Fishing at Lac Ampoule, Capitale-Nationale, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Ampoule is one of the Capitale-Nationale waters in Quebec. Height above sea level is 355 metres. At roughly 2 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It is a small entry by Capitale-Nationale standards. Nearest town is Laurentides, 3.8 km off. It is 81 km to Sainte-Foy, the nearest city. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Ampoule

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Capitale-Nationale cover lake sturgeon, Atlantic sturgeon, longnose sucker, sauger and channel catfish. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Anyone new to Lac Ampoule should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -15°C in January. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late November in autumn. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. At Lac Ampoule the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Walleye come to jigs worked slow near bottom, and to trolled crankbaits along the drops at dusk. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Lac Goyot is 1.7 km distant. Where Lac Ampoule is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.