Lac des Hauteurs Fishing near La Tuque, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac des Hauteurs is a Mauricie water, Quebec side. The country round it is rolling bush from end to end. La Tuque is the closest town at 22 km. Laurentides lies 60 km off, Sainte-Thècle another 88 km. More in the same country: Lac de la Cache at about 1.4 km, Lac a la Vandoise near enough 1.4 km, Lac Bourgeoys at about 2.1 km, Lac du Sapin near enough 2.3 km and Petit lac du Sapin at about 2.3 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Hauteurs

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Anyone new to Lac des Hauteurs should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 17°C and January at -16°C. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near mid November in autumn. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Plan any trip to Lac des Hauteurs around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lac de la Cache, 1.4 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to Lac des Hauteurs locally before you travel.