Lac Black in Outaouais: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac Black is an Outaouais water, Quebec side. Land around it is mixed forest. At 2 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Outaouais list. For supplies, Chelsea is 6.4 km out. Saint-Alexandre follows at 9 km, then Le Plateau at 9 km. Within easy reach: Lac Kingsmere after 1 km, Lac Mulvihill (1.1 km), Lac Bourgeois after 1.3 km, Lac Fortune (2 km) and Lac Pink after 5 km. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Lac Black

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Species logged across Outaouais include pumpkinseed, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Lac Black light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 20°C and January near -12°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to early December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Time your trip to Lac Black by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. King Mountain Trail gives parking 180 m away. Somewhere to sit and eat is 130 m out. Facilities run to toilets 170 m from the water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Lac Kingsmere sits 1 km off and takes the overflow. Where Lac Black is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.