Lac Barry Fishing in Outaouais, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac Barry in the Outaouais part of Quebec. What surrounds it is pine and birch. The water covers some 26 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Around 2.9 km of margin, front to back. Deep River at 15 km is the nearest place to stop. The big place round here is Gatineau, 152 km distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac Barry

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Outaouais, recorded fish include pumpkinseed, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Lac Barry the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -14°C in January up to 18°C in July. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Lac Barry.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Petit lac Corrigan, 2 km out. For Lac Barry in particular, ask before you travel.