Van Damme Lake, Manitoba: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Van Damme Lake lies in Argyle, Manitoba. Height above sea level is 414 metres. The water covers some 37 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Around 4.0 km of margin, front to back. Carberry sits 52 km from the bank. For a city, Winnipeg is 147 km off. Near neighbours include: 2 km away is Bellows Lake, Wytincks Lake 4.4 km away, 4.7 km away is Morin Lake, Van Der Walle Lake 4.8 km away and 6.3 km away is Sveinsson Lake. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Van Damme Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Argyle, recorded fish include black bullhead, northern pike, johnny darter and rock bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Work Van Damme Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 19°C, while January sits near -17°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Time your trip to Van Damme Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. The nearest alternative is Bellows Lake, 2 km out. Check the position at Van Damme Lake before loading the car.