Puffy Lake, Manitoba: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Kelsey, Puffy Lake is a Manitoba water. The surface lies 329 metres up. About 2.06 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. Some 6.3 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. The closest town, Snow Lake, is 62 km distant. It is 494 km to Saskatoon, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Puffy Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Kelsey, recorded fish include white sucker, johnny darter, northern pike, walleye and silver redhorse. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Read Puffy Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 17°C, with January the cold end at about -23°C. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. On average, early May opens the water and early November closes it again. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Puffy Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Ponton Lake, 3.3 km away. Check the current arrangement for Puffy Lake.