Fishing at Lac Blais, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Within Mauricie, Quebec, you have Lac Blais. It lies 333 metres above sea level. At 5 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Start from La Tuque, 31 km down the road. Laurentides is 31 km and Sainte-Thècle 41 km. Round about: 1.5 km out stands Lac des Deux Caribous, Lac Pronovost near enough 2.3 km, 3.1 km out stands Lac Henri, Lac Oscar near enough 3.8 km and 4.5 km out stands Lac Chat. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Blais

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Mauricie cover northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Lac Blais the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -15°C in January to roughly 18°C in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac Blais.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Lac des Deux Caribous is 1.5 km distant. For Lac Blais, the notice at the access point is the final word.