Fishing at Lac de l'Etourneau, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac de l'Etourneau is set in Mauricie, Quebec. Height above sea level is 380 metres. The closest town, Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, is 29 km distant. Beyond it, Mandeville at 36 km and Shawinigan at 37 km. Within a short drive: Lac Phelps (0.9 km), Lac Mitaine a shade over 1.3 km, Petit lac du Pimbina (1.5 km), Lac du Pimbina a shade over 1.7 km and Lac du Bucheron (1.9 km). It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lac de l'Etourneau

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for Mauricie names northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Work Lac de l'Etourneau in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -15°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. The lid tends to go about late April and return around late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. At Lac de l'Etourneau the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Lac Phelps is 0.9 km distant. Nothing here settles the position at Lac de l'Etourneau for certain.