Lac des Etables in Mauricie: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lac des Etables is a Mauricie water, Quebec side. Elevation runs to 410 metres. It measures about 64 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The shoreline runs about 9.4 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. On our Mauricie list it sits near the top for size. Leblanc is the closest town at 75 km. For a city, Trois-Rivières is 286 km off. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Etables

  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. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Mauricie include 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. On Lac des Etables the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 16°C in July and bottoms out near -17°C in January. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Lac des Etables.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Lac de la Hauteur sits 1.8 km off and takes the overflow. Check the current arrangement for Lac des Etables.