Lac de la Vase Fishing near La Tuque, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac de la Vase falls in Mauricie, part of Quebec. The water sits 310 metres up. The water covers some 11 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The edge runs 1.4 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Some 32 km away sits La Tuque, the nearest settlement. After that come Laurentides at 75 km and Weymontachie at 78 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac de la Vase

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Survey and observation records for Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The near bank of Lac de la Vase is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 17°C on average, January about -16°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Plan around that when you fish Lac de la Vase.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Petit lac Clair at 1 km is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Lac de la Vase in what we hold.