Lac des Schistes Fishing in Mauricie, Quebec

• Overview

  Lac des Schistes is set in Mauricie, Quebec. The surroundings are taiga. About 7 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. The closest town, Chapais, is 90 km away. Leblanc follows at 103 km, then Waswanipi at 107 km. Others close at hand: Lac Suzanne lies 1.3 km on, Lac Indien roughly 1.9 km, Lac Pistolet lies 3.3 km on, Lac de la Concession roughly 3.4 km and Lac Frank lies 4.3 km on. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lac des Schistes

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Mauricie cover northern pike, brook trout, walleye, yellow perch and white sucker. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Lac des Schistes the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 16°C and January near -19°C. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. On Lac des Schistes that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Lac Suzanne, 1.3 km away, makes the obvious fallback. For Lac des Schistes, the notice at the access point is the final word.