Lac de la Proie Fishing Guide, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  In Quebec, Lac de la Proie belongs to Mauricie. It stands 437 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to about 8 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Start from La Tuque, 43 km down the road. For a city, Trois-Rivières is 127 km off. More in the same country: Lac Combalet at 1.3 km, Lac Paneton (1.5 km), Lac Vermillon at 1.5 km, Lac du Merite (2.1 km) and Lac du Bouffon at 2.4 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Proie

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. 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. Records held for Mauricie cover northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Fish Lac de la Proie to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 17°C and January reads -16°C. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac de la Proie.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Lac Combalet at 1.3 km is the sensible second choice. Treat Lac de la Proie as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.