Winnipeg area and Manitoba ice fishing

This page tells you the basics about Winnipeg area and Manitoba ice fishing.

With so many lakes and rivers, and winter that freezes them rock solid from early January to mid-March, ice fishing is a popular sport here in the heartland.

The best months are January and February, and the best places? You can find good icefishing throughout the province.

Close to Winnipeg, there's ice fishing on the Red River, particularly just south of Selkirk; and at Lockport, Gimli and Hecla on Lake Winnipeg, Lake Manitoba Narrows and to the east in The Whiteshell and on Lake of the Woods.

There are also winter ice fishing derbys. Walleye Warrior Marathon is an annual 24-hour ice fishing competition held in Selkirk, which is just half an hour from Winnipeg. In 2010 the dates for the Marathon were February 27-28. For more info about the next Marathon, go to their website at Walleye Warrior Marathon

This is a relatively inexpensive sport – in addition to warm clothing (including sturdy boots), you need rods and reels, jigs and hooks (you can get all this for under $50) and an auger to drill a hole in the ice (or another angler might do it for you if you slip him or her a $10 bill).

It’s also smart to take a GPS system, since it’s easy to lose your sense of direction out on the ice if a storm blows up.

Gear and more expert advice at local sporting goods retailers.

The big fish in Winnipeg are Cabela’s at 1300 Ellice and The Fishin’ Hole at 1522 Regent Avenue West.

Here’s more about ice fishing in Manitoba (opens in a new window).