Ice fishing festival draws families to Fort Whyte Alive

The Manitoba Wildlife Federation's annual ice fishing festival at Fort Whyte Alive on March 22, 2025. (Zach Kitchen/CTV News)

A chilly Saturday at Fort Whyte Alive was the perfect backdrop for Manitoba Wildlife Federation’s 4th Annual Ice Fishing Festival.

“We’ve actually caught a few fish today – a 26-inch walleye and a 24-inch walleye,” MWF’s Chris Benson told CTV News. “Both from smaller kids that came out and caught them, so really exciting stuff!”

The event is an opportunity for Manitoba families to try out ice fishing and learn firsthand from expert anglers at the Winnipeg nature reserve.

“There’s a good number of different fish species out here, and hopefully we’ll see a few more coming through the ice before the end of the day,” Benson said.

He noted, aside from walleye, Fort Whyte’s lakes include northern pike, yellow perch, and common carp for catch-and-release fishing.

Signy Brownell, Fort Whyte Alive’s public programs coordinator, said the festival is a great way to introduce people to the sport and test out some gear.

“Everyone can learn about sustainable fishing and how to properly handle fish,” Brownell told CTV News.

Benson said ice fishing has seen a steady surge of interest over the past few years and adds the MWF is still hoping to attract more people onto the ice.

“We’re getting some really great numbers – lots of kids and lots of families,” he said. “This is such a great facility to hold an event that really targets the urban population.”

Benson said Manitoba is a world-class fishing destination drawing in anglers from across North America to Lake Winnipeg, Lake Manitoba, and other bodies of water.

“Everyone comes up for the greenbacks, which are walleye,” he explained. “They have a really green, iridescent color to them. So, people come up from all over the place, to come and fish those.”

He reminds anyone venturing out on the ice to check conditions beforehand.