Lac a la Marte in Outaouais: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac a la Marte sits within Outaouais in Quebec. It sits at 248 metres above sea level. At 1.07 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. The perimeter runs near 9.1 km, so plan the walk before you start. It is among the larger waters listed here for Outaouais. Fort-Coulonge sits 38 km from the bank. After that come Petawawa at 41 km and Pembroke at 42 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac a la Marte

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Outaouais cover pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Iowa darter. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Fish Lac a la Marte where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 18°C; by January the average is down near -14°C. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac a la Marte.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Lac a l'Ours, 2.3 km away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Lac a la Marte may have changed since it was mapped.