Lac a l'Ours Fishing in Outaouais, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac a l'Ours stands in Outaouais, Quebec. Pine and birch runs right down to the water. Roughly 2.35 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Around 18 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. It ranks high for size among our Outaouais listings. The nearest place of any size is Fort-Coulonge, 40 km away. After that come Petawawa at 43 km and Pembroke at 44 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac a l'Ours

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Outaouais include pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and rainbow smelt. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Lac a l'Ours decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 18°C, the coldest about -14°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Lac a l'Ours runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Lac Pigeon is 2.3 km distant. Confirm before you fish Lac a l'Ours.