Lac Bouchard near Laurentides: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Capitale-Nationale, Quebec, is where Lac Bouchard sits. The bank is 363 metres above sea level. It measures about 55 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The bank runs about 4.8 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. On our Capitale-Nationale list it sits near the top for size. The town to know is Laurentides, 12 km out. Sainte-Foy sits 90 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Lac Bouchard

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Open biodiversity records for Capitale-Nationale list lake sturgeon, Atlantic sturgeon, longnose sucker and sauger. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Anyone new to Lac Bouchard should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 18°C, the coldest about -15°C. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Lac Bouchard rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Omble de fontaine is mapped as a fishing spot about 270 m away. Walleye come to jigs worked slow near bottom, and to trolled crankbaits along the drops at dusk. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Lac Saphir sits 0.7 km off and takes the overflow. For Lac Bouchard in particular, ask before you travel.