Lake Winnipeg is located in southern Manitoba, Canada. A remnant
of Agassiz, a prehistoric glacial lake, Lake Winnipeg is
428km(266 miles) long and covers 24,390sq.km(9417sq. miles)
Making it the 3rd largest lake in Canada and seventh largest in
North America. Fed by many rivers including the Red, Winnipeg
and Saskatchewan rivers, Lake Winnipeg is drained by the Nelson
River which empties into Hudson Bay. Because of the lake's
shallowness, its water is emptied and replenished every 3-4 and
one half years. This rapid replacement and regeneration makes
Lake Winnipeg one of the most fertile fishing lakes in the
world.
Historically, Lake Winnipeg has played a vital role in Canada's
economic and social histories, being the centre of the fur
trade's three hub lakes,( the others being Lake Superior to the
east and Lake Athabaska to the west), and being the link to the
nation's crossroads.
Taking it's name from the Cree word for "turbid or murky waters"
Lake Winnipeg is unique in that it changes appearances and plays
a variety of roles.
For some Lake Winnipeg has been described as the "Prairie Sea"
due to it's sheer vastness and magnificence, it is home to
Canada's largest inland commercial fishery, providing
livelihoods for close to 1000 fishers and producing 4.2 million
kilograms of fish annually.
For others it is the "Holiday Lake", playing a significant role
as a summer playground where numerous cottage enclaves dot the
southern shore along with beautiful white silica sand beaches.
Yet others refer to it as the "Island Lake" where at least 638
islands appear through out the lake, 399 of them unnamed, all
with vegetation. The islands change the appearance of the lake
for travelers virtually transporting them into a bevy of rocks,
pines and outcrops reminiscent of Northwestern Ontario.
Lake Winnipeg features other unique attractions such as the
massive limestone cliffs on Punk Island and Grindstone point.
Also Long point which is part of The Pas Moraine, an enormous
elongated C-shaped deposits of rocks, gravel, sand, left behind
by the retreating glaciers and Limestone Point, a 20-kilometer
long sandpit
Lake of the Woods was carved into the granite of the Canadian
Precambrian Shield by receding glaciers over 10,000 years ago.
The underlying bedrock that the present lake sits upon is among
the oldest of geological formations to be found on earth. The
area was originally covered by the mammoth Lake Agassiz which
covered much of Northwestern Ontario, Manitoba and northern
Minnesota. However, over time, these glacial waters receded
leaving Lake of the Woods as we know it today.
Anglers will be pleased to discover that the waters of the
Winnipeg River offer some of the best fishing in the province.
When visiting the area don't forget to pack your rod and tackle
and try your luck at catching a tasty meal of Walleye, Greenback
or Northern Pike.
Channel catfish really get your blood boiling when they take
long hard runs with the current. Pound for pound they are the
hardest fighting fish that can be found in Manitoba.
Located directly east of Winnipeg, Manitoba’s Whiteshell
Provincial Park lies on the western edge of the Canadian
Shield at the border with Ontario. Comprising
2,590-square-kilometres and home to more than 200 lakes and
rivers, this region is a huge draw for the vacationing family.
But don’t let the rugged beauty fool you. The Whiteshell has a
soft, playful side, offering world-class golfing,
accommodations, beaches and, of course, fishing. Nowhere in
the province will you find a wider variety of fishing species
and angling opportunities.
