The Red River of the North: The Ice Fishing Guide

Every November, Manitobans look at the forecast itching for the day they can get onto solid ice. For most Manitobans, the Red River is one of the best fisheries at early ice. It’s easy to access as it’s a close drive from Winnipeg and can be accessed by foot. Plus the fishing is terrific. There are easy fish to catch for the new anglers and chances at a big walleye.

As it is Manitoba’s most important fishery, I felt like it was about time to discuss it. I’m sure there are many new ice anglers wanted to head out to the Red River hoping to test their luck. Like many locals, I fished it a lot and had many good times on the ice.

The Fishery

We will cover the most prominent fish in the Red River that are typically caught during the ice season. Walleyes, sauger and goldeye are probably the most commonly caught fish. However at times people have pulled up catfish, suckers, burbot and even sturgeon. The Red River is pretty diverse in species but only a few are really active during the winter.

Walleye

The Lake Winnipeg system is loaded with some of the highest quality walleyes on the planet. The famous Manitoban greenback walleye can reach up to 30 inches or 12 pounds. These emerald green walleyes make their way up the tributaries of Lake Winnipeg every fall. By the time the ice forms, many of these big walleyes are still around. Generally, I find that they tend to be in fewer numbers around Christmas time.

My biggest walleye ever to this day has been from the Red River at early ice. Most early ice outings we can manage at least one good sized walleye with some eaters.

Sauger

The smaller, less valuable cousin of the walleye is present in the Red all year around. Most anglers find them to be a nuisance as they steal bait. They are around in very high numbers and are very eager to take lures. They average around 10-14 inches in the Red so they often are too small to be kept.

The true value of the sauger though is that they are easy to catch. If you are new to ice fishing the Red, you should have no problems catching a sauger. Kids and novices will enjoy them.

Goldeyes

Goldeye are a bit more hit or miss during the ice. They are rarely targeted but they are a common bycatch. Often people find on them high in the water column and caught with small lures. I find that they are more of a bonus and something to try to catch when the walleye bite is slow.

Locations and Access

Generally most of the ice fishing on the Red River takes place north of Lockport Dam to Lake Winnipeg. Fishing within Winnipeg’s city limits is possible but there can be inconsistent ice due to warm water discharges.

One of the factors that make the Red River so popular are the high number of access points. This Facebook post has a map of where you can access the river and what the locals call them. The Red River is narrow enough that walking from the access points can get you to the deep spots pretty easily. It’s great for those who don’t have any suitable winter transport. Around mid to late December is when people commonly drive vehicles on. As with any flowing body of water, take precautions when the ice is thin. Take an ice chisel and strike the ice to measure thickness.

The prominent access point is the Lockport Ice Fishing Village. The town of Lockport ploughs roads and lots to allow cars to drive down safely. This is an excellent way to get onto the ice compared to most accesses which are unmaintained. Plus there are plenty of sauger around all ice season. It is the perfect area for beginners. Definitely exercise caution near Lockport Dam as there is fast flowing water that can make the ice weak.

Generally any area of the Red can produce quality fish and most depths will produce. There are some areas north of the Highway 4 bridge that are very deep and fish survival rate will likely be low.

Ice Cutting

One unique aspect about the Red River is there is ice cutting on the lower Red in February. This is to mitigate flood damage by using remote controlled machines to score the ice. Typically notices will be provided in the areas where the ice will be cut. The machines typically start at Netley Creek and slowly make their way south. Be sure to remove permanent shacks when the notices are given.

Equipment

The Red River doesn’t require anything too fancy. If you’re starting out, only two medium action rods are required. I like spooling my reels with braid as there’s no stretch and it cuts through current nicely. I tend to deadstick with one rod and jig with the other so a rod holder is necessary.

If you have the funds, I recommend getting a dedicated deadstick rod. These rods have an extremely flexible tip that allows a fish to chew on a bait without much resistance. They typically have a stronger backbone that will allow you to fight a bigger fish.

The most effective lure is really just a jig baited with a live or salted minnow on both lines. Be sure to bring a variety of sizes from 1/4 oz to 1/2 oz, depending on the current strength. Since there are so many saugers, a stinger hook may be helpful. Live minnows are more effective but pricey as they get consumed by saugers fast and they must be discarded by the end of the day due to the invasive species regulations. Bring lots of bait, saugers can be quite ravenous.

In terms of other lures, sometimes rattlebaits can be useful when the fish are really aggressive. I keep a rod with a small spoon just in case there goldeyes present.

If you have electronics they are definitely useful. A flasher or 2D graph helps a lot. Forward facing sonar is really good but much pricier. Though if you don’t have any sonar, keeping lures close to the bottom will still allow you to catch fish.

Technique

The Red is pretty simple to fish but there are some tips that will be helpful especially for beginners.

If you have any electronics, always drill a hole about a foot downstream of your jigging hole. The current can sweep your jig outside of the transducer range so setting the transducer downstream will spot the jig. It might take a bit of playing around with jig weights and hole distances but it shouldn’t be too difficult to get the right settings. When I see a fish, I like to slowly raise my jig with very subtle movements. Many fish in the river can be pretty shy and are scared of excessive movement. They may not inhale the bait in one go so wait till the fish really has it in the mouth before setting.

For your secondary hole, I like it a few feet to the side assuming your shack has enough room. Keep enough distance so that it doesn’t tangle with your jigging line. Generally the deadstick will attract the passive fish wanting easy meals. You will see the rod tip move but only set the hook when the fish is really pulling. With saugers, you will lose the bait sometimes since they bite so short. It’s just how a day on the Red goes.

Get Out There!

The Red is where many of us started our ice fishing careers. It’s a great fishery that’s easily accessible. You can have tons of fun catching lots of fish and potentially pulling in the biggest walleye of your life.