Fishing at Lac Ayotte, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Mauricie, Quebec, is where Lac Ayotte sits. It stands 448 metres above sea level. It covers about 7 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Head to Leblanc, 41 km away, for anything you forgot. Trois-Rivières is the closest city, 222 km away. Alternatives close at hand: Lac McCarthy 1.7 km, Lac Truchon (1.7 km), Lac Baxter 2.3 km, Lac Richer (2.5 km) and Lac Cloutier 3.2 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Ayotte

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Public occurrence data for Mauricie names northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Lac Ayotte the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 16°C and January about -17°C. Everything is compressed into the middle of the year. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. The water is typically free of ice between early May and mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Plan around that when you fish Lac Ayotte.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Lac McCarthy sits 1.7 km off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Lac Ayotte before loading the car.