Lac Besjiwan Fishing near La Tuque, Quebec

• Overview

  The Mauricie entry here is Lac Besjiwan, in Quebec. The bank is 310 metres above sea level. The water covers some 12 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 1.6 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. You are 23 km from La Tuque. For a city, Trois-Rivières is 119 km off. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac Besjiwan

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout and walleye. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Read Lac Besjiwan for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 18°C and January about -16°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on Lac Besjiwan follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Lac Keno sits 1.3 km off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Lac Besjiwan in what we hold.