← All regulation guides
Canada · MB
Manitoba
Government of Manitoba — Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures
Rules change by area and can change mid-season. We explain what the rules mean and always link you to the official source — we never copy a limit table and call it current.
Licences — what you need
- • An angling licence is required; Manitoba sells resident, Canadian-resident and non-resident versions, plus a conservation licence option with reduced harvest privileges at a lower price in some frameworks.
- • Fishing in Riding Mountain and other national parks requires a separate Parks Canada fishing permit — the provincial licence does not apply inside national parks.
How the rules are organized
- • Rules are organized by fishing zones/divisions (Southern, Northern and their subdivisions) in the Manitoba Anglers' Guide, with many individual lakes carrying specific closures, slot rules or catch-and-release status.
- • The Red River/Lake Winnipeg system — famous for greenback walleye and channel catfish — has its own entries and seasonal notes.
Good to know — common mistakes
- • Barbless hooks are mandatory province-wide in Manitoba — the simplest rule in Canada and the one visitors most often forget.
- • Many Manitoba trophy waters are managed with protected slot sizes or full catch-and-release for specific species — check the individual lake listing.
- • Ice fishing is a core season; shelters require identification and have removal deadlines by division.
- • The conservation licence vs regular licence distinction changes what you may possess — buy the right one for your plans.
Official links
Fishing locations covered in this guide
This page is a plain-language summary, not the law. Regulations change — including in-season by official notice — and if anything here disagrees with the official source, the official source governs.
AnglerPlan is an information service, not a regulator. If anything here disagrees with an official source, the official source wins — and please tell us so we can fix it.