Fishing at Lac Castor, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Castor sits within Mauricie in Quebec. The setting is lake country bush. This is a pocket water of some 3 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is a small entry by Mauricie standards. The closest town, Hérouxville, is 8.5 km away. Shawinigan follows at 9.3 km, then Saint-Tite at 16 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lac Castor

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name northern pike, brook trout and walleye. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of Lac Castor decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 19°C in July and bottom out at -14°C in January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about early December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac Castor.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Lac Giguere at 0.6 km is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Lac Castor.