The early season action on this lake is downright spectacular. The month of June is primetime on Lake of the Prairies when often it isn’t a matter of whether you’ll catch any, but rather will you run out of bait before you are done having fun reeling them in. Boasting a very healthy resident population, anglers can hook into a wide variety of year classes from solid ‘eaters’, to a range of chunky mid-sizers, to Master Anglers surpassing 28 inches.

Being a reservoir, lake levels can vary from year to year. What remains consistent however is that at this time of year the schools of walleyes tend to relate to very similar structure that is common throughout the entire length of the lake. Creek mouth areas whether big or barely perceptible are common hotspots. Steep inside or outside edges along the meandering old river channel are always a sure bet as well. A more obvious strategy in low water years such as this spring, is targeting transition areas of the bottom composition. Shorelines can often offer clues as to what is directly adjacent under the water be it sand, gravel, vegetation, or mud.

This particular trip was during the last weekend in May. The weather was very unstable with high winds, isolated showers, and cool temperatures. The bite however was hot as we boated tons of walleyes from 15 inchers to the largest at 25.5”. Jigging frozen minnows at various depths in search of roaming schools was the key tactic on this excursion. Pitching plastics to the shorelines also caught a good number of ‘eyes in addition to some feisty northern pike which the younger anglers on the trip seemed to be more interested in catching.

Just like the water temperature, the hot bite on Lake of the Prairies is just starting to heat up. For those unfamiliar with the term ‘double header’, you will get to know the expression intimately after a day fishing here. Community holes abound throughout the entire length of the lake while hidden hotspots are just as common owing to the sheer size and high quality of fishing on this body of water. All tactics are effective from pulling cranks and spinning rigs to vertical jig presentations. Shoreline opportunities are just as good with access points at various sections on the lake.

For more information on fishing for walleye in Manitoba visit their Walleye page.
Go to our Master Angler Record Book for information about trophy walleye catches on Lake of the Prairies.
Refer to the Manitoba Anglers’ Guide for information on slot limits in effect.