Thousands attend ice fishing convention in Winnipeg to kickoff season
Posted November 9, 2025 4:42 pm.
Last Updated November 9, 2025 4:47 pm.
Thousands of hardwater fishing enthusiasts gathered at the annual ice fishing show over the weekend in Winnipeg, to kick off the season for one of Manitoba’s most popular outdoor activities.
From safety seminars, to gear vendors, to activities for kids, it’s a one-stop shop, celebrating not only what the sport means to Manitobans, but its massive impact on provincial tourism.
Eric Labaupa, organizer, Winnipeg Ice Fishing Show, said that Manitoba and Lake Winnipeg, specifically, was the epicentre of hardwater fishing in North America.
“We’ve got the longest winters, it’s six months long you’ve got to do something,” Labaupa said. “If you don’t ice fish in Manitoba, are you really Manitoban?”
But it’s much more than a pastime to get through the winter.
According to a 2019 economic study from Travel Manitoba, 245,000 hunters and anglers spent nearly $480 million across Manitoba, with ice fishing driving a 9 per cent increase in fishing licences sold.
“Ice fishing is a massive part of tourism in Manitoba,” says Elise Wood, manager of tourism initiatives, Travel Manitoba.
“It’s not just about going out there and experiencing ice fishing specifically, but it’s about experiencing our winter way of life here, and all the ways we celebrate that,” she adds.
Labaupa said that since the pandemic there has been an “exponential” increase in the fishing licenses sold each year to both visitors and residents.
“It’s almost half a million licences are sold every year, angling ones, and it’s an easy estimate that half of those are used for ice fishing,” Labaupa explained.
Organizers say over 6,000 people attended the two-day convention.
