Fishing at Lac des Chicots, Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac des Chicots sits in Mauricie, out in Quebec. It sits at 315 metres above sea level. Small at around 3 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is a small entry by Mauricie standards. For a base, Shawinigan sits 22 km out. The big place round here is Trois-Rivières, 51 km distant. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Chicots

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Fish documented in Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout and walleye. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Lac des Chicots where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -14°C in January and 18°C in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Climate figures give an open season running late April to late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Lac des Chicots fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Lac Antoinette is 0.4 km off. For Lac des Chicots in particular, ask before you travel.