Spence Lake Fishing near Thompson, Manitoba

• Overview

  Spence Lake sits within Kelsey in Manitoba. The water sits 215 metres up. The water covers some 64 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. About 3.1 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. It is low-lying compared with other Manitoba water we list. The town to know is Thompson, 32 km out. For a city, Winnipeg is 678 km off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Spence Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. 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. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The shape of Spence Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -25°C at the bottom of winter. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. Ice-out usually falls in mid May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. From about mid May to around early November, expect open water on the long-run figures. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It sets the rhythm of the year at Spence Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Sigurd Lake sits 4.2 km off and takes the overflow. For Spence Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.