Mercier Lake in Newfoundland and Labrador: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Mercier Lake in Newfoundland and Labrador. The bank is 498 metres above sea level. At some 5.70 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Compared with other Newfoundland and Labrador water on our list, it sits high. Some 206 km away sits Havre-Saint-Pierre, the nearest settlement. Then Wabush, 242 km, and Labrador City, 247 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Mercier Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shape of Mercier Lake decides where the fish sit. Timber holds fish long after the weed has died back.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 13°C, while January sits near -20°C. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late May. In an average year the thaw lands around late May and the freeze near early November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Anyone fishing Mercier Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Lac Belisle at 3 km is the nearest alternative. Treat access at Mercier Lake as something to verify.