MANITOBA
The days are starting to become longer as we come into the middle of February. This means fish activity will continue to increase as we move into March. It seems the perch on the Shoal Lakes in the Interlake are already on the bite. Hooked Contributor Sarah Henuset was out there recently and added two more MA perch to get her Specialist Badge from Travel Manitoba. Congrats Sarah!
The walleye fishing on both the Red River and Lake Winnipeg continues to shine. There have also been a few first time Master Angler catches recorded. Check out this walleye caught by Heidi Guyot!
It measured in at just over 28 inches. Then of course the crappies are a hot commodity in the eastern part of Manitoba. Big Whiteshell continues to produce some nice fish!
NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO
Jay Siemens is a busy guy. If you are just learning the ropes on how to catch fish through the ice Jay has some great tips in this video to increase your odds of catching more fish on frozen water.
SASKATCHEWAN
For those of you who like to chase big lake trout in the winter time, both Manitoba and Saskatchewan have some of the best opportunities in the winter time. In Saskatchewan starting in La Ronge and going north there is a myriad lakes to choose from.
Lac La Ronge’s North Country Lodge is now offering winter accommodation for anglers wanting to venture out on this massive lake. This Fish Hunt Saskatchewan episode features just want this lake can produce in ways of quality fishing!
Nice to see that Saskatchewan now has their own Fish Hunt Channel and website which you can find here.
North Country Lodge is owned and operated by Barry and Lori Howe, whose parents used to own the camp a few years back. They bought it when it came back on the market in 2017 and have operated it ever since. Barry is also a water bomber pilot so he tries to run a flexible schedule with his four cabins for guests on Hunter Bay. He decided to also offer winter ice fishing because of the quality lake trout fishing near the lodge. You can find North Country Lodge on the SCPO website here.
ALBERTA – Wes David, Fishing the Wild West TV
In northern Alberta, big walleye and northern pike are being caught. However, as we move closer to the spawn for both species, smaller males are getting increasingly more aggressive. Both species are being caught on rod and reel, along with tip-ups, fishing in eight to 12 feet of water.
Many anglers are using large frozen minnows or herring on a stationary tip-up. Inside the ice-tent, anglers are twitching a jig with a frozen minnow on a 5/8oz jig. Northern pike in the three to 10-pound range are the most aggressive, but every so often, a big pike will take the bait.
In central and southern Alberta, anglers are still ice fishing despite the extreme warm weather during the past three weeks. Temperatures have consistently reached +8 to +20 Celsius, creating soft ice conditions and water on top of the ice. Extreme caution should be used if venturing onto the ice.
Calgary Boat & Outdoor Show
The doors will open to the Calgary BMO Center and the 2026 Calgary Boat & Outdoor Show (CBOS) on Friday, February 20, at 12:00 pm. Calgary Boat & Outdoor Show is over 50 years old and will run from February 20-22. I spoke with the show managers last week, and they said the showroom floor is completely sold out. There are several features at this year’s show, including the Kids Trout Pond, the Fly-Casting Pond, and the Wild TV Outdoor Stage, which will host leading experts talking about hunting, fishing, and wild game cooking. Not to mention the countless booths filled with hunting, fishing, and outdoor adventure.
