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FISHING GUIDE · MANITOBA
Red River & Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba Fishing Guide
The lower Red River between Lockport and Lake Winnipeg is a well-known channel catfish fishery, best in mid to late summer. In fall, big Lake Winnipeg walleye that locals call 'greenbacks' push up into the Red. Manitoba's rules are strict on size: big catfish and big walleye must go back, and only barbless hooks are allowed.
📍 Southern Manitoba, Canada. The Red River flows north from Winnipeg past Lockport (about 20 km north of Winnipeg on PTH 44, at the St. Andrews Lock and Dam) and Selkirk, then through the Netley-Libau Marsh into the south basin of Lake Winnipeg, about 44 km below the dam.
Map: spots, ramps and marinas
★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)
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Quick facts
- Lake Winnipeg covers about 23,750 km2, is about 436 km long, and is called the 10th largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area.
- Selkirk calls itself the Channel Catfish Capital of the World, with 'Chuck the Channel Cat' at the city entrance.
- Manitoba requires barbless hooks on every line, in use or not.
- Manitoba Master Angler awards start at 89 cm (35 in) for channel catfish and 71 cm (28 in) for walleye.
- The St. Andrews Lock and Dam area is a pelican conservation area, closed to all fishing and fishing gear Apr 1 - Nov 15.
What you can catch
- Channel catfish
Main summer target; limit 4 and none over 60 cm, so trophies are released. - Walleye ('greenback')
Fall run from Lake Winnipeg into the Red from late September; 'greenback' is a local name. - Sauger
Counts with walleye: 4 combined, none over 55 cm. - Northern pike (jackfish)
Manitoba limit 4, none over 75 cm. - Goldeye
Lake Winnipeg commercial species; angling limit 10 with mooneye. - Lake whitefish
Lake Winnipeg species; angling limit 10.
Month by month
| January | Ice fishing; Southern Division walleye open. |
|---|---|
| February | Winter Family Fishing Weekend Feb 20-22, 2027: no licence needed (other rules apply). |
| March | Ice shelters off the Red River by Mar 14, 2027 (or sooner if officers order it for unsafe ice). |
| April | St. Andrews conservation area closed from Apr 1. Walleye/sauger closed Apr 6 - May 8; Red River from Lockport Dam to Lake Winnipeg closed to all fishing Apr 6 - May 8. |
| May | Annual licence year starts May 1. Southern Division walleye opens May 9; Lake Winnipeg walleye/sauger closed to May 15. |
| June | Summer Family Fishing Weekend June 12-14, 2026. Catfish season building. |
| July | Catfish on the lower Red from midsummer on. |
| August | Peak catfish time, into September. |
| September | Catfish still good; greenback walleye start entering the Red late in the month. |
| October | Fall walleye on the lower Red as the water cools. |
| November | St. Andrews conservation area reopens after Nov 15. |
| December | Ice fishing begins when ice is safe; mark unattended shelters with name and phone. |
Tips
- For catfish, use a stout rod, heavy sinker, circle hook and cut bait, and be patient.
- Launch at Selkirk Park, or fish from shore at Lockport Provincial Heritage Park below the closed area.
- From Lockport Dam to 1 km downstream, you may only dip net or seine bait fish, and bowfishing is not allowed.
- Support a big catfish's belly when lifting it, and keep it over the water for a quick release.
- Clean, drain and dry your boat, and stop at open watercraft inspection stations.
Rules and license
Manitoba Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures (Anglers' Guide 2026) · Official rules page ↗
- Licence needed unless exempt; 2026 fees plus GST: non-Canadian annual $69, one-day $26; Canadian resident annual $43, one-day $18; Manitoba resident annual $28. Valid May 1, 2026 - Apr 30, 2027.
- Barbless hooks only (barbs pinched flat); one rod and line, two when ice fishing.
- Channel catfish: 4, none over 60 cm. Walleye/sauger: 4 combined, none over 55 cm.
- Red River (U.S. border to Lake Winnipeg, plus tributaries below Lockport) and Lake Winnipeg: release walleye and sauger under 35 cm.
- Red River from Lockport Dam to Lake Winnipeg (and tributaries to Hwy 9 and Hwy 59): closed to all fishing Apr 6 - May 8, 2026.
- St. Andrews Lock and Dam Special Conservation Area: no fishing or fishing gear Apr 1 - Nov 15.
- Limestone Bay on Lake Winnipeg: closed to fishing all year. Lake sturgeon limit is 0 province-wide.
- Non-Canadian youth under 16 fish on a licence holder's limit unless they buy their own licence.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 35 boat ramps and 8 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Auglen Park Boat Launch
- Harry Craig Road Boat Launch
- Hyland Park Boat Launch
- Louise Bridge Boat Launch
- North Main Boat Launch
- Osprey Boat Launch
- Pinawa Marina
- Pioneer Drive Boat Launch
- Riverton Marina
- Royal Manitoba Yacht Club
- Silver Harbour Marine Resort
- Sunlee Road Boat Launch
- Sunset Beach Boat Launch
- Sunset Drive Boat Launch
- Tagesen Boulevard Boat Launch
- Tall Timber Marina
- Victoria Beach Marina
- Wood Duck Boat Launch
- pritchard docs abandoned
Sources
- https://gov.mb.ca/nrnd/fish-wildlife/pubs/fish_wildlife/fish/angling-guide.pdf
- https://www.gov.mb.ca/sd/water/lakes-beaches-rivers/lake-winnipeg.html
- https://travelmanitoba.com/places/itineraries/summer-on-the-red-river
- https://backroadmapbooks.com/blogs/default-blog/red-river-catfish-manitoba
- https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/largest-lakes-in-canada
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.