Fishing Lac Bienvenue in Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac Bienvenue in the Mauricie part of Quebec. The setting is pine and birch. It covers about 6 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. You are 12 km from Saint-Élie-de-Caxton. After that come Shawinigan at 26 km and Mandeville at 28 km. Round about: Lac Rouge 1.1 km off, Lac Allard the better part of 1.5 km, Lac Ford 1.8 km off, Lac Lina the better part of 2.4 km and Lac a l'Eau Claire 2.4 km off. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac Bienvenue

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Mauricie records list northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch among the fish reported. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Lac Bienvenue the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -14°C in January and 18°C in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The lid tends to go about late April and return around late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Plan any trip to Lac Bienvenue around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Parking within 150 m means no long carry with tackle. A platform or pier sits within 350 m. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Lac Rouge sits 1.1 km off and takes the overflow. Where Lac Bienvenue is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.