Testimonials
Had a great time today with my family. Our guide, Donovan, was very knowledgeable and great with our kids. We were fishing for cat fish and we caught... read more many! Also he took the time to teach the kids how to handle reeling in these big catfish, as well as how to cast for gold eyes. His boat and equipment were exactly what was needed and he was prepared for the day. I would highly recommend Blackwater Cats if you are in Winnipeg( he is roughly 45 minutes out)!! Thanks Donovan for a great time and a day we will never forget!

June 8, 2017
Great fishing with hard-working and friendly guides - I would highly recommend Blackwater if you want a guide that will bust their butt to put you on fish. Great guides and fantastic people


April 20, 2016
We had 3 people in the boat, and caught multiple master angler Cats. Everyone had fun and we saw tons of fish. These fish know how to put... read more up a fight especially the massive ones. Donovan was great to guide with, and explained everything. A return trip is a necessity!

September 16, 2016
A friend and I spent an 8-hour day on the water with one of Donavon's guides, James. By all accounts, this season has been a bit slow by the usual... read more standards, but James worked hard to find the fish, and we ended up with 37 cats between the two of us. The biggest was over 37", with multiple fish over 34". The smallest we caught was about 28", and it was the smallest by far.
For anyone in Western Canada who enjoys fishing, this trip is something you should experience. And Blackwater Cats is definitely the way to go. Awesome experience.

August 31, 2017
Had a fantastic time. My partner and I had a boat / guide booked for a 6 hr trip, caught over 80 cats over 30”. Absolutely amazing.
James, (Paddy),... read more was our guide, great fellow, he worked his ass off baiting and netting, poor guy. I couldn’t recommend a guide more.
Thanks Donovan for making the arrangements for us. We will definitely return.
Where can you go that in the course of a 6hr trip, between 2 people you can catch in excess of 80 fish all over 15lbs and some exceeding 25lbs??
Contact these guys!!

August 29, 2021
What a Time Big Cats On the Red - My uncle and I made a trip up to Winnipeg this fall and spent a 1/2 of day fishing on the Red river guided by Donovan who operates Blackwater Cats.... read more We spent about 3 hours fishing and caught 21 big cats, averaging 25-30 lbs. Most of the cats were in the 34-35" ranges. The guide has been fishing this river most of his life and works hard to keep you on the fish. I highly recommend this outfitter if you are looking to catch fish on the Red River North of Winnipeg. Donovan thanks for a great experience my Uncle and I will never forget.

November 16, 2015
Dono is pure gold in fishing and in personality. I can't say I've met many people who I enjoy so thoroughly in the eight hours of meeting him.
... read more As for the trip itself it was nothing but monster cats all day long. Looking forward to doing a second trip in the near future.
Thank you so much for all the laughs, this day will never be forgotten.

June 10, 2018
Best fishing trip ever - This was our first catfishing trip we had ever done and it was so great that I don't think we'll ever top it. We started out at 8 and by... read more about 9:15 we already had 16 cats caught. There were other boats around us but none we're catching them like we were. We ended the day at 4 with 55 cats landed and many muscles made sore. Throughout the day, Donovan was always making sure the bait was fresh and that we were in the right place at the right time while also giving us any tips/advice that we needed. Definitely the best guide I've ever been out on the water with. Without a doubt we will be booking with Blackwater cats next year and I can't wait!

August 26, 2015
Donovan loves to fish, and likes to see his clients on fish. You won't be disappointed, wether a rookie or experienced angler.


August 3, 2017

March 8, 2017
I wanted to thank Donovan and James for an excellent trip. Despite the fishing being slow by all accounts, James worked hard to find the fish, and we put 37 in the boat. The biggest was 37.5", with multiple fish over 34". Highly recommended.


August 30, 2017
Had a great time with guide Ryan out on Lake Winnipeg. Caught a few over 26" in addition to about 100+ eaters.


January 29, 2017
Donovan put us on the fish & moved us if the bite died off. He drilled lots of holes to help us follow the fish. Two of the three in our group caught our person best fish! My husband, dad, and I have been on several guided fishing trips to Mexico, Las Vegas, Lake of the Woods, Devil’s Lake, and Montana to name a few. This was by far our best guided trip. We are already looking into booking for next year! Thanks for a great experience on Lake Winnipeg!


April 2, 2018