Fishing at Skidmore Lake, Manitoba, Manitoba

• Overview

  Skidmore Lake is one of the Manitoba listings for Manitoba. Everything around it is spruce and muskeg. About 6.04 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The shoreline runs to about 29 km, far more than one trip can cover. Size puts it in the front rank of our Manitoba list. The nearest town is Gillam, 182 km away. Winnipeg sits 916 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Skidmore Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. At Skidmore Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does. Our records list it as fresh water.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 15°C and January at -27°C. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. After early June the shallows warm and the fish move up. On average, early June opens the water and late October closes it again. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. That is the shape of the year on Skidmore Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Brady Lake sits 33 km off and takes the overflow. What applies at Skidmore Lake may have changed since it was mapped.