Lac Bill, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lac Bill is a Mauricie water, Quebec side. It sits at 164 metres above sea level. It covers about 3 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Mauricie list. Saint-Élie-de-Caxton at 10 km is the nearest place to stop. Shawinigan is 14 km and Hérouxville 25 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac Bill

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Lac Bill that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 19°C on average, January about -14°C. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It holds true on Lac Bill more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Parking is mapped about 430 m from the bank. A pier or jetty stands 1.1 km away, which helps on a crowded bank. You can camp 960 m off, which suits an early start. There are toilets 1.5 km off. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Lac Vert sits 0.6 km off and takes the overflow. Treat access at Lac Bill as something to verify.