake belongs to Kelsey, Manitoba. This is northern bush country. Surface area runs to about 6 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Our Kelsey list holds plenty of bigger water. For supplies, Flin Flon is 63 km out. Beyond it, Creighton at 66 km and Snow Lake at 73 km. Other water within reach: Ken Lake lies 0.7 km on, Camp Lake at about 1.3 km, Jackpine Lake lies 1.3 km on, Kiki Lake at about 1.4 km and Wood Lake lies 1.5 km on. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Portage Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Kelsey include white sucker, johnny darter and northern pike. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Portage Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 17°C, with January the cold end at about -23°C. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early May. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about early November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Portage Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Public mapping marks it as seasonal water rather than permanent. Fishing from a pier is possible 710 m away. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Ken Lake, 0.7 km away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Portage Lake may have changed since it was mapped.