Lac de la Loutre Fishing near Saint-Raphaël, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac de la Loutre is one of the Outaouais waters in Quebec. It stands 222 metres above sea level. At roughly 2 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Most waters listed here for Outaouais are larger. Saint-Raphaël is the closest place, 18 km off. Further out sit Maniwaki (30 km) and Saint-Boniface (39 km). This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Loutre

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Outaouais list pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Iowa darter. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Read Lac de la Loutre before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 19°C and January near -14°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lac de la Loutre.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Lac Filion, 1 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Lac de la Loutre before loading the car.