Lac Cote Fishing near La Tuque, Quebec

• Overview

  This water sits in Mauricie, Quebec. Height above sea level is 445 metres. The closest town, La Tuque, is 53 km distant. Laurentides is 66 km away, with Métabetchouan at 73 km. Near neighbours: Lac du Panache a shade over 0.8 km, Lac Mado lies 1.5 km on, Lac de la Montagne Brulee a shade over 1.6 km, Lac du Caribou lies 2.2 km on and Lac des Cypres a shade over 2.4 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lac Cote

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. 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. On Lac Cote a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -16°C in January. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It holds true on Lac Cote more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Lac du Panache, 0.8 km out. Check the position at Lac Cote before loading the car.