Lac Dernier, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lac Dernier is one of the Mauricie waters in Quebec. Everything around it is pine and birch. About 5 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Nearest town is Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, 44 km off. After that come Shawinigan at 48 km and Hérouxville at 51 km. More in the same country: Lac Petit at 0.6 km, Lac du Roitelet 1.1 km away, Lac Moyen at 1.4 km, Lac Carroll 2 km away and Lac du Gros Ours at 2.1 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lac Dernier

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The near bank of Lac Dernier is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 18°C, while January sits near -15°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. On Lac Dernier that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Lac Petit sits 0.6 km off and takes the overflow. What applies at Lac Dernier may have changed since it was mapped.