Manitoba’s fishing is Lake Winnipeg and the rivers that feed it. The lake’s greenback walleye are famous among ice anglers, and the Red River between Lockport and Selkirk is known for giant channel catfish in summer and walleye in the fall. Both pages carry live Water Survey of Canada gauges.
Reports current for Friday, September 25
Every one of the 2 Manitoba waters we cover has a live read this morning. They are all sitting in the middle of the scale today. Water is around 16 °C. Pressure is holding steady on most of them, so the day comes down to water temperature and wind.
Best right now: Lake Winnipeg 3/5, Red River at Selkirk 3/5
Live verdicts from this morning's reports.
Lake Winnipeg at Gimli: greenback walleye, pike and perch in one of the world’s largest lakes, famous for its ice fishing, with a live level gauge.
The Red River at Selkirk: giant channel catfish and fall greenback walleye below Lockport, with a live gauge.
Species activity across the covered waters, written for the Canadian year. Peak of the year: October.
1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.
Seasonal surface curve for the dominant water type here, in degrees Celsius (estimated, not a reading).
| Water | Type | Live data | Peak month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Winnipeg | Lake | Water Survey gauge | Jun |
| Red River at Selkirk | River | Water Survey gauge | Jun |
The south is the Red River valley and the great lakes of the Manitoba lowlands, Winnipeg, Manitoba and Winnipegosis; the east and north are Shield country with countless lakes. Walleye, pike and perch are the everyday fish, with channel catfish in the Red.
The Manitoba angling licence runs from 1 May to 30 April; Manitoba residents under 16 or 65 and over, and resident military and veterans, need none. The anglers’ guide sets the limits, including the catch-and-release rules for large catfish on the Red.
The Gimli gauge shows Lake Winnipeg’s level, which rises and falls with the wind as well as the inflow; the Selkirk gauge shows the Red River’s spring flood. No agency certifies the ice on the lake or the river.
Yes, unless you are an exempt Manitoba resident. See our Manitoba licence page.
Lake Winnipeg’s walleye, known for their greenish colour and their size.
Lake Winnipeg at Gimli and the Red River at Selkirk.