Fishing at Lac Clarke, Outaouais, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac Clarke is set in Outaouais, Quebec. The surroundings are rolling bush. It covers about 2 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Outaouais are larger. Supplies mean a trip to Deep River, 31 km off. It is 173 km to Gatineau, the nearest city. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac Clarke

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Outaouais: pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and rainbow smelt. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Read Lac Clarke before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -14°C in January to roughly 18°C in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Lac Clarke fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Lac Michaux, 0.6 km out. The position on Lac Clarke is worth confirming on the day.