Wargatie Lake, Manitoba: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In Manitoba, Wargatie Lake belongs to Yellowhead. The surface lies 596 metres up. At some 1.88 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The shoreline runs about 20 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. 54 km away sits Minnedosa, the nearest town. It is 241 km to Winnipeg, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Wargatie Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Open biodiversity records for Yellowhead list northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and Iowa darter. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Work Wargatie Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 18°C; the cold one sits at -19°C. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Time your trip to Wargatie Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A made slipway is 750 m from here, which settles the boat question. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Stadnyks Lake, 2.8 km out. What applies at Wargatie Lake may have changed since it was mapped.