Fishing at Lac aux Outardes, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac aux Outardes belongs to Mauricie. The bank is 398 metres above sea level. The water covers some 10 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 2.0 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Head to La Tuque, 42 km away, for anything you forgot. Beyond it, Sainte-Thècle at 61 km and Saint-Tite at 63 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac aux Outardes

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout and walleye. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Lac aux Outardes the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -16°C in January to roughly 18°C in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. On Lac aux Outardes the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Lac de la Source at 0.9 km is the nearest alternative. For Lac aux Outardes, the notice at the access point is the final word.