Lac Bernard Fishing Guide, Outaouais, Quebec

• Overview

  Set in Outaouais, Lac Bernard is a Quebec water. It lies 301 metres above sea level. At 1.18 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. Around 10 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. Few waters listed in Outaouais are bigger. The nearest town is Saint-Raphaël, 35 km away. For a city, Gatineau is 103 km off. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Bernard

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Fish documented in Outaouais include pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Iowa darter. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Lac Bernard for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -14°C to 18°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Lac Bernard runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Lac du Bouleau at 1.7 km is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Lac Bernard.