McHugh Lake Outing

McHugh Lake, Whiteshell Provincial Park, Saturday June 1, 2024

  • Registration Deadline May 1, 2024

Host Name: Woody (Brian Woods)

  • Ph/text number: 204-981-7000 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Time:  8am – 4 pm
  • This is a fun lake, perfect size for float tubing, with the chance of catching some monster browns.  It's not easy to get to but worth the effort.  You'll need a float tube if you're hiking in (around 1 km), but if you're driving in you could use a pontoon boat or other small car-top watercraft.

Directions

  • Hwy 1 east.  It’s about 90 minutes from Winnipeg.
  • The meeting point will be the hike-in location at 8 am.  There are two ways to get to the lake, by hiking in 1 km from the W Hawk Lake Hwy 1 exit or by driving in along the Pipeline road. 
  • Hike in – Take Hwy 1 East past Falcon Lake to the W Hawk Lake exit to the right.  There is a turnoff from the exit just before going under the overpass and on into W Hawk Lake.  After you’ve turned off the look for an opening to the left.  There is a small parking area and a sign for the trail head.
    • Pump up your float tube in the parking area and pack it in.  It's nice to have backpack straps for the float tube or you can fashion something similar from the longer straps often supplied with a duffle bag.  Most float tubes have places to clip straps onto on the underside of the tube. Manage what you bring in so that it fits in float tube storage compartments or can be attached with carabineers. The walk is 1 km and takes around 20 minutes.  There are some uphill sections that can be a bit more difficult with a heavy backpack. Test your carrying system at home to ensure you are comfortable with it.  You'll end up on the end of a narrow lagoon on the NE end of the lake.
  • Drive in via Pipeline road - You'll need a 4WD vehicle and a little courage as there are some steep ups and downs.  Take the Falcon Lake turnoff off of Hwy 1 to the service road 301 past Faloma to the Toniata exit. Once you're on the Toniata turnoff veer left at every opportunity until you get to the fire road entrance with the red gate. It's not always easy to see and is sometimes closed but never locked.  You'll need to veer right off the fire road to get to the pipeline road, then right on the pipeline road. There's a big rugged down and up hill best tackled with a 4 WD just before a small parking area on the left about 3/4s of the way up the hill.  You must park here and carry your stuff to the lake edge – about 70 m.  (see map below)  You'll end up at a small launching area on the SW end of the lake.  It would be wise to bring a buck saw or and some rope in case a tree gets blown down over the road while you are fishing.


Boating Equipment needed  

  • This is a small lake that is wind protected.  Float tubes and canoes can be carried on the roughly 1 km hiking path.  The path from the drive-in parking location on the Pipeline road is wide and can accommodate dragging in pontoon boats.
  • Electric only motors if you carry in a car topper boat.
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What to bring

  • Provincial Park Pass
  • There are no washrooms so bring toilet paper just in case.  This is a lake with steep drop offs but offers a few good locations to get off float tubes.  The best is at the drive in launch area at the southwest end.
  • Bring water, sun protection, rain jacket, lunch.
  • A nice treat is to get a burger at the end of the day at the Nite Hawk Café in West Hawk.

Fishing Info

  •  Stocked with browns and tigers.  Last year browns were about 19 in and tigers about 16-17 in.  In years past there have been monster browns caught.
  • Gear - 6 to 8 weight rods.
  • Slow, intermediate and fast sinking lines are all effective either trolling or casting into shore and retrieving into drop offs.
  • Flies- minnow or leech patterns -- woolly buggers, rolled muddlers, small leech patterns, backswimmers, matukas. Typically there are days when fishing is tough, with occasional days of outstanding fishing when fish are actively hunting minnows at the shore edges.  
  • Cell Phone coverage is very good, including on the lake.  

Contest Rules 

  • Must be MFFA member to participate in the contest
  • Time period:  Saturday June 1 8am to 4 pm
  • Prize: $50 gift card for Fishing Hole
  • Largest fish prize: Longest fish any trout species – ties broken by second longest fish.
  • Novice prize: Longest fish caught by a novice as defined by an MFFA member of 2 years or less who has not previously won an outing prize. If no fish qualifies then all novices will be entered in a draw for the prize.
  • One prize per person. E.g. If novice has the largest fish, the next prize goes to next largest fish.
  • If no novice is present only one prize will be given for largest fish.
  • As per common fishing competition rules, all caught fish must be released to be eligible for prizes.

Fishing Regulations

  • Practice good catch and release methods.
  • Possession limit is 1 trout exceeding 45 cm (17.7 in) but not larger than 60 cm (23.6 in).
  • While respecting the right for members to harvest fish within regulations, the MFFA encourages release of trophy-sized fish for others to enjoy.

To print this information, click the gear icon at the top.

Register here.