Lac Bison in Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Bison stands in Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec. It sits at 259 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to about 10 hectares — small enough to read in one session. For supplies, Gaspé is 45 km out. Perce lies 84 km off, Grande-Riviere another 88 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout. In wet weather the last stretch of track is the awkward part.

• Where to Fish on Lac Bison

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine records list American eel, striped bass, alewife, rainbow smelt and brook trout among the fish reported. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Lac Bison that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 16°C; by January the average is down near -13°C. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac Bison.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Lac Ecureuil is 0.7 km off. Confirm before you fish Lac Bison.