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Fishing Lake Winnipeg: what the data says
6,056,000-acre lake near Gimli. The lake tops out around 124 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Walleye fishing at Lake Winnipeg
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 15 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 15 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Sauger fishing at Lake Winnipeg
In spring, sauger run shallow here, mostly 4 to 18 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for sauger in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
Northern Pike fishing at Lake Winnipeg
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Lake Winnipeg
Spring yellow perch on Lake Winnipeg hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Best bite is early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Lake Whitefish fishing at Lake Winnipeg
In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 15 to 45 ft. They move out to 40 to 90 ft in summer and finish the year down in 25 to 70 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 64 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Freshwater Drum fishing at Lake Winnipeg
In spring, freshwater drum run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for freshwater drum in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. A jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 15 to 45 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (slow) |
Lake Winnipeg also holds channel catfish (8 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 64 ft
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 64 ft
- Deep hole: deep basin, around 64 ft
- Deep hole: deep basin, around 64 ft
- Deep hole: deep basin, around 64 ft
- Deep hole: deep basin, around 63 ft
- Deep hole: deep basin, around 62 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 56 ft
- Deep break: drop-off, around 51 ft
- Deep break: drop-off, around 50 ft
- Deep break: drop-off, around 48 ft
- Deep break: drop-off, around 48 ft
- Deep break: drop-off, around 46 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 42 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Winnipeg?
Lake Winnipeg is about 124 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Lake Winnipeg?
Anglers target walleye, sauger, northern pike, channel catfish, yellow perch, freshwater drum, lake whitefish on Lake Winnipeg.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Winnipeg?
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lake Winnipeg?
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
St Andrew Lake · Mantagao Lake · Lake Manitoba · Wanipigow Lake · Little Limestone Lake · Russell Lake
See how Lake Winnipeg stacks up: best walleye lakes in Manitoba · best northern pike lakes in Manitoba · best yellow perch lakes in Manitoba · best lake whitefish lakes in Manitoba
Browse all Manitoba fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.