Lac des Etangs, Quebec: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  You will find Lac des Etangs in Mauricie, Quebec. Elevation runs to 295 metres. For a base, La Tuque sits 43 km out. The nearest city of size is Trois-Rivières, 148 km away. Also within reach: Lac Francois 1.3 km, Lac Eric 1.8 km away, Lac Wallace 2 km, Lac Clovis 2.4 km away and Lac Laureat 2.4 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Etangs

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Mauricie include northern pike, brook trout, walleye and yellow perch. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Lac des Etangs that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -16°C in January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It holds true on Lac des Etangs more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Lac Francois is 1.3 km distant. Check the position on Lac des Etangs before loading the car.