Strank Lake in Ethelbert: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Ethelbert, Manitoba. The setting is taiga on every side. The water covers some 18 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Bank access stretches around 1.7 km in total. It sits higher than most water we list in Manitoba. Swan River lies 40 km from the water. Further out sit Roblin (71 km) and Kamsack (73 km). It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Strank Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Ethelbert records list Iowa darter, yellow perch, northern pike and white sucker among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Strank Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 16°C; the cold one sits at -19°C. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice clears near early May and comes back about early November in a typical year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That is the shape of the year on Strank Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Line Lake sits 1.7 km off and takes the overflow. Where Strank Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.