Lac de la Chicane Fishing near Maniwaki, Quebec

• Overview

  Look for Lac de la Chicane in Outaouais, Quebec. It stands 164 metres above sea level. The water covers some 10 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. There is roughly 1.6 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. It is low-lying compared with other Quebec water we list. 16 km away sits Maniwaki, the nearest town. Saint-Raphaël lies 17 km off, Saint-Boniface another 27 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Chicane

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Survey and observation records for Outaouais include pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Iowa darter. The county list is broader than any single water. Read Lac de la Chicane before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 19°C at the top of summer and -13°C at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late November in autumn. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Anyone fishing Lac de la Chicane regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A ramp is mapped within 720 m. There is a jetty 750 m off, worth knowing on a busy day. Overnight stays are possible 640 m away. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Lac Huneault at 1.2 km is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Lac de la Chicane if anything is unclear.