Lac de la Pie in Mauricie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Quebec holds Lac de la Pie, in Mauricie. The country round it is spruce and muskeg from end to end. Surface area runs to about 7 hectares — small enough to read in one session. For a base, Manawan sits 57 km out. It is 222 km to Trois-Rivières, the nearest city. Also within reach: Lac Havill 0.7 km off, Lac Raven some 1.4 km off, Lac Long 3.3 km off, Lac Clair some 3.5 km off and Lac Green 4 km off. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Pie

  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. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Public occurrence data for Mauricie names northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Lac de la Pie responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -17°C in January to roughly 16°C in July. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. At Lac de la Pie the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. 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. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Lac Havill, 0.7 km away. Check the current arrangement for Lac de la Pie.