Skunk Lake, Manitoba: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Skunk Lake falls in Kelsey, part of Manitoba. It stands 253 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to roughly 1.38 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. There is roughly 6.3 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. The closest town, The Pas, is 56 km away. Saskatoon sits 463 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 Skunk 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 soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name white sucker, johnny darter, northern pike, walleye and silver redhorse. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Skunk Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -21°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about early November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on Skunk Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Look for a notice board at the entrance. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Alec Lake sits 6.2 km off and takes the overflow. For Skunk Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.