Lake Winnipeg In March

So im heading up to lake Winnipeg for the first time this march for the last week of the ice fishing season. We are bringing two trucks but have no tracked vehicles and hope that wont be a problem. If there is still to much snow on the ice does anyone know of a snowmobile rental place in the area? Also, where would the best place be to access the lake, we are staying in Gimli. Super stoked to chase some green backs. Any advice on fishing winnipeg late season is welcome

Easton Sempf wrote:

So im heading up to lake Winnipeg for the first time this march for the last week of the ice fishing season. We are bringing two trucks but have no tracked vehicles and hope that wont be a problem. If there is still to much snow on the ice does anyone know of a snowmobile rental place in the area? Also, where would the best place be to access the lake, we are staying in Gimli. Super stoked to chase some green backs. Any advice on fishing winnipeg late season is welcome

There are a couple of snowmobile rental places in winnipeg, make that decision closer to your date. Ice road out of gimli harbour, another one out of winnipeg beach.

Are you usually able to drive close enough to the mouth of the red from Winnipeg beach?

Easton Sempf wrote:

Are you usually able to drive close enough to the mouth of the red from Winnipeg beach?

from gimli by sled it’s about a 30 minute ride. Much closer to drive to warner rd and sled from there, or snow permitting drive to the mouth. Active ridges all through there.

Anybody have recent reports? We are heading up the 11-15th this year. Will have a detailed report when we get back.

MNBOWHUNTIN wrote:

Anybody have recent reports? We are heading up the 11-15th this year. Will have a detailed report when we get back.

We got a good shot of snow. Winds over 50 mph today. Quads are still good, tracks make your life easier, vehicles are limited.

Good to hear about the quads. Thanks Cam. Starting to get a big flow of water in yet?

Up to 40 today. Vehicles stuck all over, very soft. Quads and sleds no issues. No flow yet. Lockport looks like a war zone.

Supposed to head to Winnipeg next Thursday the 18th. Anybody have an up to date report on travel conditions on the lake? We don’t have tracks.

Gilgetter wrote:

Supposed to head to Winnipeg next Thursday the 18th. Anybody have an up to date report on travel conditions on the lake? We don’t have tracks.

Should be fine if we don’t get any snow.

Just got back from 3 days of fishing. By Winnipeg standards, it was sllloooowwww.

3 full days of fishing, 4 guys, only 52 walleyes total. 3 big ones a 27″, 28″, and 29″.

We tried every depth from 8-21 fow. 12fow was the best, but even then the whole trip boiled down to about 45 minutes of actual good fishing. Lots of moving around. Lots of time without any fish on the flasher. Blue/silver rattle baits were the ticket, caught some on other baits but I’m guessing 75% or more of our fish came on blue/silver.

We were on ATVs with wheels and had no problems getting around. The first 3 miles out from Warner is so packed down and and loaded with people. Bunch of trucks out by the mouth too. Got through the ice with 1 extension in 95% of spots. Only spots we couldn’t get through were right up tight to the ridges.

Any border crossing updates?

I’m hearing/seeing different reports.

US citizens are exempted from travel ban, but it appears some border agents are applying an “essential travel only” perspective and others are letting guys in.

Supposed to go up next week, and I know things are changing literally on an hourly basis.

Thanks for feedback.

My group was supposed to go on our annual laker trip in Ontario this weekend. We cancelled that and switched to a northern MN trip. We didn’t want to take the chance of not being allowed back in.

Called Canada customs told us not to come unless it was an emergency.I told them our emergency was fishing!He said :SIR STAY HOME” YESTERDAY

Nothing official yet, but a good chance the border will be fully closed to all non commercial travel in 24/48 hrs.

Yup, just saw a joint US/Canadian statement banning all non-essential travel may come out in the next day or two.

As it turns out, the two guys going with me had to bail out anyway today because their companies are shutting down with no current information about continuing pay other than possibly unemployment.

Just crossed back from a week up there. Easy border crossing back. First trip for me so hard to gauge how good it was. I personally had a great time.

One thing I forgot to add is…make sure your truck is CLEAN! We encountered a french/canadian border agent and she was very concerned that ND mud would hurt the Canadian environment. First time we have ever gotten turned around at the border on the up, and it was for having too much mud on my truck.

We turned around, knocked most of it off in Pembina and then gave it a quick bath with the window washer squeegees at the gas station. Wasn’t even super dirty, just had a couple piles of mud on the running boards.