West Hawk Lake is one of Manitoba's most extraordinary fishing destinations, and its origins alone set it apart from every other lake in the province. Formed by a meteorite impact approximately 100 million years ago, this perfectly circular crater lake sits within Whiteshell Provincial Park near the Manitoba-Ontario border, roughly 160 kilometres east of Winnipeg — about a 1.5-hour drive. The lake measures approximately 3.6 kilometres in diameter and plunges to a central depth of around 111 to 115 metres, making it the deepest lake in Manitoba by a significant margin. The surrounding terrain is classic Canadian Shield, with dramatic granite cliffs and rocky shorelines framing crystal-clear water. The lake's exceptional depth and geological uniqueness create a diverse aquatic environment that supports a surprisingly varied fishery, drawing anglers year-round for everything from open-water bass and pike fishing in summer to hard-water ice fishing for lake trout in winter.