Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba: ice fishing

Lake Winnipeg is a lake in Manitoba, about 23,900 km² in size, near Gimli / Matlock, about 86 km N of Winnipeg (straight-line distance). Sport fish recorded here: Greenback Walleye, Sauger and Perch.

What fish are in Lake Winnipeg?

Sport fish recorded in Lake Winnipeg: Greenback Walleye, Sauger, Perch.

Is the ice safe on Lake Winnipeg?

Nobody has reported ice thickness on Lake Winnipeg yet this season. Do not assume the ice is safe: drill and measure it yourself. Ice thickness guidance.

What are the fishing regulations for Lake Winnipeg?

Regulation zone: Southern Division — Lake Winnipeg carries waterbody-specific walleye/sauger dates in the Manitoba Anglers' Guide

Season: Southern Division walleye/sauger closed Apr 7 and Lake Winnipeg reopened May 17 in the 2025 guide — spring closure dates shift by year, so confirm the current Anglers' Guide. The ice season itself runs while the ice is safe, typically December to March.

Limits: Lake Winnipeg walleye/sauger: keep 4 combined, and only fish between 35 cm and 55 cm — anything under 35 cm or over 55 cm (including Master Angler fish) must be released.

Licence: Manitoba angling licence required for ages 16–64, via Manitoba eLicensing or licence vendors. The annual licence is valid May 1–Apr 30 and covers ice fishing too — there is no separate ice licence. Winter Family Fishing Weekend (Feb 13–15, 2027) is licence-free; barbless hooks, closures and limits…

Official regulations (Manitoba Anglers' Guide 2026-27). Always confirm against the current official guide before you fish. This summary may be out of date or incomplete: you are responsible for reading and following the current regulations, and Ice Fish Canada is not responsible for any violation or illegal harvest (poaching) that results from relying on it.

Catches and lures

No catches logged on Lake Winnipeg yet. Sign in to log yours and see what's catching as the reports come in.

Other lakes near Lake Winnipeg

Updated 2026-11-06. Lake names and locations: Canadian Geographical Names Data Base (Natural Resources Canada). Lake sizes: HydroLAKES (Messager et al. 2016, CC BY 4.0). Nearest towns: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). About these data.