Lac Bouchard Fishing Guide, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Bouchard sits in Mauricie, out in Quebec. This is rolling bush country. This is a pocket water of some 9 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Saint-Élie-de-Caxton is the closest place, 55 km off. Hérouxville is 56 km and Shawinigan 56 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Bouchard

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Open biodiversity records for Mauricie list northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Read Lac Bouchard before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -15°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about late November. 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

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Lac Fawl sits 0.9 km off and takes the overflow. Rules at Lac Bouchard are worth checking on the day.