Fishing Lac des Chicots in Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac des Chicots is a Mauricie water, Quebec side. Everything around it is spruce and muskeg. Around 13 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. The bank runs about 2.2 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. 57 km away sits Laurentides, the nearest town. Beyond it, La Tuque at 61 km and Saint-Raymond at 82 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Chicots

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Mauricie cover northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. The county list is broader than any single water. On Lac des Chicots the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 16°C and January reads -16°C. A short, intense season is the rule this far north. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac des Chicots.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Lac des Armoises at 2.1 km is the sensible second choice. For Lac des Chicots in particular, ask before you travel.