Ray Lake Fishing Guide, Kelsey, Manitoba

• Overview

  Out in Kelsey, Manitoba, sits Ray Lake. The setting is pine and birch on every side. At 2.31 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. At about 6.7 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. The nearest place of any size is The Pas, 38 km away. Further out sit Creighton (81 km) and Flin Flon (82 km). No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Ray Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. 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. Read Ray Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 17°C and January at -21°C. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early May. The water is typically free of ice between early May and early November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Time your trip to Ray Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Muskeg Lake, 6.4 km out. Where Ray Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.