Fishing at Gros lac a l'Ours, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Mauricie, Quebec, is where Gros lac a l'Ours sits. This is pine and birch country. Roughly 26 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Roughly 4.0 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. La Tuque lies 34 km from the water. Weymontachie follows at 68 km, then Laurentides at 81 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Gros lac a l'Ours

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Mauricie list northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Gros lac a l'Ours the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -16°C in January and 17°C in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Plan any trip to Gros lac a l'Ours around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Lac Femelle at 1.1 km is the nearest alternative. For Gros lac a l'Ours in particular, ask before you travel.