Lake Manitoba has been a commercial fishery since 1895 and has a long history as a mixed-use fishery, supporting commercial harvest, recreational fishing and subsistence fishing. Manitoba Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources conducts an annual index netting program to assess the status of fish populations in Lake Manitoba, and has been in its current form since 2009. The Department is committed to improving fish stocks on Lake Manitoba to sustainable levels. For more information on Lake Manitoba fish stocks, please review the reports below.
Lake Manitoba Fishery Summary
Lake Manitoba 2020 Fish Stock Assessment
Index Netting Data
Index netting data is collected on Lake Manitoba annually. Fishery-independent index netting data is utilized to assess the state of the Lake Manitoba multi-use fishery and informs government decision making on the management of this fishery. As with many long-term datasets, there have been changes in collection methodology and analyses over time. Raw data from 2009 is available in Excel format below. Some data may not be available for certain sample sites as they were not assessable due to low water levels in some years. Researchers are advised to contact department staff for methodological background prior to data analysis or to seek permission to use this data in publications by emailing fish@gov.mb.ca.