Lac des Baies Fishing in Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac des Baies is one of the Mauricie listings for Quebec. The water sits 502 metres up. At 4 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Mauricie list holds plenty of bigger water. The nearest town is Weymontachie, 42 km away. Saguenay sits 194 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Baies

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Mauricie cover northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Treat Lac des Baies as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 16°C and January reads -18°C. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Climate averages put the opening at about early May and the closing near mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Lac des Baies runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Lac Piscine, 1.1 km away. For Lac des Baies, the notice at the access point is the final word.