Lac Croche Fishing near Sainte-Thècle, Quebec

• Overview

  This water sits in Mauricie, Quebec. Land around it is pine and birch. The water measures roughly 7 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. Head to Sainte-Thècle, 26 km away, for anything you forgot. Trois-Rivières is the closest city, 69 km away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac Croche

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. 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. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The near bank of Lac Croche is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 18°C; by January the average is down near -15°C. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. The season on Lac Croche follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Lac a l'Ile at 0.6 km is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Lac Croche.