Fishing at Lac au Sorcier, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac au Sorcier stands in Mauricie, Quebec. It lies 346 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to roughly 9.54 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. Some 60 km of shoreline means conditions can differ from one end to the other. Size puts it in the front rank of our Mauricie list. The closest town, Mandeville, is 36 km distant. Saint-Élie-de-Caxton follows at 39 km, then Saint-Michel-des-Saints at 41 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac au Sorcier

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. The county list is broader than any single water. At Lac au Sorcier the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -15°C in January up to 18°C in July. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac au Sorcier.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lac du Balai at 2.6 km is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Lac au Sorcier for certain.