Lac de la Muraille in Outaouais: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Outaouais end of Quebec holds Lac de la Muraille. The country here is rolling bush. At 4 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Outaouais. Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel lies 18 km from the water. Beyond it, La Minerve at 29 km and Ripon at 39 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Muraille

  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. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Outaouais cover pumpkinseed, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and rainbow smelt. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Treat Lac de la Muraille as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -14°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The lid tends to go about late April and return around late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That is the shape of the year on Lac de la Muraille.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Launching is possible: a slipway lies 1.2 km off. There is a campsite 1.1 km from the water. There are toilets 1.1 km off. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Petit lac Rivas sits 1.2 km off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Lac de la Muraille if anything is unclear.