Lake Winnipeg cheat sheet
Every fish, the licence and limits, the rigs and the box of tackle. One page to take to the water.
Lake Winnipeg
Winter is the ice greenback trip (December to late March). Open water opens in mid-May. The walleye/sauger season closes for the spawn in spring.
Licence
A Manitoba licence, bought at manitobaelicensing.ca or a retailer. Non-Canadian resident about CAD $72.45 annual, $27.30 day (check the site for any short-term option); Canadian non-resident annual about $45.15 (2026, fees effective 1 April 2026, licence year 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2027). Conservation is cheaper with reduced limits. Buy it before you fish, on water or ice.
Limits
Walleye / sauger capped with a size limit: keep fish 55 cm / about 21.5 in or smaller, 4 in possession, all under the cap (Conservation carries the reduced limit, 2026). The big spawners go back. Confirm in the current Anglers' Guide. Follow any mercury advisory on larger fish.
Safety / handle with care
Winter: the ice shifts and changes fast; use the maintained ice road, carry the safety set, go with a guide if you are new. Summer: a wind builds a steep chop fast on the shallow basin. Keep a big walleye in the water for the photo; clean, drain and dry between waters.
Bank vs boat · season · time → rig
| Fish | Open water | Through the ice | Best time | Rig |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenback walleye | Yes, the south-basin shoals and flats from a boat | Yes, off Gimli on the ice road | Ice Dec – late March; open mid-May – freeze; low light | Walleye jig & bottom-bouncer or the ice-fishing method |
| Sauger | Yes, the same flats, a little deeper | Yes, with the walleye | With the walleye, same seasons | Walleye jig & bottom-bouncer or a vertical jig |
| Northern pike | Yes, the weedy bays and river mouths | Yes, the shallow structure | Spring (post-ice) and autumn | Pike rig (with a trace) |
| Yellow perch | Yes, the flats and around structure | Yes, a steady winter target | Late summer and autumn; through the ice | Drop shot or a vertical jig |
Summer is a boat trip off Gimli; winter is the ice road. A guide makes the conditions call for you.
The rigs
Main line → jighead (7–21 g) + minnow/plastic; or main line → L-bottom-bouncer (14–56 g) → spinner/worm harness on a long leader
Palomar (jighead, bottom-bouncer) · dropper loop (harness branch)Ice line → jigging spoon or ice jig (+ a small dropper), tipped with a minnow, fished vertically through the hole
Palomar · dropper loop (second jig)Braid → fluoro leader → jighead (7–21 g) + soft plastic, lift-and-drop
Palomar · non-slip loop at the jigheadBraid → fluoro leader → in-line hook (#1–#4) point-up, tag to a drop-shot weight (3–14 g)
PalomarMain line → swivel → pike trace (wire or 0.50–0.90 mm fluoro) → big shad/spoon, or a dead/live bait, single hook
Palomar · non-slip loop (optional)What you need
On a guided trip, bring almost nothing: licence, warm or sun kit, a cooler for fillets. On your own, add the jigging and bottom-bouncer outfits in summer, or the auger, shelter, ice-safety set and warm kit in winter.
The knots
| Knot | Ties | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| Palomar | The workhorse: jighead, hook, swivel, bottom-bouncer, spoon. | Every rig |
| Dropper loop | A harness branch or a second ice jig. | Walleye jig, ice method |
| Non-slip loop | A free-swinging jighead, spoon or lure. | Vertical jig, pike rig |
Learn the Palomar first; it ties most of this. Wet every knot before you pull it tight.
This one page is the printable I take to the water.
Give me an email and I will show it to you, ready to print. A one-page reference: what's on by month, the licence and rules, a rig for every fish, the shared tackle box and the knots.
I'll send you the cheat sheet, and email you when I add a new place to fish. Nothing else.