Fishing at Lac de la Carpe, Outaouais, Quebec

• Overview

  Outaouais in Quebec is where Lac de la Carpe sits. Country round the bank runs to rolling bush. At 2 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Outaouais list holds plenty of bigger water. The closest town, Val-des-Monts, is 35 km distant. The big place round here is Gatineau, 54 km distant. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Carpe

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Outaouais include pumpkinseed, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Lac de la Carpe fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -13°C in January to roughly 19°C in July. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. On average, late April opens the water and early December closes it again. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It holds true on Lac de la Carpe more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Lac Simard, 1 km out. Nothing on Lac de la Carpe should be assumed from this page alone.