The 'Catfish Capital Of North America' Is A Cute Riverfront Canadian City With Fishing, Shops, And Lake Views

Canada is a massive country with so much to offer travelers that it can be hard to know where to start. While its marquee attractions — like the Canadian Rockies or the Bay of Fundy on the east coast — draw plenty of visitors, other areas of the country present more under-the-radar charms. This is especially true for Canada's vast prairies, and just a 30- minute drive northeast from the prairie city of Winnipeg, you'll come across Selkirk, which is very much worth checking out.

Situated on the banks of the Red River and a short drive from Lake Winnipeg, this charming community of just over 10,000 residents was once a busy inland port serving the lake. Today it bills itself as the "Catfish Capital of North America" due to the size and aggressiveness of the channel cats that lurk in the Red River. In fact, this self-proclaimed title is celebrated by Chuck the Channel Cat, a 30-foot-tall sculpture that greets visitors on Main Street when they arrive in town. This statue has become so beloved that The Globe and Mail recently listed Chuck as one of Canada's best and biggest roadside attractions.

However, there is more to do in Selkirk than just admire an iconic piece of Canadiana. The town embraces its history through a terrific maritime museum as well as the nearby Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site, and there are also a number of shops ripe for browsing. Lake Winnipeg is also just up the road — where you can take in the dazzling expanse of water from one of several beaches — and, of course, there are plenty of opportunities to hook into a massive catfish while casting a line in the Red River.

Long home to the Anishinaabe and the Saulteaux people, Selkirk was officially founded in 1882 and flourished as a maritime hub. This history can be seen on display at the Maritime Museum of Manitoba, which features exhibits illuminating the maritime history of the Red River and Lake Winnipeg — which is also home to some of Canada's best beaches — over the years. Most impressive is the collection of actual ships used to navigate the local waters, which you can explore on your own. "[I]t's so cool to go onto these old ships and get a feel for what life was like when Lake Winnipeg was bustling with commercial activity," observed one visitor on Google Maps, while another wrote, "Cool and educational experience!"

While you're in town, make sure to stop in at a couple of Selkirk's better shops. If you're in search of old treasures, pop by The Gypsy Traders, which has a nice selection of antiques and vintage items. "I bought the most magical desk from here," reported one happy customer on Google Maps. "Easily a new favorite local shop for me!" The Cozy Fox features handmade local products, fine food, and funky gifts that this Google Maps reviewer describes as "absolutely amazing," and for all things tea, look no further than Three and Tea. This boutique offers over 100 different loose-leaf teas along with matcha, teaware, and other gifts and enjoys a 4.9-star rating on Google Maps. "This is my go-to place to stop every time I visit Selkirk," remarked one loyal customer. There are endless options for tea and matcha."

Given its claim to fame as the "Catfish Capital of North America," it should come as no surprise that anglers flock to Selkirk from far and wide to try their luck in local waters. While you can also catch some nice walleye on the Red River (or travel to Garrison, North Dakota, which calls itself the "Walleye Capital of the World"), channel cats are the name of the game, and they get big. "No place on earth produces more 20- to 40-pound channel cats than the Red River of the North in Manitoba," wrote fisher Keith "Catfish" Sutton in an article on the website Catfish Now! "Every channel cat I caught in the Red River of the North was bigger than the biggest I had caught during decades pursuing the species."

Of course this is Canada, which means come winter, ice fishing rules the roost. Dedicated fishers descend onto Red River's frozen surface during the coldest time of year, where, according to the Travel Manitoba website, you'll see "hundreds of ice fishing shacks set up like a small town." Anglers can also expect to get into plenty of walleye and even sturgeon. If you don't have your own fishing shack, auger, and other gear, local operator Interlake Tourism offers fully-outfitted trips.

No trip to Selkirk would be complete without visiting the nearby lake that features so prominently in the town's history. Matlock Beach sits on Lake Winnipeg's southwestern shore about an hour north of town, and in addition to a nice stretch of sand and a pier, offers sweeping views of the big lake's shimmering surface. For more of Manitoba's majesty, head to Wasagaming Townsite, an outdoor haven with a national park, camping, and lake fun.