Fishing at Lac de la Branche, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac de la Branche stands in Mauricie, Quebec. Height above sea level is 454 metres. Roughly 43 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The edge runs 3.9 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Few waters listed in Mauricie are bigger. 42 km away sits Weymontachie, the nearest town. Trois-Rivières is the closest city, 206 km away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Branche

  Depth figures are not published for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Mauricie records list northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Lac de la Branche fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 16°C and January about -17°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Climate figures give an open season running early May to mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on Lac de la Branche follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Lac Tie sits 1.2 km off and takes the overflow. Signs at Lac de la Branche carry more weight than any list.